PREP FOOTBALL: Warriors struggle with speedy Russellville squad in Region 8 loss (PHOTO GALLERY)

Published 12:26 am Friday, September 21, 2012

Russellville and West Point combined for a hefty 83 points in Thursday night’s Class 5A, Region 8 battle.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, they only had 20 of them.

Speed was the key for the Golden Tigers, who racked up 400 yards on the ground, piled on seven rushing touchdowns and pulled away in a hurry for a 63-20 victory over West Point.

“That’s the fastest team we’ve seen so far this year,” Warrior coach A.J. Lamar said. “They’re a lot faster than Athens and Cullman. I’ve seen it on film, but you just can’t simulate it.”

Russellville (3-1, 2-1) gave West Point (1-3, 0-3) the first taste of its quickness on the game’s opening drive, scoring on an elusive 41-yard run by freshman quarterback Landon Smothers.

It only got worse for the Warriors from there.  

Russellville’s Tyler Boyd struck next after West Point was forced to punt, taking an option pass from Smothers 74 yards to the end zone. Although he took the pitch on the right side of the field, he eventually headed toward the middle, made a nasty stepback to lose his defender and sprinted the rest of the way home.

The next two scores for the Golden Bears resulted from a pair of Warrior turnovers.

West Point quarterback Bryant Farley pitched the ball off a defender that was picked up by Russellville at the 18, and Tristan Dubberly never got the handle on a kickoff return that a Golden Bear recovered at the 3.

T.J. Posey was the benefactor of that first mistake by knocking down the left pylon on a two-yard touchdown run, and Bud Coleman took advantage of the other with a three-yard run for six points to go up 28-0 with 4:20 remaining in the first quarter.

Farley also threw a pick-six to Austin Kitterman for Russellville’s last score of the first half.

“We didn’t help them with those three boneheaded plays,” Lamar said.

Sure, the Warriors had their fair share of turnovers, but their first touchdown came as a result of one they were able to take away from the Golden Tigers.

Only one play after Jordan McKenzie pulled down an interception for West Point late in the first quarter, Farley, Wesley Smith and Tate Duckett combined on a nifty 47-yard hook-and-latter for six points. On the play, Farley completed a 10-yard pass to Smith, who, as he was being tackled, managed to pitch the ball to Duckett on the right sideline. From there, Duckett was off to the races and was never in jeopardy of being caught from behind on his way to the goal line.

After Coleman answered with another rushing touchdwn, this time from two yards out, the Warriors struck again. Tanner Rusk came in at quarterback to spell a beaten-up Farley and got off to a shaky start, botching the very first snap for a 12-yard loss.

Oh boy, did he recover, though.

On the very next play, Rusk threw a 75-yard bomb to McKenzie, who raced down the left sideline untouched.

“He threw a great ball right there, put it right there on the money,” Lamar said. “I thought Jordan McKenzie did a great job of making the catch and running a great route.

“Tanner Rusk came in and did a real good job after he fumbled the very first snap. He kept his composure and moved the ball for us.”

That touchdown put West Point at a 35-13 disadvantage, the closest it would come the rest of the night.

Smothers completed a 61-yard pass to a wide-open Christopher Owens on the first play of Russellville’s ensuing possession, and then Boyd blazed through the hole for a 76-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.

Boyd had 153 yards and two scores on only three carries. Backup running back Trey Williams posted the Golden Tigers’ third rushing touchdown of at least 70 yards with a score from that distance in the fourth quarter.

“They’re very fast,” Lamar said. “They’ve got guys who can fly.”

Despite the big deficit they faced for most of the contest, the Warriors never quit trying. Duckett went wild on a drive in the fourth quarter, carrying the ball five times for 63 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown run up the middle.

“Our guys played hard,” Lamar said. “They got after it for four quarters. They didn’t give up. That’s all you can ask for.”

The game was broadcast by WABM 68, and that surely wasn’t the result the coach was looking for in front of a statewide audience. A loss is a loss to Lamar, though, whether it’s on TV or not.

“It’s disappointing to lose, period,” he said. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re on TV or what. Our guys are going to have to learn to step up to the level of competition they’re facing.”

West Point has lost three straight region games after opening the season with a dominating victory over Brewer. The Warriors will look to double their win total next week when they travel across town for an in-county rivalry.

“You live another day, and now we’ll get ready for the Hanceville Bulldogs,” Lamar said.

‰ Rob Ketcham can be reached at 256-734-2131, ext. 257 or at robk@cullmantimes.com.