OH SNAP: Albertville ends losing streak to Guntersville in state’s oldest rivalry
Aggies finish the season 5-5
By DRUW GIAMALVA, Sports Editor
UNTERSVILLE — Alabama’s oldest rivalry between the Guntersville Wildcats and the Albertville Aggies clashed for the 112th time on Friday night at Isom-Reese field with the Aggies snapping a six-game losing streak over Guntersville with a 16-3 victory over the Wildcats.
“I’m excited for the kids,” Albertville head coach Adam Winegarden said. “The kids have really battled all season long and to finish on a good note is great for them.”
The win over Guntersville was the first since 2018 when the Aggies defeated Guntersville 31-12. It was the first time since 2011 that the Aggies have defeated Guntersville at Chorba-Lee Stadium.
“Our kids never stopped working,” Winegarden said. “They never stopped fighting and we had a lot of kids step up.”
The football program under Winegarden has been treading up as the Aggies finish the season with a 5-5 record which is their best since 2019 when they finished 5-6.
Despite the loss to Albertville, the Wildcats will look forward to postseason play as they play at Oak Grove next week. The Wildcats also finished with a 5-5 regular season record.
“It has been a story against a lot of good teams this year,” Guntersville head coach Will Lang said. “Just overall, we got to be better in every aspect.”
The 112th edition of Alabama’s oldest rivalry kicked off with the Wildcats on offense first. Guntersville would see some success to start off the drive as running back Garrett Christie and Mack Howard would each run for a first down. The Albertville defense would make quick adjustments as a sack by Tucker Teat would force the Wildcats into punting.
A short drive by Albertville would end in a punt but the Aggies would end up recovering a muffed punt to give them the ball inside the 34-yard line. The Aggies would get inside field goal range as a first down run by Eguensley Cerant would put them at the 6-yard line. The Aggie’s drive would be heavily affected by a holding call which forced them to take a field goal and take a 3-0 lead over the Wildcats.
After a three-and-out drive by Guntersville, the Aggies would receive it at the 8-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Guntersville’s Westin Hammond would make a great play on defense as he produced an interception to give the Wildcats the ball at the 19-yard line.
With the interception, the Wildcats would be able to tie it up following a 44-yard field goal by Taylor Moore.
The next Aggie drive would start with Cerant continuing his dominance on the ground as he produced three first downs on the last drive of the first half. Despite the success in the run game, a big time sack by Mack Howard would run out the clock on Albertville and the game would be a 3-3 tie to enter halftime.
Albertville running back Eguensley Cerant would rush for two touchdowns in the 16-3 win over Guntersville. DRUW GIAMALVA l The Leader
To start the second half, Albertville stayed with the run game as Cerant and Imani Techeria would rush for multiple first downs while quarterback CJ Zuniga would make a first down pass to Gabriel Cruz to put the Aggies in the red zone. The drive was capped off by a 3-yard run by Cerant to put Albertville ahead 10-3.
On the ensuing punt, the Aggies again made a big play on special teams as they recovered a fumble to reclaim the ball. The Aggies would go on to score another touchdown thanks to a 2-yard run by Cerant. The Wildcats would only run three offensive plays in the third quarter.
With time running out in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats looked to build momentum behind two first down runs by Christie. After a promising start, the Aggies defense would stop the momentum with Fischer Sweatt coming up big with an interception.
With a two possession lead in the fourth quarter, the Aggies would go on to hold the ball and take the 16-3 victory over Guntersville.
“I think anytime you finish the year with a positive, I think it helps propel you into the offseason,” Winegarden said. “We’re excited about the direction of our program.”
“There is a lot of growing pains that was going to happen,” Lang said. “We have got to be more consistent and we have a chance to go to the playoffs and see what can happen.”
The Wildcats will travel in the first round of the Class 4A AHSAA Playoffs when they face the Oak Grove Tigers next week.
Alabama’s Oldest Rivalry between the Albertville Aggies and the Guntersville Wildcats started in 1914. DRUW GIAMALVA l The Leader
The Sand Mountain Leader is your trusted source for weekly hometown news, serving the vibrant Sand Mountain community in the heart of Alabama. We're here to bring you the latest stories, events, and happenings, all available conveniently both online and in print.
At The Leader, we believe that community engagement is essential. We want to hear from you, our valued readers! Share your opinions, insights, and thoughts on our articles by adding a comment below each story. Your perspective matters, and your comments contribute to the rich tapestry of discussions in our community.
Together, we can foster meaningful conversations and build a stronger sense of community. Join us in shaping the narrative on Sand Mountain. Your voice is important, and we look forward to reading your comments. Let's make our community news a truly interactive experience!
Have a story idea or a topic you'd like to see covered? Feel free to suggest it in the comments or reach out to our dedicated team. We're here to serve you, and your feedback helps us tailor our content to your interests and needs.
