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 By  Staff Reports Published 
12:27 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Season review: Russellville's road to Tuscaloosa

By Staff
Scot Beard
The Russellville football team entered the 2009 season with high expectations, and by reaching the state championship game, the Golden Tigers are where they were expected to be.
Despite a few bumps along the way, Russellville has racked up 12 wins so far this season, but the biggest could be at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa Thursday night when the Golden Tigers try to win their first state title since the 1968 season.
Here is a look back on how Russellville earned its trip to Tuscaloosa.
RHS 26,
Deshler 21
The Golden Tigers opened the season on the road, taking on Deshler in a battle of Top-10 teams.
Russellville fell behind 7-0 by the end of the first quarter, but a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter put the Golden Tigers ahead. Both teams had a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, but the Russellville defense kept Deshler off the scoreboard in the final quarter to preserve the win.
Running back Brent Calloway scored three touchdowns for Russellville – two on the ground and one through the air.
Defensively, the Golden Tigers got one interception each from Mason Willis and Jake Ward. Jacob Gist led Russellville with 11 solo tackles while Aaron Hollingsworth recorded 10 solo tackles.
RHS 42,
Lee-Huntsville 6
Lee put together a touchdown drive in the closing minutes of the second quarter to cut Russellville's halftime lead to 21-6, but the Golden Tigers scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to pull away.
Calloway scored three touchdowns. Two were rushing touchdowns and the other was a defensive fumble recovery.
Ward scored on a 36-yard reception while Darrian Graham caught a 25-yard touchdown pass and had an interception on defense.
Gist recorded 14 solo tackles.
RHS 56,
Butler 0
Russellville gave its fans a game to remember in the home opener with its first shutout of the season. The Golden Tiger defense dominated the Rebels, limiting Butler to only 71 total yards of offense.
The offense also put on a show by scoring four touchdowns during the second quarter and adding two more in the fourth.
Quarterback Joey Howe completed 7-of-15 passes for 143 yards and threw three touchdowns and only one interception.
For the third consecutive game, Calloway scored three touchdowns – two rushing and one receiving.
Graham and T.J. Lindsey had one touchdown reception each.
Casey Herring led the Russellville defense with nine solo tackles and Gist added 1.5 sacks.
Hartselle 27,
RHS 13
The Golden Tigers played this game with heavy hearts after learning about the death of center Jonas Boyles' father hours before the game.
The loss marked the second year in a row Russellville lost to Hartselle in the regular season.
Calloway was kept off the scoreboard for the first time of the season, but he did have four sacks on defense. Jessie Green added nine tackles and one sack for the Golden Tigers.
Russellville had a rushing touchdown from Jyran Darby and a punt return touchdown from Willis.
St. Paul's 24,
RHS 7
This loss was the first time the Golden Tigers lost back-to-back games since the 2000 season.
The offense struggled as Howe completed 10-of-23 passes for 96 yards. He threw one touchdown, but he also threw three interceptions.
Calloway was limited to 50 rushing yards on 10 carries, but he caught four passes for 52 yards and the Golden Tigers' only touchdown of the game.
Calloway had a pair of sacks on defense and Gist recorded 11 tackles.
RHS 20,
Muscle Shoals 0
Russellville rebounded from its losing streak by dominating a resurging Muscle Shoals team on the road.
The defense recorded its second shutout of the season by holding the Trojans to only 44 total yards of offense.
Ryan Romans had his best game of the season by catching six passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded six tackles on defense to share the team lead with Green in that category.
Calloway rushed for 100 yards and one touchdown.
RHS 21,
J.O. Johnson 13
All of the scoring was done during the first half of this game as Russellville opened up a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Johnson outscored the Golden Tigers 14-7 in the second quarter, but could not continue the comeback after halftime.
Russellville relied heavily on the running game against the Jaguars as the Golden Tiger passing attack gained only 29 yards through the air. The ground game picked up 287 yards for Russellville.
Calloway rushed for 162 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Darby picked up 50 yards on seven carries and Howe gained 43 yards on five carries and scored a rushing touchdown.
Jackson Witt led the Russellville receivers with two catches for 24 yards.
Green led the defense with 16 solo tackles and six tackles for a loss.
RHS 35,
East Limestone 7
The Golden Tigers improved to 5-1 in region play with this victory against the Indians.
Russellville got off to a quick start with a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter and added one touchdown in each of the remaining three quarters.
Green, Romans and Willis had one touchdown reception each while Calloway added a rushing touchdown.
Graham had a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown to round out the Golden Tigers' scoring.
Ward led the defense with six tackles.
RHS 28,
Athens 14
The Golden Tigers rolled up 307 rushing yards to claim the No. 2 seed in Class 5A, Region 8 with a 6-1 region record and a home-field game in the first round of the playoffs with this win against rival Athens.
The game was tied 14-14 at halftime, but a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns gave Russellville the victory.
Calloway rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns while Darby added 93 yards on the ground.
Romans carried the ball three times for 45 yards and a touchdown while Ward caught a 12-yard pass for a touchdown.
The defense also played well for the Golden Tigers as Willis and Romans had one interception each, Calloway recorded two sacks and Green had nine solo tackles.
RHS 28,
Colbert County 0
In heavy rain and on a muddy field Russellville recorded its third shutout of the season and by blanking another long-time rival.
Despite the poor conditions, the Golden Tigers excelled in the passing game as Howe completed 6-of-7 passes for 84 yards and Ward completed all three of his pass attempts for 26 yards and a touchdown.
Darby was the leading rusher for Russellville with 75 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown.
Calloway and Howe added one rushing touchdown each.
Willis caught three passes for 40 yards and a score.
Trent Brannon led the defense with six tackles, one sack and four tackles for a loss.
RHS 28,
Southside-Gadsden 6
Russellville dominated their Region 7 foe to record its 10th consecutive win in first round playoff games.
Neither team scored during the first half, but Russellville had three touchdowns in the third quarter to blow the game open.
Calloway gained 108 yards on the ground and scored once while Darby and Romans had one touchdown reception each.
The defense got in on the scoring as Herring recovered a fumble and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.
Ward and Romans had one interception each while Green added nine tackles and Hollingsworth recorded two sacks.
RHS 14,
Muscle Shoals 0
The Trojans improved on their 44-total-yard performance from the regular season by gaining 174 yards, but they still couldn't score as Russellville earned its fourth shutout of the season and its second against Muscle Shoals.
Romans had another amazing game against the Trojans as he blocked a field goal, returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown and caught four passes for 76 yards.
Howe completed 8-of-15 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown while Calloway rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Green and Hollingsworth each had nine solo tackles while Hollingsworth added a sack.
RHS 42,
Cullman 14
Cullman out gained Russellville 337 total yards to 302 total yards, but the Golden Tigers outscored the Bearcats 42-14 to hand top-ranked Cullman its first loss of the year.
It was the second straight year Russellville knocked off a No. 1, undefeated team in the playoffs.
Howe completed 13-of-21 passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Calloway rushed for 65 yards and a pair of scores while Darby had 37 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Ward caught a 30-yard touchdown pass and returned an interception 84-yards for another touchdown.
Green had a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown. Brannon added an interception and Herring led the Golden Tiger defenders with 12 solo tackles.
RHS 40,
McAdory 7
The Golden Tigers spoiled McAdory's first ever trip to the semifinals by dominating the Yellow Jackets to secure Russellville's fifth trip to the state finals since the 2002 season.
Russellville built a 21-0 halftime lead with three rushing touchdowns from Calloway. He finished the game with 130 rushing yards.
Howe completed 16-of-21 passess for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
He connected with Wills for two scores on a pair of fourth down plays and hit Ward with a 38-yard scoring strike.
Ramono Craig, Calloway, Herring and Romans each had a fumble recovery and Ward had an interception.
It was the 200th win of coach Doug Goodwin's career and it secured him his fifth trip to the Super Six as a head coach.

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