Russellville Middle School hosts football conference championship game
The undefeated RMS Tigers were looking to win the conference for a fifth consecutive season, but the Priceville Bulldogs took this year’s trophy with a 44-30 win.
Russellville defeated East Limestone in the playoff semifinals to make it to the title game under first-year head coach Brett Voss who had previously served many years as an assistant on the varsity staff at RHS.
In the championship game, Priceville jumped out to a 22-0 first half lead on touchdown runs of 56 and 9 yards in the first quarter followed by a one-yard touchdown carry in the second.
On the following kickoff after the third scoring play, Russellville’s Sir Williams took the return all the way to the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown. Each TD of the contest by both teams was followed by a two-point conversion attempt and the first by RMS was good as Ryland Calvert made the score 22-8 with 5:23 remaining in the first half.
Quarterback Drake Ergle got the ball to Tavien Jones who then threw to Sir Williams for an 88-yard touchdown. The following try for two points was successful as Ergle passed to Braxton Duncan to make the score 22-16. Williams intercepted a Priceville pass on the final play of the first half to keep the momentum on the RMS side.
In the third quarter, Russellville made its way back with 2:28 left on the clock, with the help of a two-yard touchdown run by Calvert to tie the score. Priceville retook the lead early in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard touchdown run.
The Bulldogs grew the lead to 44-22 with touchdown runs of three and eight yards before Russellville scored the final touchdown of the contest on a 16-yard pass from Ergle to Williams that was followed by a successful try for two on a throw and catch from Ergle to Duncan with 2:04 remaining in the final period.
