Despite high drive and energy, the Phil Campbell Bobcats came up short against Colbert Heights.

By Brannon King for the FCT

The Phil Campbell Bobcats traveled to Colbert Heights with hopes to start the season with two straight victories, but mistakes and a talented offensive attack by the Wildcats proved to be too much for the Bobcats to overcome on Friday night as they fell 47-26 at Amos Mitchell Stadium.

The two teams battled during a scoreless first quarter before Colbert Heights (1-1) took control of the game in the second and third periods. The win was new Colbert Heights Head Coach Taylor Leathers’ first.

The starting quarterbacks were the stars of each team’s attack. Phil Campbell’s Peyton Thomas threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two more scores. Meanwhile, Kevin Shaw of Colbert Heights also had two touchdowns through the air and ran in one TD on a 4-yard keeper. Running back Kolin Agee also had two touchdowns for CHHS in the game on carries of 12 and 17 yards.

Phil Campbell started the game on defense by turning the Wildcats away on fourth down. Then the Bobcats went on a long drive of their own, which lasted for most of the first quarter and went into the second. The 16-play march down the field ended though after a fourth down pass fell incomplete after Phil Campbell had already converted on two third downs and one fourth down to keep the drive alive.

After falling behind 14-0 on a TD run by J.J. Alexander, the Bobcats were on the move midway through the second quarter before a third-and-three at the Colbert Heights 35-yard-line turned into a punting situation after two-straight penalties and an incomplete pass.

Colbert Heights then went 11 plays and scored on a 17-yard run by Agee on fourth down to put the Wildcats up 20-0 with 2:25 remaining in the first half.

Phil Campbell got on the scoreboard with just 38 seconds on the clock before halftime when Peyton Thomas found Joe Hardy on a 10-yard TD pass. Daniel Smith added the extra point to make the score 20-7. The Wildcats threatened with a quick strike before the break after Agee ran for 55-yards on first down to get the ball down to the Phil Campbell 20-yard-line. Then a penalty pushed the Wildcats back before Austin Riner intercepted a pass in the endzone.

The second half began with a Phil Campbell fumble on first down deep in their own territory. Then Colbert Heights converted on a close call that went their way on a fourth-and-goal run from the Phil Campbell 1-yard-line. The officials ruled Dylan Chandler crossed the goal line, and the lead grew to 26-7.

The Bobcats quickly answered back when Peyton Thomas found Joe Hardy for a 39-yard scoring strike to make it 26-13. It only took three plays for the Wildcats to answer back. Shaw found Austin Davis for a 20-yard TD pass to stop any momentum the Bobcats had found.

The two teams then traded fumbles before Thomas scored on a five-yard touchdown run for the Bobcats. The Phil Campbell quarterback scored again from five yards out on a keeper with 2:48 remaining in the game. Shaw threw for a third quarter score to Ricky Thomas and then ran for another TD in the final period for the Wildcats.

“Offensively, we moved the ball when we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot. We moved the ball well, we just couldn’t stop them,” Phil Campbell Head Coach Ryan Swinney said. “The good thing is that we’re about to start region play, and we kinda know where we stand.”

Phil Campbell will open 2A, Region 8 play with a trip to Lamar County in their next game.