By Staff
Jason Houston FCT Managing Editor
RUSSELLVILLE - For the Russellville Golden Tigers, the game started with a bang and ended with a bang, but some of the time in the middle was a bit of a fizzle.
In the end, though, the Golden Tigers lived up to their lofty No. 1 ranking in Class 5A, dispatching the visiting Gadsden Tigers 34-7 in a steady drizzle Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
The Golden Tigers (10-1) move on to play Parker in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Gadsden ended its season with a record of 7-4.
The Golden Tigers jumped on top early, forcing a three-and-out on Gadsden's first possession and then driving 62 yards in nine plays, with senior running back Maurice McCullough scoring from six yards out on a draw play. Chris Swinney's extra point gave Russellville a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
On the Tigers' first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, Casey Phillips picked off a Frederick Gray pass at the Russellville 23-yard line. Two plays later, Russellville quarterback Jeremy Helms hit Jerrell Nesmith for a 68-yard touchdown pass to give the Golden Tigers a 14-0 lead, which remained the score at the end of the first quarter.
After an exchange of punts that pinned Russellville at its own 2-yard line, the Golden Tigers marched 98 yards in just six plays, scoring on a 20-yard scoring strike from Helms to Nick Woods. Swinney's PAT made the score 21-0 at the half.
In the first half, the Golden Tigers racked up 223 total yards to Gadsden's 101. Helms finished the first half with a 9-of-17 passing effort for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Brad Bowling led the Russellville defensive effort in the first half with six tackles. Nesmith finished the first half with four catches for 141 yards.
But the first-half scoring would be all Russellville would get until late in the fourth quarter.
The Golden Tigers looked poised to put the game away on their first possession of the third quarter until a ball tipped off the hands of Nesmith was intercepted by Leonardo Dunn of the Tigers and returned to the Russellville 46-yard line.
Gadsden then drove the 46 yards in six plays, scoring on a six-yard quarterback sweep play from the wing-T formation. The point after pulled the Tigers to within two scores at 21-7.
The touchdown was aided by a costly personal foul penalty on Russellville, one of 10 penalties incurred by the Golden Tigers for the game, for a total of 81 yards.
Gadsden seized the momentum with the score and forced a three-and-out by the Golden Tigers, sacking Helms on two straight plays. The Tigers sold out with frequent blitzes to get to Helms.
The Tigers mounted a drive that could have pulled them to within a touchdown. With the ball at the Russellville 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal, a delay of game penalty pushed Gadsden back to the 5-yard line, and from there quarterback Frederick Gray slipped on the wet turf attempting to pass and ending the threat.
Two possessions later, the Tigers turned the ball over on downs at their own 31-yard line.
Helms scored two plays later on a 22-yard run to made the score 28-7 with just under two minutes remaining.
The Golden Tigers found the end zone again a few plays later as senior defensive end Matthew Humphries picked up a Gadsden fumble and returned it 20 yards for a score to provide the final margin.
Russellville hosts Parker on Friday at 7 p.m.