Hart Survives Give and Take With Palmdale

After having defeat snatched from the clutches of victory the past two weeks, Hart High was looking to grasp any opportunity against Palmdale.

So the Indians snatched the football out of the hands of the Falcons five times en route to a 27-14 nonleague victory Friday night at College of the Canyons.

One freak play put Hart back on track. Toby Coe stripped the ball from Jason Anderson on the opening kickoff of the second half and ran 27 yards for a touchdown.

Hart went on to score 21 unanswered points in the third quarter, wiping out a 7-6 halftime deficit.

“I don’t know if that play did it, but winning this game turned our season around,” said Hart fullback Todd Hourigan, who had two three-yard touchdown runs and recovered a fumble.

The Indians (2-2), sixth in The Times’ regional poll despite consecutive losses to Thousand Oaks and Westlake, spoiled No. 8 Palmdale’s bid for a 4-0 start.

‘We were ripping their arms down,” said Hourigan, a linebacker on defense. “It’s easy to strip the ball when you got three tacklers on a guy.”

Hart, frustrated by three turnovers, took advantage of the four fumbles--two by Anderson, who gained 52 yards in 14 carries but was thrown for losses six times before Hart built 27-7 cushion.

Hart followed Coe’s fumble return with an eight-yard scoring pass from Travis Carroll (12 of 21 for 146 yards) to Chris Wright and the second of Hourigan’s scoring runs.

Two of those scores came after Falcon turnovers.

The lone bright spot for Palmdale was Jan Brown, who rushed for 150 yards in 20 carries, including 103 in the first half.

“Our line blocked well, but this is real frustrating,” Brown said.

Palmdale took advantage of Hart mistakes in the first half.

Carroll fumbled at the Falcon one-yard line to end the game-opening drive, Manuel Flores recovering. Palmdale moved to the Hart 44 where quarterback Grant Livermont fumbled as he scrambled, Hourigan recovering.

Livermont was hurt on the play and was taken away in an ambulance with his right (throwing) shoulder in a sling.

Palmdale turned it over again when Anderson fumbled at his own 15 and Hourigan scored on a three-yard run three plays later.

The Falcons marched 68 yards to Brown’s 11-yard touchdown run to make it 7-6.

Hart endured more frustration when Wright fumbled at the Falcon seven and Greg Corralejo’s 31-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Pat Opperman before the half ended.