Golden Tigers move on
Russellville’s Tevin Cross (28), Jackson Witt (45) and Romano Craig (3) tackle Athens’ Pierre Troupe during the first quarter of the Golden Tigers’ 28-21 playoff victory against the Golden Eagles. | Scot Beard/FCT
Friday night’s Class 5A playoff game between Russellville and Athens was much different than the meeting the two squads had earlier in the season.
Athens did not allow the Golden Tigers to jump out to a big lead this time and pestered Russellville for most of the game before the Golden Tigers pulled away for a 28-21 victory.
Russellville took the lead early in the first quarter with a 4-yard run by Brent Calloway.
Athens answered with a 2-yard run by Ryan Horton to tie the game.
The Golden Eagles stopped a handful of Russellville drives, but the Golden Tigers closed out the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by Calloway as time expired.
Athens took the second half kickoff and completed a 20-play drive that consumed the entire third quarter clock. Stephen Rivers ended the drive with a 2-yard pass to Casey Thomas to tie the game 14-14.
“That’s never happened to me before,” Russellville coach Doug Goodwin said about Athens controlling the ball for the entire third quarter.
Russellville regained the lead when Darrian Graham returned the ensuing kickoff 85-yards for a touchdown. Jose Betancourt missed the PAT, leaving the Golden Tigers with a 20-14 advantage.
“I just wanted to spark up the team,” Graham said.
Russellville forced Athens to go three-and-out on the next drive, but the Golden Eagles stopped Russellville and blocked the punt.
Athens drove 35-yards in six plays and took its first lead of the game with an 18-yard pass from Rivers to Horton and a PAT by Trey Grantham with 5:30 remaining in the game.
Russellville then drove 55-yards and regained the lead on a 1-yard run by Calloway. Russellville quarterback Devan Parker found Graham for the 2-point conversion to put the Golden Tigers ahead 28-21 with 1:32 to play.
Rivers completed 3-of-4 passes to move the Golden Eagles to the Russellville 35-yard line before being flagged for intentional grounding. On third-and-21 Rivers floated a pass over the middle of the field and Russellville’s Logan Ezzell picked off the pass to allow the Golden Tigers to run out the clock.
Calloway finished the night with 94 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. He needs 25 rushing yards next week to reach the 2,000-yard mark this season.
The Golden Tigers will travel to Hartselle for a third-round game next Friday.
