The Hanson Memorial defense limited Highland Baptist to 125 total yards in a Thursday home win.

FRANKLIN — Entering Thursday’s District 8-A contest between Hanson and Highland Baptist, the Bears needed a win to boost their flagging chances of making the Division IV playoffs after falling to Vermilion Catholic the previous week.

Hanson’s defense made sure that wasn’t going to happen.

Behind a scoop-and-score touchdown by Reid Lovell and a defensive front line that sacked Highland quarterback Ty Olivier four times and held the Bears to 125 total yards, the Tigers rolled to a 49-7 win over HBCS to improve to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in district. Highland fell to 4-4 and 1-2.

“We practice well all week and prepared well for them,” Hanson senior linebacker Blake Miller said. “Coach Garrett (Hanson defensive coordinator Jamar Garret) did a great job of getting us ready and preparing us for what they did.

“After they had that long touchdown run against us, we knew that we had to come back and hit them harder and refocus. Coach Garret told us that and we had to be disciplined.”

Miller, who finished with five tackles in the game, and the Hanson defense did that and it led to the biggest play of the game for the Tigers.

After Highland running back Jaworski Joseph cut the Hanson lead from 14-0 to 14-7, the Bears were driving for a possible score late in the second quarter when the Hanson defense forced a fumble that Lovell picked up and returned 50 yards for a touchdown to help the Tigers take a 21-7 lead with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first half.

“That was the biggest play of the game.” Highland coach Rick Hutson said. “They jumped on us 14-0 and we cut the lead to 14-7 and we’re driving for a possible field goal or tying touchdown and we miss a block on a screen pass and we fumble and they get a scoop-and-score.

“There is a big difference between a tie game or a 14-10 game and a 21-7 game.”

It was the play that really propelled the Tigers.

“It was back-and-forth until that point,” Hanson coach Ryan Stoute said. “Anytime you have a big play like that