Wildcats cruised to a 38-0 win over Sardis
From STAFF REPORTS
Will Lang got his first win as Guntersville’s head coach as the Wildcats cruised to a 38-0 win over Sardis Friday night at Chorba-Lee Stadium.
Guntersville improves to 1-1, while the Lions remain winless at 0-2.
The Wildcat defense set the tone in the first half, as Guntersville held Sardis to 13 yards on seven possessions, picking off two passes and recovering a fumble. Guntersville also had two touchdowns called back on penalties for the entire game.
“I was pleased with the effort,” Lang said. “I was not pleased with the attention to detail in the second half. I was telling the team, I’m tired of using the excuse that we’re a young team. We are, but we can either embrace that or we can make excuses about it. We’ll get it fixed, but golly, even the kids know how good we can be if we buy into the little things.”
After an exchange of punts to begin the game, Gunterville’s Westin Howard returned a Sardis punt 42 yards to the Sardis 20. Six plays later, Will McCamy found Hammond for a 9-yard touchdown pass. Taylor Moore’s kick gave the Wildcats a 7-0 advantage with 5:29 left in the first half.
Guntersville’s next possession came only three plays later, when Mack Howard picked off a pass and streaked for the end zone. But a block in the back moved the ball back to the Sardis 32. The Wildcats needed six plays before Moore added a 29-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.
Guntersville had to wait only two plays before regaining the ball on a fumble at the Sardis 20. On the next play, McCamy threw to Hammond again for a 20-yard touchdown. Moore’s kick left Guntersville firmly in command, 17-0, with 10:43 left in the second.
The Wildcats’ next score came on a drive that began at their own 32 with 8:51 left in the half. Nine plays later, Mack Howard rumbled for a touchdown from 5 yards out. Moore’s PAT gave Guntersville a 24-0 advantage, which it look into the locker room.
The Wildcats added another touchdown when Hammond stepped in front of a Lane Bankston pass and raced 57-yards for a Pick Six. Moore’s kick increased the lead to 31-0.
The Lions’ deepest penetration of the game came in the fourth quarter, when Sardis pushed as deep as the Guntersville 21, driving the ball 60 yards on 12 plays. But on fourth down from the 21, Bankston was stopped on a run at the 19 to turn the ball over on downs.
By that point, fatigue had begun to settle in for Sardis. The Wildcats began mixing in runs by Will Wharton, Janson Davis, Tavon Jackson and McCamy.
On the 11th play of the drive, Garrett Christie raced in from the three for the evening’s final touchdown.
“I think we can be pretty good defensively,” Lang said. “We just have to play physical every snap. That’s what happened in the second half. We took some snaps off and it allowed them to drive the ball.”
Guntersville travels to New Hope next week, while Sardis entertains Crossville on Sept. 11.
