Golden Tigers top West Point to win homecoming game
Bryanna Smith achieves homecoming queen for Russellville High School.
By Slade Gilmer for the FCT
Russellville’s defense stopped their opponent three times inside the 10-yard line and was able to cash in on their opportunities in a 27-7 win over West Point Oct. 9, putting the Golden Tigers in the driver’s seat for their first 5A, Region 8 title since 2010.
In a game that saw the Warriors outgain the Golden Tigers, commit fewer penalties and turn the ball over fewer times, the Russellville defensive stands helped the Golden Tigers improve to 6-1.
Trouble for Russellville started on the opening kickoff, when a high, angled kickoff was fumbled by the Golden Tiger returner and recovered by a West Point player at the Russellville 34. West Point then drove to the nine-yard line, where they faced fourth-and-inches. On fourth down, the Golden Tiger defense stood tall, stuffing a quarterback sneak and giving Russellville the ball on downs.
The two teams then traded punts over the next three possessions, but West Point’s second punt of the night got caught in the gusting winds at Russellville Stadium and blew backwards for a net of -1 yards, giving the Golden Tigers the ball on the West Point 49. A key 3rd-and-13 conversion pass from Payton Nichols to Avery Sears for 19 yards moved the ball to the West Point 20, and two plays later, Deyon Hill made several Warrior defenders miss on a nine-yard touchdown run. Marvin Betancourt’s extra-point made the score 7-0 Russellville.
West Point responded with another solid drive, featuring a fourth-down conversion and another first down on a pass interference. However, the Russellville defense – spearheaded by defensive linemen Tyrone Wilson, Jared Thornton, Austin Bohannon and Roman Cortez – again stood tall, stuffing quarterback Tanner Rusk on a fourth-and-goal about a foot from the end zone.
Russellville got one first down after the stop, but a holding penalty negated a big run by Hill and forced a Golden Tiger punt from inside the 10. West Point got the ball at the Russellville 43, and after two runs by star running back Kobe Smith, the Golden Tigers got a facemask and a pass interference to move the ball to the seven-yard line, where Rusk hit Kolton Easterwood on a seven-yard slant for a touchdown that tied the game at 7.
Russellville looked to be in trouble on the next drive, with two straight incompletions, but on third-and-10, Colin Garrison made a tough catch on the Russellville sideline for 19 yards to the West Point 43. On the next play, Hill took a handoff, made a move to evade a tackler in the backfield, and raced down the left side for a 43-yard touchdown, his 20th of the season. The extra-point made the score 14-7 late in the first half.
However, West Point used the last drive of the half to try and tie the score. Rusk converted a third-and-9 with a 17-yard quarterback keeper, and another pass interference play moved the ball to the Golden Tiger 14. On first down with time running down in the half, a swing pass looked like it was going to give the Warriors the tying touchdown, but strong safety J.J. Johnson made a tackle at the one-yard line with 1.1 seconds remaining in the half. On first-and-goal on the last play of the half, the Golden Tigers made their third stop, stuffing Rusk and going to the locker room up 14-7.
After three West Point passes fell incomplete to begin the third period, the Golden Tigers went back to their ground attack, with Hill grinding out 13 yards on three carries to move the ball to the Warrior 42. On the next play, Nichols hit Cameron DeArman on a short pass, and DeArman rumbled down to the West Point 10. Hill got nine yards on the next two carries, and on third-and-goal from the one, Nichols corralled a high snap and ran in untouched for the touchdown to make the score 21-7.
Russellville looked like it was going to put the game away when Garrison came up with an acrobatic interception at the Warrior 48, but a fumble by the Golden Tigers gave the Warriors some hope.
However, West Point again failed on fourth-down – this time from the Golden Tiger 41 – and Russellville put the game away by taking advantage of a facemask, a pass interference and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that helped move the ball to the two-yard line. On first and goal, Nichols rolled left and then threw back right to a wide-open Bohannon for the two-yard touchdown to give the Golden Tigers a 27-7 win.
For the game, West Point outgained Russellville 260-245 yards but gained those yards on 77 plays, as opposed to the 48 plays Russellville ran.
Hill finished the night with 199 yards rushing on 28 carries, and while Smith did end up with more than 100 yards rushing, he only gained 3.8 yards per carry one week after a 362-yard performance against J.O. Johnson.
The win also moved Russellville to 5-0 in region play, and now all the Golden Tigers have to do is win one of their last two games to clinch their first region title in five years.
Russellville will get its first shot at clinching this Friday, Oct. 16, in Moulton against Lawrence County. The Golden Tigers defeated the Red Devils 21-13 last season and have not lost to Lawrence County since 1945.
