It was a matter of a long-time, long-successful team going up against a team new to varsity play without being part of a co-op.

The veteran team, the Hot Springs Savage Heat six-player squad, took control early and never looked back as they rolled past winless Alberton 76-0 Friday night in Alberton. 

Senior standout running back David Chapman got things going on the opening kickoff when he caught the boot on the Hot Springs 11-yard line, then blew past the Alberton defenders on what turned out to be a 69-yard touchdown return.  Brazilian exchange student Pedro Vidotti kicked the point after touchdown (PAT) which is good for two points in six-player football, putting the Heat in front 8-0 less than 20 seconds into the game. 

Chapman followed that score a short time later when he blasted into the Alberton end zone from two yards out, capping a drive that began with the Hot Springs defense swamping Alberton on its first possession.  The PAT kick was good, putting the visitors up 16-0. 

Before the quarter came to an end, Hot Springs added a 19-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Nick McAllister.  Not long after that, senior running back Weston Slonaker ripped past the Alberton defense for a 22-yard scoring run.  Both PAT kicks were good, and when the first quarter was over, the Heat had a daunting 32-0 lead. 

Hot Springs kept up the pressure in the second quarter, scoring from 12 yards out when sophomore Ben Aldridge snared a throw from McAllister for six points.   Within minutes, with the Heat defense smothering the Panthers offense, Slonaker scored his second touchdown of the game on a six-yard run.  One of the two PAT kicks was good, giving the Heat a 46-0 advantage. 

As if adding insult to injury, Hot Springs defenders caught Alberton in their own end zone, earning a two-point safety and forcing Alberton to kick off as part of the safety rule. 

Before the first half ended, Slonaker was off the races again, this time from 23 yards out.  Slonaker then caught a PAT pass from Aldridge on what appeared to be a broken extra point try.  As the first half came to an end, Hot Springs held a 55-0 lead, invoking the clock consuming Mercy rule in the process. 

Hot Springs added two more touchdowns in the third quarter as the Heat defense continued to stifle the Panther offense.  The first Heat TD was on a three-yard run by Samson Jakabosky, the second a 12-yard scamper by sophomore Daniel Slonaker. The Heat went one for two on PATs but lead 69-0 with one quarter to play. 

Senior running back Wesley Adams scored on a three-yard dive into the end zone in the fourth quarter for the Heat, who later added their second safety of the game when the Alberton punt attempt sailed over the punter’s head and out of the end zone. 

Those activities left the score at 76-0. Neither team scored after that. 

The win upped Hot Springs’ season mark to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in Western 6-player standings with one game to go. 

Three teams, Noxon, Lincoln and Hot Springs are tied with 4-1 marks, with Hot Springs’ only loss in conference play being to Lincoln, and Lincolns’ lone defeat coming at the hands of Lincoln. 

This Friday, at 7 pm, the conference race will get at least partially cleared up when Noxon travels to Hot Springs for the annual rivalry showdown.  Lincoln hosts Alberton in what appears to give them a big scheduled advantage to win the conference. 

In addition to the outstanding offense work by numerous individuals, Hot Springs head coach Jim Lawson also had high praise for the defensive work of Chapman, who had 12 tackles, two sacks, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt. 

“David had a monster game on defense,” coach Lawson said.