Huskies sneak past Gadsden City, secure playoff berth

GADSDEN -- Hewitt-Trussville High School did just enough to lock up its position in the Class 7A playoffs in a few weeks.

The Huskies traveled east Friday night and came away with a 35-28 victory over Gadsden City in a Region 3 contest.

Hewitt-Trussville (7-2, 4-2 in region) tied the game twice in the second half before finally claiming the lead for good midway through the fourth quarter.

Peyton Floyd, making his second career start at quarterback, had a strong night, totaling over 300 all-purpose yards. He began the night's scoring with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Omari Kelly. Gadsden City scored the next two touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead after a quarter of play.

James Hammonds scored on a 16-yard run but the Huskies missed the extra point and trailed 14-13 at halftime. 

In the third quarter, Gadsden City quarterback Luke Waldrep scored his third touchdown of the evening to give the Titans a 21-13 advantage. Then, Floyd scored on a 4-yard run and the Huskies converted the two-point try to knot the game at 21-21.

But the Titans refused to wilt, returning the ensuing kickoff to reclaim the lead at 28-21. Hewitt-Trussville drove down the field once again, with Matt Miller scoring on a 2-yard run to tie the game at 28-28 heading to the final period.

Hammonds scored his second touchdown of the night with 5:35 to play, lifting the Huskies to the 35-28 margin.

Floyd finished the night 15-of-19 passing for 172 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 134 yards on 22 carries in an efficient performance. Hammonds eclipsed the century mark as well, going for 103 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Kelly was the Huskies' leading receiver, catching seven passes for 87 yards. Jordan McCants caught three balls for 49 yards. 

For Gadsden City (5-4, 2-4), Waldrep completed 14-of-27 passes for 250 yards.

Next week, Hewitt-Trussville pays a visit to Oak Mountain for the region and regular season finale. The winner of the game will be the No. 3 seed from Region 3 and the loser will take the No. 4 spot. Gadsden City wraps up its season at Vestavia Hills.