Albany football holds off Hamlin behind Ben West's 5 TD passes
Stephen Garcia
Albany 41, Hamlin 28
Much-anticipated games don't always live up to the hype. It's safe to say Albany-Hamlin Part II fit the billing.
Behind five TD passes from Ben West, the Lions (9-5) again left the Pied Pipers with heartache, winning their rematch 41-28 Thursday at Shotwell Stadium to advance to the Class 2A Division II semifinals.
But the game did not end without controversy.
Trailing by six, Hamlin (12-2) started a drive from its 29-yard line with less than 2 minutes remaining. Pipers quarterback Braydin Warner threw a pass to Austin Brown, who was hit immediately and the ball fell to the turf. While some players reacted as if the play had ended in an incomplete pass, West scooped up the loose ball and returned it 43 yards for a TD.
The score with 1:35 left created the final margin.
"I'm all the way across the field and the official is standing right there. I'm not going to have sour grapes about that," Hamlin coach Russell Lucas said of the ruling of a fumble. "There were all kinds of plays in the game that could have been made.
"At the moment, of course I want the call, but I'm not going to second-guess (the referee). That's not the right thing to do."
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The game was tied going into halftime, before two West TD passes in the third quarter left the Lions in front 27-14. Hamlin answered on the first play of the fourth period and twice got within six points.
Albany had a tight grip on the game until Warner found Jevon Williams, who ran down the sideline for a 57-yard TD to cap a one-play possession. The big play kept the Pipers alive, down 34-28 with 4:32 remaining.
Hamlin forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive to give itself another opportunity, but the first play after the punt ended with the called fumble.
Cameron Dacus, who intercepted Warner's first pass attempt, led the Lions with six catches for 156 yards and three TDs. The senior was one of three Albany players with a scoring grab.
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"I've got four unbelievable receivers out there," said West, who connected with five different teammates. "My five O-linemen also, they can protect. They gave me plenty of time. You make good plays when you have no pressure."
Turning point: West's defensive TD put Albany in front by two scores with too little time remaining for the Pipers to come back.
Player of the game: Ben West, QB/DB, Albany — The junior had his best game of the season at a crucial time. West played turnover-free football, finishing 16 of 21 passing for 267 yards and five TDs. His heads-up play on the late fumble sealed the victory.
"They threw it, he caught it, it looked like," West said of the fumble. "It dropped and I never heard the whistle. I just picked it up and took off with it."
Key stat: Hamlin turned over the ball twice, which proved to be significant. The Lions had no turnovers and cashed the Pipers' final miscue into a crucial score near the end of the game.
Albany coach Denney Faith said: "Our kids played well tonight. Hamlin's kids played well. This game could've gone either way. We were just really fortunate that we got a couple of breaks and things kind of bounced our way...Two very evenly-matched teams, and their kids played hard and they've got a lot to be proud of. But I'm proud of our kids, too."
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Coach Lucas said: "(Albany) has great receivers, and Ben's a great quarterback. And he throws the ball on the money. He didn't miss many balls tonight. We had a couple of coverage busts, and then sometimes they just outperformed us...You've got to give credit to them."
What this means: Albany won its 11th consecutive meeting with Hamlin. The Lions are headed to the state semifinals for the first time since their 2015 run to the championship game.
"They're all sweet," Faith said, referring to his six trips to the semifinals. "You get this far in the playoffs and you never know what's going to happen. We're just going to line up, practice again another week and see who we play next week and give it our best shot."
Up next: Albany will face Gruver, which beat Stratford 50-14 on Thursday in Canyon.
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