By Barry H. Hendrix
The Thomasville High School Tigers varsity football team lost to Class 3A, Region 3 opponent, the Thorsby High School Rebels, 36-21 Oct. 3 at D.F. Anderson Field.
“I feel like we were a play-or-two away,” said Clint Anderson, THS Head Football Coach. With the score 22-21 in favor of Thorsby in the fourth quarter, “we have an opportunity to get off the field on fourth down, and we let them convert on fourth down with a quarterback scramble. Small things like that – it changed the game.
“I think our youth was showing. …We had several times when we were a block away, and there was just miscommunication on the offensive line. …How our blocking rules apply to the front we were seeing.”
The Tigers “need to continue to improve in all phases of the game,” Anderson said. “We have to tackle better. Especially, late in the game, we got tired, and we didn’t tackle as well as we did earlier. Some of our backs got tired and didn’t block as well late in the game.
“We were thin – shorthanded in some spots. That played a role in a fourth quarter game. It tests your endurance. The deeper team, a lot of times, is the one that is most successful.
“We are going to continue to work hard and improve,” the coach said. “…We are going to correct our mistakes and focus on going forward.”
Thomasville scored first with a 21-yard touchdown run by Troy Davis (9:20 in the first quarter). The point-after kick was no good.
Thorsby’s Braylon Carroll scored on a 22-yard TD run (8:58 in the first). The 2-point conversion run by Carroll was also good.
Thomasville’s Hunter Norwood recovered a Rebel fumble (7:28 in the second quarter). THS had the ball on the Rebel 42. The resulting possession would be successful with a 1-yard TD run by C.J. Rowden (2:28 in the second). The 2-point conversion run by Christian Draper was no good.
Carroll threw 17 yards to Collier Price for Thorsby TD (32 seconds left in the first half). The 2-point conversion by Carroll was also good. Thorsby led 16-12 at halftime.
Thomasville’s C.J. Welch was successful with a 29-yard field goal (5:01 in the third quarter).
Carroll scored again for the Rebels with a 6-yard TD run (3:33 in the third). The 2-point conversion was no good.
Thomasville’s Norwood scored on a 9-yard TD run (11:50 in the fourth quarter). However, the point-after kick was blocked.
Lucas Jackson scored for Thorsby on a 15-yard TD run (5:20 in the fourth). The 2-point conversion run by Carroll was also good.
Javien Cooper intercepted a Tiger pass (4:59 in the fourth). Thorsby had the ball on their own 26-yard line, and the next possession would end with a 6-yard TD run by Carroll (1:38 left in the game). The 2-point conversion was no good.
The Thomasville High School Tigers varsity football team (3-3) will next travel Friday, Oct. 10 to play region opponent, the Hale County High School Wildcats (3-3), in Moundville. Kickoff is 7 p.m.