It was an emotional, energetic postgame celebration for the Halls High School football team and coach Brent Hughes.
Part of the outpouring was because the Red Devils reached the quarterfinals of the playoffs for the first time since 1996.
But more of it was because this specific team, which includes a lot of impactful seniors playing in their final postseason, gets at least one more week together.
Halls took down visiting Lawrence County 42-14 on Friday in the second round of the 5A playoffs, and earned a rematch against fellow Region 2-5A foe Central this Friday.
The Bobcats squeaked by with a 38-35 win over the Red Devils on Oct. 16.
“I get emotional, I get another week with my guys and that’s all I care about,” Hughes said.
“I don’t know how long this thing is going to last, but I’m going to cherish every moment of it with these guys. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Halls (7-4) got it done on Friday on the shoulders of senior quarterback Amari Lethgo, and with its defense.
Lethgo, who has been starting since he was a freshman, got his worst pass of the night out of the way early with an interception on his first throw.
From there, he completed 23 of 27 passes for 335 yards and five touchdowns. Lethgo also had a rushing score and wasn’t sacked.
Lethgo’s first touchdown was a 54-yard strike to junior Jarrell Chandler in the first quarter. Lethgo managed to see Chandler despite taking a hit right after he released the ball.
The dual-threat QB connected with senior Brody Rogers on a 10-yard score to put the Red Devils up 21-7 with less than a minute remaining in the first half.
The Lethgo to Rogers connection was far from over. The 6-foot-1 Rogers’ two second-half touchdowns were both of a high degree of difficulty.
Rogers contorted his body to stay in bounds on a diving 31-yard reception that gave the Red Devils a 35-14 lead with 1:27 left in the third quarter.
For the game’s final touchdown, Lethgo threw it up into single coverage and watched as Rogers won a jump ball from 27 yards out.
Rogers had 12 catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns for the game.
“Really all my receivers, I trust them all,” Lethgo said.
“They’re all going to go get it, him (Rogers) in particular, it was just his game tonight. I let him take it over and I was just putting it up for grabs and letting him go make plays.”
Hughes couldn’t help guide his thoughts back to Lethgo when talking about how his team bounced back from its 0-3 start to the season.
“For me as a coach, you just regroup. And everything we wanted to accomplish was still right there,” Hughes said.
“And that’s why you rely on seniors, you rely on guys that make plays. And like I said, most quarterbacks would’ve put down, but that kid (Lethgo) is the hardest worker that I’ve ever seen.
“He’s the toughest kid; he takes more hits than he should, but he doesn’t ever complain, He just regroups and finds a way. That’s why we’re where we’re at, because of No. 9, and that’s why we’re going to keep playing.”
As for the defense, the tone was set right away when the Wildcats (8-4) were set up at the Halls 14 to start their opening drive following Lethgo’s interception.
The unit stopped three straight runs for one-yard gains, and then blocked a field goal to get the ball right back.
Defensive standouts Friday included Gavin Self, Dom Culp and Eddy Soto.
Self recorded a tackle for loss on a Lawrence County 4th-and-1 with 1:18 left in the first half. The Red Devils scored before the half to take a two-score lead.
Culp, a senior leader with seven sacks and five interceptions coming in, was in on several tackles.
Soto intercepted a deep ball late in the third quarter with Lawrence County down 21 points and trying to get back into the game.
“All week all I hear is ‘how are we going to play against their big offensive line?’ I’ve just got a bunch of kids that find a way. I’ve got dudes that find a way,” Hughes said.
“… We’ve got guys that play team football and you saw that tonight, and we just found a way. And we were the ones that hit them in the mouth, and they didn’t want none by the time it was over.”
Coming into the season knowing this is it for Lethgo, Rogers, Culp, starting receiver Cooper Faust and starting running back McKylus Daniel, may have added some extra pressure. But whatever the case, the start is looking like a distant memory with how the finish is going.
“The truth of the matter is, the season started off a little bit rocky. And everyone wanted to act like I didn’t know what I was doing or the kids weren’t good enough. It doesn’t matter,” Hughes, who’s first season as head coach at Halls was when the current senior class were freshmen, said.
“All that matters is right now, and the fact of the matter is our kids are playing the best football they’ve played all year, and it don’t guarantee victory, but I know this, I’m going to ride or die with my guys.”
Article written by Matthew Lutey/5Star Preps. To read more on area high school sports or to see photo galleries, videos, stat leaders, etc, visit 5StarPreps.com — and use promo code New2025 for 30% off your first year or month subscription.
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