Steelers Win Super Bowl

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Batesville Steeler 9 and 10-year-old team pose with their medallions and Super Bowl trophy after Saturday’s 42-15 win over Charleston on Tiger field. The Panolian photo by Myra Bean

Steelers down previously undefeated Charleston for Super Bowl trophy

By Myra Bean

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Batesville Steelers’ not-so-secret weapon Darrell Henderson rushed for 284 yards and scored five touchdowns in the Steelers’ 42-15 Super Bowl win over Charleston Saturday afternoon.

The Steelers had won the Super Bowl in 2006 and added a second trophy to the case.

The sky was overcast and the wind a little nippy, but the Steelers pounded out yard-after-yard against Charleston.

Henderson played running back, quarterback and receiver during various parts of the afternoon as the game progressed.

Charleston took the opening kickoff, but the Steeler defense was relentless recording two tackles for loss by Kamdon Edwards for minus two yards and a sack for five yards by Hunter Baker.

On his first touch of the ball, Henderson ran for a 68 yard touchdown with 6:16 left in the first quarter to take a 6-0 after the extra point failed.

Two tackles by Steeler Dudley Hall in Charleston’s next series just about stopped that show, but a recovered fumble by Charleston on third down brought up a fourth down and punt.

It took Henderson three tries on the next Steeler possession to score on a 46-yard run with 2:48 left in the quarter. The two-point kick by Edwards gave the Steelers a 14-0 lead.

On the kickoff, Charleston scored its first touchdown on a 79 yard run with 2:26 left in the quarter. With the extra point, Batesville’s lead was cut 14-8.

Batesville fumbled away its next possession, but forced a turnover on downs in the third quarter.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second quarter, Henderson ran for his third touchdown, a 66-yard run with 5:22 left in the half. The Steelers led 20-8 after the two-point kick failed.

After the kickoff, Charleston threatened to score again on first down and 10 from the 18 as the Charleston runner ran around the Batesville defense. He slowed down and Hall made a touchdown saving tackle on the two-yard line. Charleston fumbled on first and goal from the two and Batesville’s Robert Thomas recovered a Charleston fumble with 4:44 left in the half, but the possession ended in Batesville’s first punt of the day.

Baker recorded his second sack of the day for a minus six yards on Charleston next possession. Recording tackles in that possession for Batesville were Jordan Smith and Joshua Tutor.

Batesville got the ball back with 54 seconds left in the half and at 37 seconds Henderson ran for a 69-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Batesville led 26-8 as the two-point kick failed.

Charleston got the ball back with 27 seconds left on the clock, but Batesville’s defense pounded away and forced a turnover on downs with one second left.

Henderson played receiver as he caught a 43-yard pass from Jordan Smith, broke the tackle of three defenders and sprinted for a touchdown as the buzzer sounded the end of the first half. The extra point by Edwards was good for the 34-8 halftime lead.

Charleston only had the ball for one play in the third quarter which they fumbled away and it was recovered by Hall with 1:07 on the clock.

Smith scored the Steeler’s final touchdown with 7:51 left in the game on a 16-yard pass from Henderson. Edwards kicked the two-point conversion for the 42-8 lead.

Charleston added one more score with 4:56 left in the game on a 26-yard run. With the extra point, the score stood Steelers 42-15.

In addition to Henderson’s statistics, Baker had 12 rushing yards, three tackles which includes two sacks and a tackle for loss yards; Kenon Johnson rushed for six yards and had one tackle. Jordan Smith had one pass for a 43 yard touchdown and Henderson completed one of three passes for a 16 yard touchdown.

Recording tackles on defense were Henderson, three tackles; Edwards, Braden Scott and Hall, two tackles each; Steve Dandridge, Brandon Leland, Jaylon Ford, Smith and Tutor, one tackle each; recovering fumbles were Hall and Thomas.

Director Fred Hentz thanked the community for its support and hopes to see everyone next year.