Bobcats nip Tharptown 13-12
Phil Campbelll’s Craig Saint (20) powers his way into the end zone against a Tharptown defender.
Most high school football players in Alabama would love to have the opportunity to go through spring practice on a college campus. For the Phil Campbell football team that dream became a reality, although not quite in the form they would have liked.
After a tornado ravaged the town and damaged the football field the Bobcats were forced to relocate to the campus of Northwest-Shoals Community College.
“All the light towers were damaged, the concession stand was destroyed and the scoreboard was gone,” said Phil Campbell coach Bo Culver. “The field house roof was damaged, but we were able to retain all of our equipment.”
In the days following the storm and the move to NW-SCC Culver said the outpouring of support made the transition easier on the players. He also said getting to put on the pads and playing ball has been therapeutic.
“The kids are using football to get an out,” Culver said. “It is an opportunity for them to come out and be a kid.”
The Bobcats were able to continue that therapy Friday night when they took the field for their spring game against Tharptown, which they won 13-12.
Running back Craig Saint opened the scoring for Phil Campbell with a touchdown run in the first quarter to put the Bobcats ahead 7-0.
Tharptown was able to answer with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Kelby Hallmark to Nick Long, but the two-point conversion failed leaving the Wildcats trailing 7-6.
Hallmark made another big play in the second quarter, intercepting a Phil Campbell pass, but was unable to lead the Wildcats to the end zone. Saint later extended the lead with an 8-yard run, but the kick failed.
Tharptown had an opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds of the half, but Phil Campbell’s Cody Ortiz intercepted a pass on the goal line to prevent the score.
With time running out in the third quarter Tharptown’s Timothy Bryant broke lose for an 80-yard touchdown run to pull the Wildcats within one point. Tharptown tried another two-point conversion, but the Phil Campbell defense sniffed it out and stopped the runner short of the goal line.
Clinging to a 13-12 lead with 2:45 remaining in the game Phil Campbell’s Colton Vickery intercepted a pass deep in the Bobcats’ territory. The Tharptown defense was able to get another stop and the Wildcats had one more shot to take the lead with about a minute remaining.
Moments later Skeeter Benford recorded Phil Campbell’s third interception of the game to seal the win.
Culver said he was pleased with how his team played given the unusual circumstances of this spring; especially considering how inexperienced the Bobcats are this season.
“We’ve got young kids playing for us now. There are a few seniors, but they haven’t played,” Culver said. “All three picks were from kids who haven’t played before.”
Culver said he liked the effort he saw from his team during the game and praised the defense for stopping the two two-point conversion attempts.
“It was one of those situations where the kids decided to step up and make plays,” Culver said. “Spring football is practice, but we still want to be competitive.”
