Russellville continues to struggle
By Brannon King for the FCT
The first half of the 2017 football season for the Russellville Golden Tigers has been a challenge. Five games into the schedule, RHS is still searching for a win after falling to the Hartselle Tigers by a 51-0 score Friday night.
The Hartselle team celebrated homecoming and dominated from the start in the non-region contest. Russellville (0-5, 0-3) fell behind early and trailed 30-0 at the end of the first quarter and 37-0 at the half.
The Golden Tigers move back into Class 5A Region 8 play next with a game at St. John Paul II in a contest that looks to be a more favorable matchup. The Falcons are also winless on the season so far after dropping their most recent game to Ardmore.
“We’ve had a tough first part of the schedule,” Russellville head coach Mark Heaton said. “We weren’t ready to play tonight. We weren’t ready when we got off the bus, and that falls back on me. It’s tough when you’re in this situation to get yourselves up to play at a high level every week, but that’s what we have to do to have a chance.”
The Golden Tigers have been outscored by a total of 212-19 so far this season, but they still have a lot to play for. Included in the second half of the schedule are region games against St. John Paul II, Brooks, East Limestone and Ardmore. After Friday night’s game in Huntsville, RHS will finally get a few home games to finish up the year. Three of the final five contests of the season will be played at RHS, with the last game of the regular season coming at home against rival Colbert County.
Russellville has hosted only one game so far this year – against Lawrence County in week three.
In the game against Hartselle, the 6A Tigers scored on their first possession when quarterback Robert Godsey found Garrett Meyer for a 48-yard touchdown pass. A few plays after a Russellville punt, Keondre Swoopes scored from 10 yards out on a TD run to put Hartselle up 14-0 and HHS, went on to put the game away quickly.
Russellville threatened to score on a possession that began late in the first quarter and continued early into the second period, when the Golden Tigers started a drive on the Hartselle 8-yard line after a long kickoff return by Logan Jones. A Robert Hamilton run on first down got the ball to the six, but it was followed by two incomplete passes. On fourth down, RHS elected to attempt a 23-yard field goal, but it was blocked by Hartselle.
RHS just couldn’t get anything going against the stingy Hartselle defense. Russellville’s Roman Cortez recovered a fumble on a mishandled snap by the backup HHS quarterback late in the first half for a highlight for the Golden Tigers. Jones set RHS up with favorable field position with good returns on kickoffs as well.
