Isaiah Love's 3 touchdowns propel Hayti to first win over Scott City since 2021

Hayti running back Isaiah Love carries the ball against Scott City on Friday, Sept. 13, in Scott City, Mo.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

It took three weeks for Hayti head coach Dominique Robinson to not just get his first win since returning to the Indians but his first signature win as well.

Isaiah Love scored a total of three touchdowns to lead the Indians to a 32-20 upset win over the Scott City Rams on Friday, Sept. 13, in Scott City, Mo.

This was Hayti's first win over Scott City since the 2021 Class 1 playoffs. Robinson ended his five-year tenure with Hayti that year after a run of four straight 10+ win seasons and a state championship in 2018 to spend more time with family. After the Indians totaled three wins in the past two seasons including being outscored 113-0 by Scott City, Robinson returned to his former role as head coach.

And his impact was instant.

"I put them up to the challenge and they answered," Hayti head coach Dominique Robinson said.

This game was expected to be a landslide win for the home team, but it was anything but that from the opening kickoff.

"They did a great job, their kids played really well, I was just disappointed in us," Scott City head coach Brian Beaubien said. "I mean, all I've heard all week from everybody is how easy this game was going to be and I just knew it wasn't going to be that way. I was afraid that we wouldn't show up and play well."

The Indians set the tone early with a deep touchdown pass from quarterback JC Ford to Love to lead 6-0 in the first quarter.

As they have all season, the Rams rode running back Rustyn Underwood all the way to the end zone and took a 7-6 first-quarter lead of their own. Underwood went on to notch his third straight 100-yard game of the season.

The ground game was also working in Hayti’s favor. A long run by Love later led to a touchdown run by him on an option pitch to retake the lead at 12-7 in the second quarter.

Scott City went into halftime leading 14-12 after a touchdown run by quarterback Jackson Gloth. The scoring play was earlier set up by a long pass to receiver Lane Holder.

The Indians took over the game in the second half, starting with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Ford to Jeremey Alexander in the third quarter. The Indians converted an onside kick and then worked the connection again for a 54-yard touchdown pass to take a 26-14 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

"They've been working on that connection and chemistry and getting it together," Robinson said.

It took a quarter and a half but the Scott City offense showed some life with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Gloth to Lane Miller, putting the Rams within six points, down 26-20 with 6:27 to go in the fourth quarter.

It was the last time they saw the end zone.

"Our defense played wonderful in the second half," Robinson said. "They stepped up for us and they were getting balls back for us and we were fortunate to capitalize on the mistakes that they were making. Ja'mauri Alexander has been a captain and leader on this defense and has just been playing a heck of a ball for us this year."

The Indians killed the clock and the Rams' hopes with a long final drive that ended with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Love in the final minute of the game.

To add insult to injury, the ensuing kickoff bounced off the returner’s chest and was recovered by the Indians, allowing them to take a knee in victory formation and end the game.

"We just had too many blown assignments, too many guys out of position, too many mistakes to beat any football team," Beaubien said, "much less a team that has the talent at the skill positions that they have."

Hayti (1-2) travels to Veritas Christian at O'Fallon, Mo. on Sept 20 before a three-game homestand against St. Vincent, Charleston, and Caruthersville that could determine the direction of the Indians' season.

After a win like this, the Indians seem prepared for what's ahead.

"This is definitely a step in the right direction," Robinson said. "I'm happy for these guys."

Scott City (2-1) travels to undefeated Portageville on Sept. 20, and later to Malden on Sept. 27 to round out the first month of the season.

"We got to buy into being fundamentally sound and being disciplined," Beaubien said.