For the third year in a row, the Eagles bounced back after a season opening loss and dominated their week two opponent for the first win of the year. This year the opponent was Lynn, the first of five schools Alabama Christian has never faced in football, and the Eagles dominated from the beginning in a 64-26 victory. The point total broke a forty-one year old record as the 1981 squad defeated Landmark Christian, 62-0.
The ACA captains head to midfield for the coin toss.
ACA should have scored on the first play from scrimmage, but Corey Landers was called out of bounds at the Lynn 41-yard line and had to settle for a 12 yard gain. Five plays later, Alabama Christian faced the closest thing to a stressful situation on the night with a 4th and 9 at the thirty. However, Preston Hicks got behind the defense and Hayes Hunt hit him for a touchdown and the rout was on. Lynn’s first offensive play showed some promise until Landers jarred the ball away from the receiver and Blake Shaw recovered to give the ball right back to the offense. Hunt found Avery Stuart on the next play on a 43-yard bomb for a 14-0 advantage with 9:31 left in the first.
Blake Shaw celebrates a first quarter fumble recovery.
The home team picked up a couple of first downs on their second drive, but failed to convert a fourth down as William Milner tackled the receiver well short of the marker. Hunt and Stuart connected again from 47 yards away on the third play of the possession to stretch the lead to 21-0. On the next series, Otasowie Dion picked off a pass and raced 26 yards for a score and a 28-0 lead with 5:03 still left in the first. Preston Hicks and Dion both had sacks to halt the next Bear drive and the quarter ended with ACA back on offense.
Hayes Hunt winds up for a bomb to Avery Stuart.
Alabama Christian scored again to start the second period as Hayes Hunt flipped the ball to Corey Landers on a jet-sweep around the right end for an 18-yard score and a 35-0 lead. Lynn’s offense came to life and put together a four-play 59-yard drive, highlighted by a 45-yard keeper by the quarterback, to get on the board and cut the lead to 35-6. Otasowie Dion made sure the momentum stopped there as he returned the kickoff 52 yards to the Lynn 22-yard line and scored after a penalty from 25 yards out to extend the lead to 42-6 with 9:13 left in the half.
Otasowie Dion looks for daylight against Lynn.
The defense held Lynn to a three and out and set up the offense for another possession and score. AC Walters was the workhorse on the drive as he carried the ball on all four plays that covered 67 yards and scored on a 25-yard run for a 49-6 lead. The last score of the half was set up by a Gerrod Green interception. Jordan Frazier, the fourth tailback of the night, toted the ball five plays in a row and scored on an eight-yard run with 1:10 left in the half for a 56-6 lead.
Jordan Frazier outruns the defense to the end zone.
In the second half, the members of the JV squad played the rest of the way and gained valuable experience at the varsity level. Lynn controlled the ball for nine and a half minutes of the third quarter. The home team drove the field to start the half to cut the lead to 56-14. Lynn recovered the onsides kick, but after the officials conferred, the Eagles were awarded possession. ACA ran three plays and gained no yards and would not see the field again until the fourth quarter as they punted with 7:27 left in the third. The Bears drove and scored again with 31 seconds left in the period to cut the margin to 56-20. This time, the onsides kick was successful as the Eagles touched the ball and Lynn recovered to end the third.
Jaylan McCovery ended the Bear threat as he intercepted the team’s third pass on the night. After an extended absence, the offense took the field and again lasted only three plays before punting back to its opponent. Lynn scored for the final time in the contest with a six-play, 52-yard drive to make the score 56-26. Alabama Christian’s final score came on 3rd and 28 from their own 36-yard line as David Ortiz-Ramirez weaved through the defense on a 64-yard run to tie the all-time point total for a game in program history. The extra point would give them the record, but the snap was low and Hayes Hunt was unable to place it for kicker Tyson Summers. Hunt stood and calmly ran around the left end into the end zone for the two-point conversion and the record.
Tyson Summers ties the school record with eight made PATs.
AC Walters led all rushers with 76 yards on four carries while David Ortiz-Ramirez had 63 yards on three attempts. Otasowie Dion had 45 yards on two carries and Jordan Frazier finished with 44 yards on 11 carries. All four backs scored touchdowns on the night. Hayes Hunt went 6 for 8 for 159 yards and four scores hitting three different receiver for scores. Avery Stuart had two catches for 90 yards and two scores while Corey Landers had two for 30 yards and a touchdown and Preston Hicks had one for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Corey Landers goes down the sideline on the first play from scrimmage.
Josh Kreitz and Christian Snipes led the defense with seven tackles apiece while Blake Shaw added four tackles. Otasowie Dion, Preston Hicks, and Jake Hunt each had three tackles. In all, twenty-six different Eagles recorded tackles in the contest. Tyson Summers tied the school record for made extra points with eight in the contest.
Josh Kreitz and friends look to stop the Lynn runner.
Region play opens next week as ACA visits Trinity on Friday, September 9th.