DUNCAN — Jonathon Babineaux couldn’t believe his eyes.
Duncan’s star running back was given a gaping hole from his offensive line and the senior in red wearing No. 32 did the rest, breaking free for a 58-yard touchdown run with three minutes remaining to ice the ninth-ranked Demons’ 35-13 victory over Noble on Monday night — a game that was postponed initially because of flooding over the weekend.
“Seeing the hole open up and all the running space you have feels amazing,” said Babineaux, who ran like a tank, racking up 249 rushing yards and scoring twice on 18 carries. “It feels great to get out and run and see how fast you are against other guys.”
Babineaux, a team captain who is also a high-IQ linebacker, recorded a tackle for loss while forcing and recovering a fumble on the first play of a Noble drive in the first half, setting the Demons up in scoring position.
“What he means to this program and this team and how he leads in school is immeasurable,” Duncan football head coach J.T. Cobble said. “He shows so much heart and will. When he plays well, so does the rest of the team because they follow him. He’s our leader.”
The Demons defense — which hadn’t allowed a touchdown all season — notched a first half shutout, recovered two fumbles and held Noble to just 35 rushing yards in the game on 27 carries.
“Duncan football is smash-mouth football, run over you, grind it out, defense flying around, allowing one touchdown in four games. That’s Duncan football,” said Cobble, whose team improved to 4-0 and has now already exceeded last year’s win total. “These kids are finally starting to understand it and get a little bit of success and that’s something they want to be a part of.”
Duncan’s tailbacks were truck-sticking and bulldozing Noble defenders all night long, racking up 369 rushing yards in the process.
Senior JJ Harris chipped in 68 rushing yards and quarterback Jaxon Gregston — who completed 15 of his 21 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown — scored on a 7-yard run via a QB rollout with 32 seconds left in the second quarter to give Duncan a 7-0 halftime lead.
“It starts up front with our line,” Cobble said. “That 3-headed monster we have in the backfield is pretty good.”
Duncan jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the opening drive of the third quarter when Babineaux burst up the middle for a 51-yard run, highlighting the 7-play, 70-yard drive. It was capped off on a 4-yard score on 4th-and-goal from Tate Wilkins on the read-option.
Wilkins actually made the wrong check with Noble overloaded, Cobble said, but the sophomore’s second effort got him across the goal line for the touchdown.
“That’s just straight heart and will from Tate and wanting to win,” Cobble said. “Great push by our O-line, too.”
Noble (2-2) finally found some life in the third quarter when the Bears blocked a punt and took over at the Duncan 30-yard line. The Bears converted a 4th-and-inches to move into the red zone before quarterback Hayden Lingle — who threw for 271 yards on 24 of 40 passing — threw one of his two touchdowns when he found wide receiver Antywan Smith on an out-route for a 12-yard score.
Smith, who also snagged one of two Noble interceptions on defense, caught 11 passes for 117 yards and redeemed himself from coughing up one of the Bears’ two first half fumbles.
Trailing 21-7, Noble was called for intentional grounding which forced a 4th-and-35. Noble wide receiver Isaiah Willhoite, who had five catches for 60 yards and a late fourth quarter touchdown in garbage time, beat the Demons secondary on his deep post route and was delivered a dime.
Wide-open, he bobbled the ball in the end zone. Duncan proceeded to go on a 65-yard scoring drive as wide receiver Javion Dangerfield, who had six catches for 60 yards, showed off his wheels and caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Gregston.
That score iced the game with Duncan in front 28-7 with 6:28 remaining.
Babineaux’s second touchdown run was simply icing on the cake.
“Coach Cobble really made us push our limits in the summer and I feel like that has given us a new level of confidence,” Babineaux said. “Now we watch the other teams get gassed in front of us and gives us more momentum to keep going.”
Duncan, now 1-0 in a loaded District 5A-1, which Cobble calls the SEC West, travels to Western Heights next Friday.
“These kids have worked their butts off and been through a grind,” Cobble said. “They deserve this.”