Tigers Fall At Home To
Tigers Trail Columbia At The Half
Lead At Games End
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by Dwight Turner Ardmore High School’s Varsity Football Team traveled to Huntsville Saturday night to take on new regional foe Columbia at Milton Frank Stadium. Both teams showed grit and tenacity before heavy rains and intense lightening forced officials to halt the game with Columbia leading 12-7 at the half. The game was slated to continue at 7 PM Monday evening. Ardmore began its opening drive, setting up shop at the Columbia 35 yard-line. The Tigers were penalized on their first three plays from scrimmage, but still began to methodically move the ball downfield behind the passing of quarterback Elijah Barnes and the running of tailback Derrick Green. |
Ardmore Quarterback Elijah Barnes, airborne, takes the ball for a first down on a broken play during first half play against Columbia Saturday night, September 23, in Huntsville, AL. (photo by Bobby Malone) |
Ardmore moved the ball down to the Columbia 28 but a holding penalty moved the ball back to the 35. Barnes rolled out on the next play and hit fullback Landon Curtis for a five-yard gain. Two plays later, Barnes again hooked up with Curtis on a 14-yard strike that gave the Tigers a first and ten at the Columbia 14.
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On second down, Green rambled for 13 yards, giving Ardmore a first and goal at the Columbia one yard-line. On the next play, Green scored the Tigers only touchdown of the half. Curtis booted the point-after and Ardmore took a 7-0 lead with 5:04 left in the first quarter. Ardmore’s scoring drive took 15 plays and ran just under seven minutes of the clock. Columbia began its first drive at its own 35 and scored in only five plays. On the second play from scrimmage, Josh Macklin raced 53 yards, down to the Tiger 10. Macklin scored two plays later. The point-after attempt failed and Ardmore led 7-6 with 3:55 left in the first quarter. On its next possession, Ardmore took the ball at its own 35 and again began moving the ball down the field. The drive stalled with two incomplete passes at the Columbia 38 yard-line |
Tiger defensive lineman Kyle Smith puts the brakes on an Eagle running back during Monday night action as Bubba Lobberecht closes in on the play. (photo by Bobby Malone) |
The Tigers had another scoring opportunity early in the second quarter when Jeffrey Boyce intercepted a John McCown pass, giving the Tigers a first down at the Columbia 41. An Ardmore fumble, however, gave the ball back to Columbia.
At that point, the sky opened up and torrential rains began to fall.
Neither team was able to move the ball in the monsoon. Both teams turned the ball over on downs.
With heavy rain still coming down, McCown hit Macklin with a 60-yard touchdown strike. The point-after failed and Columbia led 12-7 with 3:32 left in the first half.
Ardmore moved the ball deep into Columbia territory on its final possession of the half, but an interception halted the Tigers just before the gun sounded ending the half.
Rains continued to fall throughout the half and frequent lightning popped around the stadium. After a brief delay before the third quarter began, officials called the game.
Green racked up 78 rushing yards for the Tigers in the first half. Curtis had 19 yards on two receptions.
Ardmore’s season record going into the game was 2-1. Columbia entered the game with a 1-2 mark.
Tigers Take Second Half
by Perry Lewter
When Bubba Lobberecht intercepted a Columbia Eagle pass with 1:04 remaining Monday, everyone in Milton Frank Stadium knew who was going to win the Region 7 4A contest. The visiting Ardmore Tigers won it 18-12.
“I knew where the football was going and I knew I wanted my hands on it,” Lobberecht said. “At first I didn’t know what to think. But when I realized what had just happened it was the greatest feeling in the whole world.”
“This was such a big win for us,” the senior stated. “We really had to have this win.”
The Tigers faced an uphill battle entering the contest Monday after trailing 12-7 after two periods of action on Saturday.
“It was tough on both teams,” Tiger coach Tracy Malone said. “It was really hard to prepare for two quarters of action. Our kids fought hard and played well. This was a huge win for us.”
The Tigers kicked off to the Eagles to begin the third quarter and did not get possession of the football until five minutes left in that quarter. Jeffrey Boyce picked off an Eagle pass which gave the ball to the Tigers.
The Tigers pulled within two, 12-10, when Landon Curtis kicked a 24-yard field goal five plays later. That came with 10:04 remaining.
The Eagles were forced to punt giving the Tigers the football on the 39-yard line. Six plays later Ardmore took the lead for good when Curtis caught a 22-yard pass from Elijah Barnes. Derrick Green’s extra-points run was good. The Tigers led 18-12.
The Eagles moved the football 60-yards in 10 plays before Lobbrecht’s heroics.
“We played well on both sides of the ball,” Coach Malone said. “Columbia had a very good football team and their coaches had a good game plan. They knew us well. This was a gut check win for us. We are staying focused and are still trying to obtain our goals set before the season began. We want to do some things no other Ardmore team has done in awhile and we want to advance to the playoffs.”
The Tigers led 7-0 Saturday when Green scored on a 1-yard carry and Curtis kicked the extra point.
The Eagles pulled within one, 7-6, on Josh Maclin’s 3-yard run. They led for the first time when Maclin caught a 60-yard from Jon McCown in a downpour with just over three minutes left in the first half.
Barnes completed 5-of-11 passes for 54 yards for the winners. Green led the ground gainers with 132 yard while Curtis had 75. Boyce had two interceptions for the winners and Lobberecht one.
Mario Nwaubani was a tough Eagle for the Tigers to contain on Monday. The junior rushed for 68-yards on 12-carries Monday after just 25-yards on 4-carries Saturday.
Ardmore’s focus now turns to West Limestone. The Tigers travel to Lester on Friday in hopes of making their homecoming celebration an unmemorable one.