By TAYLOR BECK, Sports Editor
ALBERTVILLE — The Albertville Aggies were unable to keep momentum rolling from their recent breakthrough win, falling 34-0 to Huntsville in a Class 7A, Region 4 matchup Friday night at Vernon Wells Stadium.
It was homecoming night for the Aggies, but the visiting Panthers spoiled the celebration with a dominant performance on both sides of the ball. Huntsville (5-2) amassed 449 yards of total offense, including 300 on the ground and 149 through the air, while holding Albertville to just 119 total yards.
Huntsville struck first on its opening drive, covering 72 yards in eight plays before Cinco Dawkins punched in a 1-yard touchdown run with 8:37 remaining in the first quarter. The extra point was no good, giving the Panthers a 6-0 lead.
Albertville (1-6, 1-4) had opportunities early, forcing three Huntsville turnovers in the first half — including two fumble recoveries by the Aggies defense — but the offense struggled to capitalize.
After an exchange of turnovers in the opening quarter, the Aggies forced another fumble, taking over at the Albertville 31-yard line. However, they went three-and-out and were forced to punt once more.
One of Albertville’s best drives came midway through the second quarter, when the Aggies moved the ball down inside the Huntsville 35 before turning it over on downs. The Panthers responded with a 65-yard touchdown drive, extending their lead to 14-0 with 2:43 left in the half.
Huntsville struck again just before halftime, as quarterback Wyatt Smith connected with Bryson Grissom for a 37-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 heading into the break.
The Panthers continued to control the game in the second half, adding two more scores to close out the 34-0 win.
Albertville managed 96 rushing yards, but couldn’t find a rhythm offensively against a Huntsville defense anchored by standout lineman Michael Chobey, who entered the game with 9.5 sacks on the season — ranking among the state’s best.
“The bottom line is we didn’t play well tonight,” Aggies head coach Adam Winegarden said postgame. “You got to give Huntsville credit. They’ve got a really good team, they’re well coached, and they did a great job. But we didn’t play to the standard we’re trying to build here. But we’re gonna have games like that, so you know, we’re going to rebound, go back to work on Monday, and work to improve and get better.”
Albertville will look to bounce back as it continues Region 4 play next week on the road at Bob Jones.
The Aggies Rich Revolte (10) looks for running room against Huntsville. Photo by TAYLOR BECK l The Leader
