First Posted: 8/24/2012

PEMBROKE With two minutes left in the third quarter, Purnell Swett running back Andrew Hill lowered his shoulder and barrelled over a Western Harnett defensive back for a hard-fought 9-yard run.

Hill, a Fairmont transfer making his debut in Swetts backfield after sitting out Week 1, was sending a message about physicality, something the Rams lacked in their lackluster season-opening loss to Pine Forest.

I came back this week and said I got to set an example, said Hill. My mind was just go. Just go at it.

Hill went at it to the tune of 156 yards on 18 carries, helping Swett pull away from Western Harnett, 21-7, on Friday at Big Mo Stadium in Pembroke.

Andrew is is a great athlete and he has the ability to make plays, Swett coach Mark Heil said.

Three plays after Hill moved the chains with his pop-delivering run, he took a sweep to the right sideline and left the Eagles defense in the dust for a 39 yard touchdown, giving Swett its first lead of the game at 14-7. Tristan Hunt provided all three extra points for the Rams (1-1).

I just seen the openings and I just took them, said Hill, who first entered the game in the second quarter, as he sat a frame for being late to a practice.

In the early stages of Fridays game, however, Swetts offense couldnt find the openings when it needed them most. Despite methodically marching down the field for nine minutes in the first quarter, the Rams came up empty on Harnetts 10-yard-line when they failed to convert on a 4th-and-6 attempt with 2:01 left in the first.

The Rams with new quarterback Jeremiah Swett under center, who replaced last weeks starter Josh Brooks repeated a turnover on downs with a failed 4th-down try midway through the second.

This time, the Harnett (1-1) run-heavy offense took advantage.

Fueled by three rushes of 10 yards or more by Amani Manning, who led Harnett with 95 rushing yards on 15 carries, the Eagles put the Rams defense on their heels before quarterback Erik Gonzalez punched in a 1-yard score with 3:37 left in the second to put his team up 7-0.

The Wing-T is the Wing-T, theyre going to bust some big runs. But I thought we controlled it when we needed to, Heil said.

The Rams wouldnt let the Eagles pass the goal line again. In fact, Swett forced a fumble, one recovered by Tristan Lowry, the next Harnett possession. Swett recovered three of Harnetts four fumbles.

The defense proved it again this week that theyre good, Swett said. They got us turnovers on the field and we took advantage of them.

Two plays into the Rams ensuing drive, Swett feathered a 43-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Thomas Hunt who scampered into the end zone untouched to knot the count at 7-7.

Swett later found Hunt in the third for the Rams final score on a 48-yard strike, giving Hunt two catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns on the night. Swett finished 7-of-13 for 136 yards.

Im just getting to know the offense more and more and the offensive line had good production for me and things opened up and I hit it, said Swett. It feels good. Were just believing in ourselves and everybody is coming and the the team is playing as hard as they can.

With Swett and Heil at the forefront, the Rams offense produced 15 first downs and 365 yards of offense. Harnett finished with 166 yards after charting 123 of those in the first half.

We got some new faces and we started to get a rhythm going, Heil said. Another big difference was our conditioning. We kept it up the whole game. Harnett has a lot of players that play both ways and you could see that (affected them).