Straughn was able to take a lead of four touchdowns in the first quarter and cruised to a 35-14 home victory against Providence Christian in the regular season final for both teams on Thursday evening.
Cameron Adams protects the ball during a run attempt between two Providence defenses. Adams completed this game off with a strong offensive run and was also able to recover a lost ball from defense. (PHOTO by ZACK MAIO)
The Head Coach Ashley Kilcrease credited his senior class and stated that the team was looking to close the season undefeated in the region.
“I cannot say enough about our team’s leadership and the amazing group of seniors who have steered us through the entire throughout the year. I’m extremely happy for this group of people for their tireless work. All was in place this week and we were determined to end the season in a positive way and be completely honest. We did a fantastic job in setting the stage for the game against Providence and then cruising to an important win to get everyone in good health. We’re not finished but we are not done yet.” Kilcrease stated.
The Tigers were unbeaten in regional playing for only the second time since the year 2000. The Tigers had their last win in regular-season play in the year 2010.
The two teams played three-and-out during their first games. Straughn (9-1 8-0 in Region 2, 3A) started its second drive with its 40-yard line, when Layne Grantham had an 8-yard run. Grant Barnes followed with a five-yard sprint across the midfield to earn an initial down. Providence (5-5 5-3,) forced a third-and-7 however, Grantham scored Clark Jordan on a 15-yard touchdown which kept the run going. Barnes made two more first downs and then completed the drive’s 10 plays with a touchdown run of 7 yards. Brenden Bartholomew tossed in the kickoff to give the team a 7-0 lead with 3:35 remaining in the opening.
After a touchback and two back-to-back penalties and a back-to-back penalty, the Eagles were held deep however they were able to score a first-down due to a roughing pass-rush penalty. The defense was able to tighten up and forced the Eagles to punt. The Tigers just needed two minutes plus 16 seconds in order to build the lead. Barnes made a run through the left side of the field and then slammed 60 yards into the goal line, and Bartholomew did to an 14-0 lead.
After Kyser Sims started the next home drive with a run of 16 yards and the game was halted at the close of the first quarter and ended in an unsuccessful punt. Grantham started the following home drive moving with a 20-yard slam as Barnes ran the ball over midfield with the 14-yard run. Three minutes after, Barnes found the end zone once more just 15 yards away. Bartholomew’s goal after extending the lead to 21-0 at 10:03 in the second half.
Providence received a first-down drive by Craig Pittman on its next game, but strong defensive play of TD Wood and M.J. Dauphin stopped any momentum. From the 37-yard line Cameron Adams picked up an 8-yard gain. Grantham later found Clark Gay open for 13 yards and a first-down into territory that was not in the opposition’s. Adams continued to move the chains with a 12-yard run, and concluded the drive by scoring a touchdown from 30 yards. Bartholomew was four-for-four with PAT’s and increased advantage to hold it at 28-0 by 5:41. The teams did not pose a threat for the remainder of the first half.
The Eagles used the second half kickoff and established themselves on their 26-yard line. Pittman was able to run 8 yards before he completed 12 yards at Chapel Stickler for a first down. Rylan Banner as well as Sims were the ones to receive the signal for the ball while the visitors gained momentum on two additional first downs. Stickler completed the 13-play, 74-yard run with a touchdown of 4 yards. Layton Hagler’s kickoff with just 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter cut the gap to 28-7. Similar to the first half in the second half, the Tigers made a three-and-out but swiftly returned the ball.
Providence didn’t fare similarly on its next drive, as Adams was able to recover a fumble. Straughn was able to take full advantage of the blunder on one play, as Chris White scored an 18-yard touchdown run. Bartholomew took the uprights off once time and increased the lead back four points, at 35-7, with 2:20 remaining at the end of third.
The Eagles gained momentum again with a powerful drive that move the chains twice on an attack and a run by Pittman prior to the end of the quarter. Sims carried the ball into the red zone however, Cade Pittman rose up on defense to intercept the ball at 10 yards. The Tigers weren’t as successful when they made this mistake and ended up going three-and-out. A well-placed punt returned brought the opponents to 23,025 yards. Sims began the drive with a an uninvolved 15-yard run, followed by losing two yards. Banner made an inroad and was able to cross the goal line just 10 yards away in the final minutes. Providence was able to score 35-14 with just 6:58 left in the game. Straughn included numerous players on its two final drives prior to the game coming to a close.
Straughn will start the 3A state championships in the home arena against the fourth seed of region 3. Southside Selma (7-3) on Friday, November. 10.
“Southside has lost three games to the teams in front by them from their respective regions. One of them was to (region 3-champion) St. James by one point. The team are a dynamo having two brothers, who are both receivers and fantastic footballers. We’ll definitely need to be prepared for the game and we’re glad that we are here at Straughn,” Kilcrease said.
The article Straughn finishes perfect regional run with victory against Providence Christian, 35-14 appeared in The Andalusia Star-News.
