By GALE CAVNESS
pressbox1.com

DYERSBURG - Call it luck, call it fate.

Call it Dyersburg football.

The Trojans rallied Friday night to take a nerve-wrenching, stomach-churning 21-14 victory over rival Haywood County in double overtime.

Despite a host of missed opportunities and numerous gifts to the visiting Tomcats, DHS knotted the score in the second half and won it in extra frames. The Trojans scored touchdowns on both overtime possessions and secured the victory when junior linebacker Hunter Newsome picked off a first-down pass attempt to thwart Haywood County’s second effort in the OT.

It was not pretty, but it was a huge win in the Trojans’ first Region 7-3A contest of the campaign.

Considering the staggering number of negative occurrences sustained by the home team, the victory might even be called somewhat miraculous.

While losing six fumbles, three inside the Haywood County 30, and possession once on downs at the Tomcats’ seven, the Trojans kept themselves in the game with outstanding defensive play. After its first turnover cost them a touchdown just 1:43 into the contest, Dyersburg kept the visitors out of the end zone throughout the rest of regulation and grabbed the win in overtime.

"People talk about our offense...," DHS head coach Darren Bowling said after the game, "But, like I’ve been preaching for years, defense wins championships."

The win gives Dyersburg a 1-0 record in Region 7-3A and a 2-0 overall mark. Haywood County falls to 0-1 in region play 2-1 overall.

In other Region 7-3A contests Friday night, Covington nipped Crockett County 7-6 and Ripley dumped Obion Central 26-7. Dyer County, a 7-3A squad, smacked Class 2A Huntingdon 26-0 in a non-region clash.

Next week, Dyersburg visits Jackson North Side, Dyer County travels to McNairy Central, Haywood County entertains Memphis Kingsbury, Crockett County plays host to Memphis Raleigh-Egypt, Obion Central gets a visit from Lone Oak, Ky., and Covington is at home to face Brighton.

On a soggy field at J.C. Sawyers Stadium with a drizzle for the final three quarters, the Trojans proved to be quite the hosts. The first welcoming present was handed out in the opening minutes when Haywood County’s Terrance Turner raced 47 yards with the football on a play that started in Dyersburg’s hands.

When the ball came loose in the mass of bodies at midfield, the 338-pound Turner rambled down the DHS sideline to set up the game’s first points. On third-and-goal from the four, Luther Ward put the Tomcats in front and Jose Lopez tacked on the conversion kick to make it 7-0.

Dyersburg proved to be its own worst enemy on offense before finally tying the score late in the third quarter after recovering a Tomcats turnover.

The Trojans’ defense forced Haywood County into a three-and-out possession to open the second half, taking control of the football at their 44 following a punt. After picking up a pair of first downs, another fumble gave the visitors the ball back at their 38.

With the defense keeping pressure on Tomcat quarterback Brett Stoots, the guests were again forced to punt after three plays. Dyersburg pressured the punter, blocked the attempt and regained possession when Justin Whitfield covered the ball at the Haywood 23.

On The Trojans’ ensuing play, another bobble gave the ball back to the Tomcats.

Again, the DHS defense rose to the task. After a procedure penalty backed Haywood County back to its 28, Dyersburg defender John Butler sacked Stoots to bring up third and long. An incomplete pass set up another punting situation for the visitors.

Beginning at the Haywood 43, Dyersburg quarterback Logan Parker started the march with a four-yard gain over left tackle. Parker, who saw his first action of the year on the Trojans’ third possession of the night, played with a heavy tape job on the surgically-repaired right thumb that had kept him out of lineup since early in the pre-season.

Rashad Taylor, who quarterbacked the Trojans to a lopsided, 49-14 triumph over Memphis Frayser in the season-opener, took the handoff from Parker on second down and rushed his way around the left corner to the Haywood 12.

But the Trojans couldn’t pick up the points. The Tomcats’ defense made a stand, held DHS on downs at the seven and regained possession.

On first down, Dyersburg senior Beau Liljenquist plugged a hole and stopped the Tomcats for no gain. On second down, Haywood County finally gave the Trojans a gift they used to their advantage.

With first-and-goal at the nine, Bobby Ellis picked up four yards to the five. It took a spin move by Taylor to get into the end zone on the next play. With 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Kyle Youmans tied the score 7-7.

The teams swapped punts and both lost possession on downs as play moved into the closing minutes of regulation. Youmans was short on a 42-yard field goal attempt at the 1:15 mark of the fourth quarter and regulation play ended when the Tomcats took a knee at their own 32.

It didn’t take long for the action to pickup in overtime.

Starting at the 10-yard on the south end of the stadium, Haywood County went with a halfback pass on first down and ran it to perfection. Luther hit a wide open Altavis Douglas with a scoring strike on the right side of the end zone to give the guests a 13-7 lead. Lopez nailed another PAT, and it was 14-7.

Dyersburg lost yardage on its first play from the 10, setting up a second-and-12 play. No problem for Ellis, who got some good blocks up front and burst across the goal line. Yomans’ PAT knotted it at 14-all.

To begin the second OT period, Dyersburg chose to swap ends of the field. From the north end of the stadium, the Trojans got six yards from Logan on a quarterback keeper and a four-yard touchdown run from Tyler Caldwell. Youmans made it 21-14.

Haywood County got the ball at the 10 to begin its second overtime possession. On first down, the Tomcats went to the air and Newsome was in perfect position to catch a pass about chest high and end the game.

While the Haywood team settled for a loss, the hometown faithful raced onto the field to congratulate the victorious Trojans.

Bowling didn’t hesitate to credit his defensive unit for winning the game.

"The defense is greedy in Dyersburg," he said. "We made some adjustments at the half. We rose to the occasion."

He was also quick to point out that Haywood County could still make lots of noise as the season progresses.

"If they get better each week, which they have proven traditionally to do, they’ll be right there at playoff time," he said. "They’ve earned all the respect they’ve been given. They’re a good football team."

"Dyersburg is a good football team, too. And we’ve got to get better as we go along."

Prior to the game, Tomcats head coach Bart Stowe said the key to the game would be hanging on to the football. After recovering six Dyersburg fumbles, odds certainly were leaning in the Tomcats’ direction.

"We didn’t take advantage of our chances," he said after the disappointing setback. "We couldn’t get our offense going."

Stowe said the blocked punt and series of plays that followed were critical and added that Parker’s play boosted the DHS offense.

"Having No. 10 (Parker) at quarterback gives them a lot of options," he said.

Statistically, the Trojans carried the football 47 times for 207 yards. Parker was the individual ground leader with 64 yards on eight attempts. Dyersburg’s defense limited the Tomcats to just 55 rushing yards on 35 carries and only six first downs.