Ohatchee Tops New Hope 76-71 in Thrilling Season Opener
OHATCHEE, AL – Ohatchee and New Hope high schools clashed on the gridiron for the first time in their 100-year histories, delivering a game that will be remembered for another century. A thrilling hail mary pass from quarterback Jake Roberson to Brayden Collins secured a 76-71 victory for the Ohatchee Indians, elevating this historic matchup into the AHSAA Spotlight for week zero of the Alabama high school football season.
Both teams combined for over 1,300 yards and 21 touchdowns, setting several state records with a total of 147 points. This performance edged out notable achievements by Piedmont High School’s Rollie Pinto and T.R. Miller High School’s historic milestone as the winningest team in AHSAA history. Special thanks to sportswriter Joe Medley of East Alabama Sports Today and the Ohatchee High School NFHS Network School Broadcast Program for capturing these unforgettable moments.
Ohatchee quarterback Jake Roberson completed 14-of-18 passes for 361 yards, scoring five touchdowns. Jayden Heard contributed with 178 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Nate Jones added 100 yards and a pair of scores. Heard also caught two passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, with Collins grabbing eight receptions for 178 yards and two scores.
For New Hope, quarterback Lucas Terry completed 27-of-33 passes for 500 yards and four touchdowns. Layton Pohl rushed for 163 yards, scoring five touchdowns and catching one touchdown pass. Dawson Cambron made 18 receptions for 383 yards and four scores.
The climactic hail mary wasn’t Ohatchee’s only last-second heroics. Leading 50-35 in the third quarter, they witnessed New Hope score twice in 19 seconds. Cambron scored on a 36-yard pass from Terry, then on a 16-yard run. Despite being pinned at their own 11-yard line, Ohatchee responded with an 89-yard touchdown pass from Terry to Heard, reclaiming a 58-48 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Jones scored on a 32-yard run, temporarily halting the scoring surge. However, the frenzy resumed in the final five minutes with five additional touchdowns. Trailing 64-48, New Hope’s Pohl bolted into the endzone for a five yard score. Ohatchee answered with Heard’s 30-yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 70-56. Cambron’s 54-yard touchdown reception and a successful onside kick set up Pohl’s 9-yard run with Cambron completing a two-point conversion to Terry, giving New Hope a 71-70 lead.
Ohatchee launched their final play from New Hope’s 37-yard line. Roberson took the snap, backpedaled 10 yards, and hurled a long pass down the right sideline. Collins secured the ball in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, sealing the season opening win for head coach Chris Findley’s Ohatchee squad.
The thriller set records for total yards, points scored by both teams without overtime (147), second-most all-time including overtime, most points by the losing team (71), and total touchdowns (21). Cambron’s 18 receptions rank sixth all-time, and his 383 receiving yards are second only to LaFayette’s Chris Simpson’s 412 yards in 2000.
Featured Image: Ohatchee QB Jake Roberson (8) passed for 361 yards and five TDs – including TD passes at the end of the second, third and fourth quarters. (PHOTO COURTESY | Greg Warren / East Alabama Sports Today)
