SENATOBIA – Domonique Harris, the sophomore quarterback for the No. 10 Northwest Rangers, didn't throw the ball a bunch Thursday night, but when the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder did put the ball in the air, it was usually complete to a Ranger receiver and for a lot of yards.
A week after the Rangers' running game led them to a 42-21 win over Copiah-Lincoln on the road, it was Harris' turn to show his skills and complete passes when the running game needed a rest against Coahoma in their 44-6 win at Bobby Franklin Field.
Harris, a former standout at Southaven, finished the night 17-for-23 for 323 yards. He was 13-for-15 for 220 yards in the first half and was never really needed in the second half as the Rangers led 24-0 at the break and 30-0 after three quarters.
Unfortunately for Harris, a 44-yard pass to running back Teshadi Talton didn't go for a touchdown even though it appeared Talton crossed the goal line with just over 5 minutes left in the first half.
Referees ruled that Talton fumbled the ball before he crossed the goal line and thankfully for him — and the 2-0 Rangers — teammate Josh Hamilton was able to recover the fumble in the end zone. Other than that small miscue, which didn't hurt the team, a muffed punt and an interception late with the game out of reach, the Rangers played well according to fifth-year coach Ricky Woods.
"Coahoma, they played hard, especially for a long time. Coahoma has players too. You have to watch the film but it's always good to win," Woods said. "I thought we played hard for the most part and it's always good to be 2-0."
Unlike most teams in the state, the Rangers have only played two games this year instead of three. Woods didn't want to dwell on the fact that his team didn't get to play the season-opener at Southwest because of Hurricane Isaac and instead looked to the future, which includes a road game to MACJC North Division rival Northeast on the road next Thursday.
"We got two games under our belt and you would like to have three but you don't. We'll just have to practice a little harder," Woods said. "We're close as a unit and we're playing well together. Each time you watch the film, you see a few mistakes and the kids see them and you work on them."
The Rangers feature a bevy of backs, including former Oxford High standout Mont Dean. Talton is the veteran of the group but he was more dangerous catching the ball out of the backfield as he led the Rangers with six receptions for 95 yards. Former Charleston standout Percy O'Bannon led the rushing attack, which totaled 170 yards on 44 carries, with 67 yards on 12 attempts. Dean had 38 yards on nine carries, including a 1-yard scoring run with 6:25 left in the game.
"I was pretty pleased with our running game. We've got four quality running backs and not a lot of people have that," said Woods, who added that the running game was the difference in the opener. "We can throw the ball. We have all freshman receivers and they caught the ball well tonight and they're coming along. By midseason they're going be sophomores."
Harris definitely helped his receivers look good in the win as he placed the ball right in their hands on almost all of his throws. Robert Liggins, another OHS standout, finished with one catch for 27 yards, while a total of eight players caught at least one pass.
"Domonique had his best night. He was 13-for-15 for 220 yards at halftime. I don't know what he finished with, but that was his best night," Woods said. "He did a really, really good job tonight."
As impressive as the Rangers were on offense, the defense had just as many impactful moments.
Defensive back Terrell White returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown at the 7:34 mark of the third quarter, while Dean's 1-yard score was set up by a NWCC fumble recovery. The Rangers finished the game with three interceptions and five turnovers overall and limited Coahoma to just 176 yards on 69 plays.
"We're attacking people well on defense. We can run and that always helps you," Woods said. "We've got two defensive groups and several guys that don't start that come out and contribute a lot."
The Rangers' first touchdown of the night came at the 11:03 mark of the first quarter when Damian Baker scored on a 3-yard run. The five-play, 40-yard drive was set up by a short defensive series and even shorter Coahoma punt.
Chase Carpenter added to the Rangers' 7-0 lead with 52 seconds left in the first when he connected on a 29-yard field goal that capped the best offensive drive — 12 plays, 84 yards — of the night for the Rangers.
Hamilton's fumble recovery put the Rangers ahead 17-0, while Baker scored on a 2-yard run with eight seconds left in the first half to push the score to 24-0 with a successful extra point from Carpenter.
Coahoma's lone touchdown of the night came early in the fourth quarter when Roderick McKee found Tyshun Alston for a 30-yard touchdown. The Tigers' score was answered on the very next possession for the Rangers when O'Bannon scored on a 15-yard run that capped a six-play, 53-yard scoring drive.
Kickoff against Northeast (1-2, 0-1) in Booneville on Thursday is set for 7 p.m.
Listen live on the radio dial at Q93.7 FM and watch online (here). Live stats will also be available (here).
