Adversity was the week’s word for the Falkville football program heading into their Friday night game with Vinemont. The team had multiple players miss most of the week due to illness, which hampered the team’s preparation for the Eagles.
But when the lights came on, the team’s resilience showed in their 26-20 win over the visitors from across the county line.
“We had a ton of adversity through the week with some illness and the heat, so we’re proud that we found a way to win,” coach Seth Ward said. “Wins aren’t easy to come by, so you’re always happy to come out with one.”
Vinemont scored first on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Falkville answered with a Landon Powers one-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 6-6. The Blue Devils converted the two-point conversion for an 8-6 lead.
The Eagles grabbed the lead again with a 15-yard run to lead 12-8 after the first quarter.
Falkville’s Powers connected with Kole Fitzgerald on a 21-yard touchdown pass to give the Blue Devils a 14-12 lead heading into halftime.
The combination of Powers and Fitzgerald connected again in the third quarter for a 20-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 20-12.
Vinemont tied the game at 20-20 with a Rush Sandlin 2-yard touchdown run and then a two-point conversion.
With less than two minutes remaining, Powers led his Blue Devils downfield and gave Falkville the win with his 5-yard touchdown run with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game.
The offense struggled for much of the game, but the best thing about it is that we played poorly and won,” Ward said. ” I am very proud of the boys for gutting out a win, though. We had a lot of things going against us this week, and we found a way.
Powers finished 9/18 for 173 yards passing and two touchdowns, while rushing for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Denver Comstock added 60 yards rushing, while Malachi Collett had 40.
Fitzgerald finished with four receptions for 60 yards and two scores. Cash Lawrimore had two catches for 59 yards, while Logan Fowler had two for 49 yards.
“I thought our defense made plays when they had to,” Ward said. “Our defensive line played well and made some negative plays for them that helped us to get them behind the sticks. We made a huge stop after they scored and then recovered an onside kick. That’s a great sign moving forward.”
On Friday, Falkville will make the short trip to Danville to renew their fierce rivalry.
