At last -- the Hart team we expected! And what a start, a 95-yard kickoff return by Delano Howell. Actually the first half was just so-so with a number of mental (blown coverage) and physical errors (dropped passes), but in the second half, outside of some special team problems, Hart showed massive improvement in just about every aspect of the game over the first two games.

The play-by-play:

Delano Howell took the opening kickoff at the 5 on the near side of the field, headed up the near sideline, cut across and ended up 95-yards later in the Amat end zone on the far side of the field. Hart 7-0 at 11:46.

Amat got a 21-yard return on a short, high kick: pass for 20, run for 5, fun for 6, run for -4, run for 3, SACK for -5 and punt.

Hart at the 4: penalty illegal procedure for -2, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, penalty for delay and punt by Felt which was blocked out of the back of the end zone for a safety. Hart 7-2 at 8:07.

On the free kick, Amat got a return of 16 to the Hart 47 run for 8, incomplete, run for -1 and punt.

Hart at the 5: pass to Davis for 9, pass to Vairo for 7, run by Howell for 3, SACK for -3, pass to Howell for 20, pass to Vairo for 2, run by Pettee for 11, run by Howell for 23, penalty for pass interference for 6 yards down to the 7 yard line, SACK for -9, run by Howell for 16 and the TD. Hart 14-2 at 1:08 of the first quarter.

Amat got a 9-yard return to the 29: run for -1, incomplete, pass for 49 (the receiver fell down after catching it, otherwise he would have waltzed into the end zone on a completely blown coverage by Hart) [END OF QUARTER], run for 4, run on a double reverse for 19 and the touchdown. Hart 14-9 at 11:09 in the second quarter.

Hart at the 20 (no return): pass to Howell for 1, run by Pettee for 7, run by Howell for 1, run by Pettee for 3, run by Pettee for 4, pass to Arndt for 6, run by Howell for 3, incomplete, run on a draw for -3 by Howell, incomplete and punt.

Amat at the 22 (no return): run for 17, run for 0, penalty, holding for -10, pass for 10, pass for 17, incomplete, incomplete, pass for 4 and punt.

Hart got called for holding on the return and started at the 10: run by Howell on a draw for 33, run by Howell for 1, run by Pettee for 5, run by Howell on a pitch for 9, incomplete (tipped by two defenders), run by Howell for 6, run by Pettee for 2, run by Howell for 4 for the first down at the 30. Here came Hart's first half Waterloo: incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete with at least two of those being flat out drops. Amat took a knee to end the half.

The first half stats, other than Howell's, were unremarkable. Pettee was about as streaky as you can get: 3 incompletes followed by 6 completions, followed by 7 incompletes for a total of 6 for 16 and 45 yards. He also had 20 yards on 8 carries including 2 sacks. Howell had 96 yards rushing on 11 carries and a touchdown plus a reception for 20 yards and 95 yards and a TD on a return (211 all-purpose yards in a half ain't shabby!).

Amat rushed for 61 yards on 12 carries and the QB was 5 for 9 and 101 yards.

Second half

Amat got a 7-yard return to the 27: run for 2 and INTERCEPTION by Reyes.

Hart at the Hart 42: pass to Davis for 13 (Howell went into motion and it looked like the whole Amat team followed him), incomplete, pass to Howell in the slot for 12,run by Pettee (flush) for 19, run by Howell for 1 and then INTERCEPTION (Pettee rolled out and tried to hard to throw the ball threw the defenders).

Amat at the 1: run for 1, run for 3, incomplete and punt.

Hart at the Amat 46: run by Howell for -2 (fumble recovered by Hart), pass to Howell for 9, run by Howell for 39 and the TD. Hart 21-9 at 5:46 of the third quarter.

After two kicks (offsetting penalties on the first one), Amat started at the 30: penalty for illegal procedure -5, run for -1, incomplete, incomplete, penalty for illegal procedure and punt.

Hart at the Amat 38: run by Howell for -4 but a facemask penalty for 15 moved the ball to the 27, run by Pettee (flush) for 7, incomplete (grounding?), penalty for holding -14, pass to Arndt for 20, incomplete, run by Howell for 8, run by Howell for 6 and the TD. The PAT was blocked. Hart 27-9 at 1:20 in the third quarter.

Amat got a 37-yard return out to the 41 (flat, deep kicks are dangerous!): run for 2, run for 5 [END OF QUARTER], pass for 0 on a great open field tackle by Reyes and punt.

Hart at the 17: pass to Davis for 19, incomplete, run by Howell for 4, penalty for pass interference +15, pass to Arndt for 11, run by Howell for 20, pass to Arndt for 13, offsides penalty (a half yard) and a half-yard run by Howell for the TD. The PAT missed so it was 33-9 at 8:53 in the fourth quarter.

Amat got a great return which would have been a TD but for a great tackle by Mendenhall, the Hart kicker: pass for 8, run for 7, run for 4, pass for 14, run for 0 and then a pass to the end zone was INTERCEPTED by Levingston.

Hart at the 13: run by Howell for 6, pass to Vairo (on a checkoff) for 81 and the TD. Hart got flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play and the long PAT missed. Hart 39-9 at 5:25

Amat got a 19-yard return to the 35: run for -2, incomplete, pass for 44 (another big time blown coverage by a substitute), pass for 23 and the TD. Hart 39-16 at 4:04.

Hart got a 9-yard return by Howell to the 12: pass to Davis for 3, run by Levingston for 4, run by Pettee for 10 but a hold at the end for -10 and net 0 gain, incomplete, penalty offsides +5, run by Levingston for 8, run by Levingston for13 and a knee to end the game.

Second half stats: Howell had 80 yards on 10 carries and 3 TDs plus 2 receptions for 19 yards and another 9 yards on returns. Pettee had 2 carries for 26 yards and Levinston at 3 carries for 25 yards. Pettee was 9 of 15 for 181 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.

Amat had 19 yards on 10 carries. The QB was 4 of 11 and 89 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTS (67 yards and the TD were against the second string.

Howell finished the night at 176 yards rushing on 21 carries and 4 TDs; 39 yards on 3 receptions and 104 yards on returns and 1 TD -- once again over 300 all-purpose yards. Pettee finished at 16 of 31 for 226 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He also had 46 yards on 10 carries. Levingston had 25 yards on 3 carries.

Amat's QB finished at 9 for 20, 190 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTS. Amat rushed for 77 yards on 22 carries and 1 TD.

But for 3 botched coverages, the Hart defense was very very solid. On offense, the streakiness of the passing game (sometimes it's a bad pass, sometimes it's a drop) is worrisome but Howell's running and returning continues to astound.

Next week: Westlake.