By Bart Moss for the FCT

A late comeback came up short as the Phil Campbell Bobcats had to overcome a 17-0 deficit and the loss of one of the team’s leaders to a serious leg injury. The Bobcats’ furious fourth quarter scoring surge was not enough as Falkville defeated Phil Campbell 24-21 in their season opener.

The first half of the game was a defensive battle. The only scoring was a late second quarter field goal by Falkville to give them a 3-0 lead they would carry in at halftime.

“We played well defensively,” said Phil Campbell coach Ryan Swinney. “I was really proud of the effort our guys gave on defense. We contained their quarterback the way we wanted and tackled really well.”

The Bobcats would also suffer the loss of a team leader Joe Hardy (sophomore) to a serious leg injury in the third quarter. He was taken to a local hospital, where he had surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

“Joe is a great kid and a real competitor,” said Swinney. “He loves the game and was a leader on the field, especially on defense. It’s a tough loss for our team but we will make adjustments, and he will come back as soon as he is able.”

The Bobcats gave up two touchdowns in the second half to Falkville in the third quarter to give Blue Devils at 17-0 going into the fourth quarter.

“We had a lull after Joe’s injury,” said Swinney. “We finally broke out of it and hit some big plays to get us back in the game. Our offense really picked it up in the fourth quarter. Peyton threw the ball really well and made some plays.”

With 10:17 to go in the game, the Bobcats began their comeback. Peyton Thomas ran the ball to paydirt from five yards out. Thomas then connected with Noah Williams for a two-point conversion to make the score 17-8.

Falkville scored on the next drive on a 40-yard run to increase their lead to 24-8.

Phil Campbell responded with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to Tristan Godsey to make the score 24-14.

The Bobcats held Falkville on the next drive. Thomas and Godsey connected once more. This time it was a 61-yard touchdown pass. After the PAT Phil Campbell trailed by three points, 24-21.

The Bobcats got the ball back with less than a minute to play in the game but were only able to reach the 50-yard line, where the comeback came up just short.

“I thought we looked better after I watched the film when I got home Friday night than I did during the game,” said Swinney. “We made some good plays, and we had a lot of effort out there on that field. We just need to get back to work and get better.”

Phil Campbell (0-1) will host Shoals Christian Friday night.