RHS records shutout loss to Lee-Huntsville

By Brannon King for the FCT

The Russellville football team took on the Lee-Huntsville Generals at Louis Crews Stadium on the campus of Alabama A&M University Friday night, and the Golden Tigers dropped their second-consecutive game to start the season, this time by a 45-0 score.

The RHS team is struggling to get things going, and inexperience along with injuries are tough to overcome when facing the schedule so far this year. The Golden Tigers (0-2, 0-1) have been outscored by a combined total of 80-3 and find themselves in an unusual position after many years of early season success.

Friday night’s game was the first region contest of 2017, and it is followed by another key region game this week when the Lawrence County Red Devils come to town. This Friday’s game against LCHS will be the first home game of the season for Russellville.

“We made so many mistakes – and an athletic football team and big football team like that, they make those mistakes even worse,” Russellville head coach Mark Heaton said. “We just couldn’t seem to execute on all three phases of the game. We just mentally weren’t prepared for this game, I guess, and I take full responsibility for that.

“I just told our kids that I want them to come back and continue to battle and fight and remain loyal and committed to this team,” Heaton added. “We’re going to be back at work Sunday, and we’re going to find a way to get better and try and develop a plan and prepare to win a region game next week against Lawrence County.”

The Golden Tigers started the game by playing close with the Generals and only trailed 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. Lee had the ball to begin the game, and their first drive came to an end when Jeff Lloyd made a stop on defense for Russellville on a fourth down running play.

LHS got on the scoreboard for the first time when Christopher Reid took the snap and ran the ball into the end zone for a five-yard TD with 2:50 left in the quarter.

The points continued to pile up for the Generals from there.

Russellville managed to get deep into Lee High territory twice in the fourth quarter but were unable to score.