Florala lost against the Houston County Lions Friday night however, after an early score in the first half, the Wildcats took control of the second half and came back to win 24-14 win in the region.
The injury bug slowed the Wildcats down in their practice this week according to the head coach Jordan Cantrell, but three players were cleared on Friday which included quarterback Rayshon Coleman.
“We were aware that our players weren’t getting enough training. Rayshon was ejected from the game the last week. We learned from watching footage the fact that Houston County is strong, physically and quick and well-coached. The game plan we had was altered after the fact that certain players from our team had been cleared.” Cantrell said.
In the beginning, it appeared that the Wildcats were set for a long, tiring night and were having a difficult time bringing down those Houston County runners. The Lions were able to move down the field on the first phase of the game, running the ball for eight consecutive times before topping the game by running 29 yards to the goal line.
The Wildcats continued their winning drive that went up to the Lion nine-yard line. The Lion defense became more rigid and after a sack and few incompletions after which the Wildcats were able to turn the ball over at the end of each down.
The Lions gained a advantage in the second quarter with a 12-play run that concluded with a 2-yard touchdown, giving the home team a 14-0 advantage with just 2:39 left in the first half.
After the kickoff, Wildcats gained possession on their own 40-yard line, and from there Coleman was in control. Coleman started the game by rushing 17 yards towards his Lion 43. Then he added five yards just two plays later to earn an initial down. In less than a minute play in the second period, Coleman played the ball for the next four plays, putting the Wildcats on the 13. The clock was getting shorter, Coleman took to the air and was able to find Elijah McMeans in the end zone to score the Wildcats the first score. Following a penalty against the Lions in the point-after shot and a call from Coach Cantrell made a call for a two-pointer. Coleman was the one to carry the ball and was hit two yards from the goal line, however Coleman was able to get into the zone at the end, cutting the Lions advantage to 14-8 as the game entered the halftime.
The situation only improved for the Wildcats during the second half. On the first play of their first possession Coleman ran into space to score a 22-yard touchdown, and McMeans followed it with the next play at 33 yards to 10 yards. After McMeans added five yards but Coleman was the one Coleman who swam to the goal line for five yards to keep the game tied at 14. Florala was leading 16-14 after Coleman was able to connect with Christian Greasham on the two-point conversion.
The Lions made a run in their next possession however, on the 22-yard line, they fumbled, with Kaden Cantrell recovering it in favor of the Wildcats.
The fourth quarter began with a flurry of activity it was clear that the Lions were again driving however, from the 21-yard line at the 21-yard line, the Wildcats held firm on a fourth-and-2 to gain the ball on downs.
Then, McMeans took the first handoff for a five-yard gain and Coleman was next with a pick-up on the first down that was 14 yards. After a few plays, Coleman found running room on the right side of the field and raced downfield to score the score of 43 yards, which gave the Wildcats some breathing room. Coleman followed that with a run to complete the two-point play and make the score 24-14 at 4:39 remaining.
Florala almost won the game in the end when the Lions lost the ball when they returned the kickoff, which was reclaimed by Greasham who put in strong performances throughout the game.
“I’m very happy for all of our men. They displayed a lot of courage today. The defense went all-out during the second half. We saw a number of players take snaps and play the ball. We’re thrilled and proud of our team and will be back in the office tomorrow,” Cantrell said.
The Wildcats increase their overall record to 5-1 as well as 3-1 within 1A region 2. The Wildcats will travel for McKenzie (4-2, 3-1) on October. 13 for a second regional test.
The article Wildcats are a bit behind in the beginning and fight back to secure the region title 24-14 was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
