Local Sports
GUT-CHECK TIME
Michael CummingsThe film always tells it to you straight. The same could be said about Mark Britton.
Less than 24 hours after watching Erwin upset his Class 5A, No. 1 Cullman High football team, Britton and his coaching staff took a look at the game film. And what they saw was hardly surprising.
“We got to watch the film and it was what we thought,” said Britton, whose team dropped into a tie atop the Region 6 standings with Springville after its 25-20 loss in Center Point.
Just as the coaching staff thought, the tale of the tape showed Cullman being out-muscled on both sides of the line. Combined with a lack of execution in each of the game’s three phases, Britton’s team was ripe for the upset.
“That was the epitome of our Friday night,” said Britton. “We didn’t execute on offense, defense or special teams. Usually you want to win two out of the three, but we didn’t execute on any of them.”
Special teams play was on display early, as Erwin’s Marqueze O’Neal returned a Cullman kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown with 3:20 left in the first quarter.
Instead of leading 7-6, the Bearcats suddenly found themselves down 12-7. Though they took the lead back briefly in the second quarter, the writing was already on the wall.
“They controlled the line of scrimmage,” said Britton, who fell to 2-1 as a coach against the Eagles. “That comes from the speed of their players getting pressure from the defensive front.”
Erwin’s constant pressure gave Cullman quarterback Tyler Caldwell little opportunity to find any rhythm all night. After missing on his first six attempts, the Bearcats senior finished 16-for-40 with 168 yards and a touchdown.
Not that Britton’s team was unprepared.
“They didn’t show us anything we hadn’t seen already,” he said. “Just some nights you don’t play well.”
Across the ball, the Bearcats defense conceded for the first time in the first quarter and allowed the most points it has all season. But despite giving up a touchdown drive late in the third quarter, the unit tightened up and held Erwin scoreless for the final 12 minutes.
Among Cullman’s defensive highlights were Josh Barksdale’s second quarter 47-yard fumble return to the Erwin 2 and Justin Self’s touchdown-saving interception late in the third. Bryan Steele added a key fourth-down tackle on Erwin quarterback Anthony Bowie on the Eagles’ first possession of the second half.
“The defense was on the field for a long time. Any time you give a talented team like Erwin that much time on the field, you’re going to give up points,” said Britton. “But we got a big fumble recovery that set us up for points there in the second quarter.”
Friday’s loss broke Cullman’s 15-game regular season winning streak, leading some to wonder whether the Bearcats will change anything during practice this week.
But even though the Bearcats haven’t had to deal with losing since a 37-35 loss at Scottsboro on the final weekend of the 2006 season, Britton said Cullman will stick to its time-tested routine — beginning with a Sunday morning film session on week 7 opponent Springville.
“We’re not by any means going to hit the panic button,” Britton said. “This routine has won us a lot of games the last few years.”
‰ Michael Cummings can be reached by e-mail at michaelc@cullmantimes.com or by phone at 734-2131, ext. 258.
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