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The Andalusia Bulldogs found themselves in a deep hole against the 5A Beauregard Hornets, but came back to score a 28-27 victory with some timely defensive plays and two touchdown passes down the stretch.

After taking the early lead, Andalusia found themselves in a deep hole toward the end of the first half. One of the key plays that got Andalusia back in the game was delivered by senior Riley Tucker and junior Kielan Davis just before the half, leading to a defensive score that gave the Bulldogs renewed energy.

“We had a corner blitz on and Kielan caused the fumble. That was huge. Our kids were down and, at that point, momentum was definitely not on our side,” said Head Coach Trent Taylor.

Taylor said the victory over another 5A team, although nonregion, came at a good time for his Bulldog players.

“Something we’ve tried to tell them all week long is, yes, we’re 2-3, but you look at two of those losses and who they were against. But, they are young and they are still going to look at the record. This is a great win for us. I’m proud of how the offensive line played. They gave (quarterback Noah Curry) a lot of time and, man, did he make some throws in the second half. I hope that will be big for him as he continues to grow.”

After a quick three-and-out delivered by the Bulldog defense to start the game, the offense got things going with a long drive that ended with a touchdown. Andalusia got it done on the ground, beginning with a series of runs by Jordyn Skanes took the Bulldogs across midfield. Down the stretch, it was Zerrick Jones who took control with a big 14-yard gain before scoring on a third-down play from eight yards out. Cobb Stewart’s point-after lifted Andalusia to a 7-0 lead about midway through the first period.

After that, the Hornets found their footing in a big way, scoring on their next three possessions that put the Bulldogs down 21-7 with only 3:48 to go in the half.

Beauregard forced another three-and-out and their offence took control again with 2:32 to go before halftime. But, that’s when Kielan Davis and Riley Tucker delivered the big play. Davis knocked the ball away from the quarterback allowing Tucker to pick it up and take it to the end zone for a touchdown, giving Andalusia a much-needed lift, cutting the deficit to 21-14.

Getting the ball back with 1:28 to go, the Hornets were ready to stretch the lead back out, taking the ball deep into Andalusia territory. The Bulldog defense stood its ground from there, beginning with a sack by C.J. Likely on first down, Kielan Davis knocked down a pass on second down, and then Calvin Daniels broke up a play on third before ending the Hornet’s threat with an interception in the end zone. The defensive stand kept the Bulldogs within seven, 21-14, as the half expired.

Andalusia kept things going when they received the kickoff to start the second half. After a couple runs by Skanes to get the ball near midfield, Curry fond Calvin Daniels open for a big gain of 31 yards, putting the Bulldogs in the red zone at the 15. A holding call backed the Bulldogs up, but on third down, Curry again looked to Daniels who was crossing the field and made the catch for a touchdown. Stewart’s point-after tied the game at 21 with 6:54 to go in the third.

A celebration penalty followed by an offsides on the kickoff, Beauregard found itself with good field position to start the next possession and they capitalized, taking the ball 45 yards to retake the lead, 27-21. The Hornets tried a fake point-after to try and get the 2-point conversion, but the Bulldogs were ready and made the stop.

The next big play came on the kickoff when Jones found running room all the way to the Hornet 15-yard line. Beauregard’s defense stood strong and got some help from a couple Andalusia penalties, but on fourth-and-six, and the first play of the fourth quarter, Curry and Daniels connected again for the duo’s second touchdown of the game, tying the game at 27. Stewart’s point-after provided Andalusia its first lead since midway through the first period, 28-27.

Beauregard’s next possession ended courtesy of C.J. Likely who got pressure on the quarterback, resulting in a fumble for the Bulldogs.

The two defenses came up with stops as time ticked away on the fourth period. With 2:33 to go, Beauregard forced the Bulldogs to punt, giving the Hornets another shot to overcome the one-point deficit.

The Hornets crossed midfield, but the Bulldog defense came up with a series of key stops. On second-and-four, Xavier Marshall came up with a tackle for a one-yard loss and that was followed by a stop by Zade Newton for no gain. On fourth-and-five, the Bulldog defense made their way into the backfield putting enough pressure on the Hornet quarterback to cause his throw to go out of bounds, giving Andalusia the ball and one kneel-down to secure the 28-27 victory.

The win lifts Andalusia to 3-3 overall and they remain 2-0 in region play. The Bulldogs begin a series of four straight region games next week when they travel to Charles Henderson, which is 2-3 overall and 2-1 in region play.