It was a great night to pull for Alabama Christian. Every “expert” in the media picked MA to beat ACA in the season finale at home, but the visiting Eagles proved them all wrong. The not very welcoming hosts did set an unofficial record by threatening to tow ten different cars in the first half. The home team treated the visitors rudely, too, with two quick touchdowns, but the Eagles showed tremendous resiliency as they fought back to win the contest. The 31-21 victory was the sixth time Alabama Christian has beaten MA and the first time since 2008 to beat them at their place.
MA won the toss and scored its first touchdown in less than a minute with a two-play seventy yard haymaker for a 7-0 lead with 11:28 left in the first quarter. ACA punted on its first possession after picking up a first down to give MA the ball back on their own 34 yard line. Once again, it took the home team only two plays to score and the lead stretched to 14-0. From the early returns, it looked like the game might be over quickly. However, the coaching staff calmed the players and ACA started to play their game. After the first three and a half minutes of the game, ACA outscored MA 31-7 the rest of the way. AC Walters set up the offense with great field position as he returned the kickoff to the MA 48 yard line. On 3rd and 7, Hayes Hunt connected with Garrett Weathers on a deep pass that covered 42 yards for a first down at the three yard line. Preston Hicks scored on the next play on a receiver screen and the lead was cut in half, 14-7. Now the team looked to the defense to stop the powerful MA running attack. After allowing a couple of first downs, the defense stiffened and forced a punt to get the ball back to the offense, The defense stopped the MA runners behind the line of scrimmage on three plays during the drive. Jack Thomas, Corey Landers, Trey Schlemmer, Avery Stuart, Otasowie Dion and D’Andre Sneed all contributed on those three key plays. The quarter ended with MA pinning ACA back on their own one yard line to start the next drive.
The defense lines up to stop the running game of MA.
Alabama Christian marched 99 yards in eight plays to tie the game 14-14 early in the second period. Otasowie Dion and Corey Landers combined for the first 42 yards of the drive as the offense moved the ball towards midfield. On 3rd and 8, Avery Stuart beat his man and Hayes Hunt him in stride for a 57-yard touchdown connection for the game tying score. AC Walters produced on special teams again as he recovered an MA fumble on the kickoff at the 15 yard line. ACA couldn’t punch it in, but Tyson Summers gave the team the lead with a 26-yard field goal with 8:54 left in the half. Both teams traded punts and then MA seemed to find its rhythm again as they scored on a nine-play, 43 yard drive to retake the lead 21-17 with 1:59 left in the first half. ACA was unable to move the ball at the end of the quarter and trailed by four heading to the locker room.
Hayes Hunt looks down field for an open receiver.
Alabama Christian started the second half with the ball and promptly took the lead for good with a 61-yard drive in seven plays. After a first down, the offense went to work with consecutive receptions by Preston Hicks that covered 31 yards and a 22-yard jaunt up the middle by Corey Landers on a direct snap to the junior running back. With 8:11 left in the third quarter, ACA led 24-21. Neither team could score for the rest of the period as the team’s traded punts on three possessions. Jack Thomas continued to wreak havoc with his second sack of the game and combined with Hicks and Trey Schlemmer on two other tackles behind the line of scrimmage. On the last play of the third quarter, MA punted to Corey Landers who produced a career long 73-yard punt return to the MA seven yard line.
Corey Landers breaks a tackle on his way to the end zone.
On the second play of the final period, Hayes Hunt found Trey Schlemmer in the right flat and the senior powered his way into the end zone for the 31-21 lead. A stunned MA offense could do nothing and produced two three and outs as the clock kept ticking away. For its part, ACA kept the ball on the ground and ran as much clock as they could. With a little more than three minutes left in the game, MA began a last ditch effort to pull closer to ACA. The home team drove to the ACA 25 yard line, but turned it over on downs with 2:04 left to play. The Eagles tried to run out the clock, but fumbled the ball away and MA got another chance. With less than a minute left, Avery Stuart intercepted a MA pass to seal the victory for Alabama Christian.
Avery Stuart gets a lift after his game-clinching interception.
Hayes Hunt finished the night with 192 yards passing, completing 12 of 19 passes, and three touchdowns. Corey Landers was the team’s top rusher with 84 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. Otasowie Dion had 37 yards on eight attempts. Preston Hicks led the receivers with three catches for 34 yards and a score while Landers also caught three balls for 25 yards. Dion had two receptions for 16 yards as Avery Stuart and Trey Schlemmer’s only catches went for touchdowns.
Hunt to Schlemmer for five yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Jack Thomas led the way with 11 tackles and two sacks while fellow line backer Trey Schlemmer had nine tackles. D’Andre Sneed had seven tackles while Donovan Emerson and Preston Hicks each had five tackles. After giving up 136 yards and 14 points on the first two drives of the game, the ACA defense held MA to 158 yards and seven more points the rest of the night.
Donovan Emerson and company tackle the MA ball carrier.
ACA will be in the playoffs next week for a program record sixth year in a row with a trip to Jacksonville.