Eagles Top Wildcats, 35-6
Published 12:00 am Monday, October 7, 2002
After suffering an emotional 18-16 loss to Red Level in its previous game, Anthony Clark's Pleasant Home Eagles were looking for a big rebound win at home at the expense of Doug Vickery's Florala Wildcats.
And Clark's Eagles did just that, topping the visiting Wildcats 35-6 to improve to 3-3 on the season. Vickery's Wildcats fell to 0-6.
After the game, however, Clark did not sound totally like a victorious coach.
"We did not play that well at all and this was not a very good ballgame for us," said Clark. "We have some players who starting to think about themselves and being selfish and showing their rears. I was very disappointed in some of the things I saw from our team tonight as far as unsportsmanlike displays. We have some players that may have to leave. Pleasant Home has always been a class school and we are going to continue to be a class school. We did have some young kids step up and play well and I thought Troy Turman and Josh McCraney played well."
For Vickery, he said the loss was another example of his young team learning through the fire.
"Our kids played hard, but we made too many mistakes," said Vickery. "We had some opportunities in the first half, but had too many turnovers and we just have to keep learning through our mistakes."
Florala was able to hang in with the Eagles in the first 12 minutes, with the only points of the period coming on a 5-yard touchdown run by standout tailback Author Coleman.
The Eagles boosted the lead, however, early in the second stanza as a 15-yard TD run by fullback David Hamby at the 8:47 mark.
Late in the second quarter, following a Florala punt, Pleasant Home was able to set up shop once again, this time at the Wildcat 42.
Seven plays into this series, fullback Chris Huckabaa scored on a 4-yard run with 49 seconds remaining in the half. The extra point was true and the lead was now 21-0.
The key play in the Eagle scoring drive was a 26-yard pass thrown by McCraney which set the Eagles up at the Wildcat 4.
The score remained 21-0 at the intermission.
Following a punt by Florala midway through the third quarter, Pleasant Home went back to work, beginning a series at the Wildcat 46.
Three plays into this series the Eagles were back on the board as McCraney connected with Turman on a 44-yard TD pass at the 5:12 mark. David Sander booted the extra point and the score was now 28-0.
Pleasant Home was forced to punt to begin the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats fumbled the punt and the Eagles took over at the Pleasant Home 33.
The Eagles ultimately capitalized on the Wildcat miscue as Turman scored on a 19-yard run at the 6:24 mark. The extra point was true and the score was now 35-6.
A key play in this drive was a 20-yard pass from McCraney to Daniel Clark.
Florala began its ensuing series at the Wildcat 43.
Led by the running of Mark Geohagan and Victor Hobdy, the Wildcats quickly moved the ball to the Eagle 20.
From here, Geohagan scored on running play at the 1:33 mark to give Florala its only points of the night.
Pleasant Home looks to stay hot Friday as it hosts Houston County while Florala host Zion Chapel.