By Keith Ledbetter

For the FCT

Tiger fans are breathing a little easier after Friday nights’ 59-28 pouncing of Colbert Heights.

Worries about graduating 10 seniors and replacing Red Bay’s head coach last season were put to an end Friday night after the Tigers turned in a stellar performance against the Wildcats.

“I’m proud of our kids, they came out and play hard,” Tiger head coach Michael Jackson said.

“We knew it was going to be a rough night. It was hot and humid and I knew it was going to be tough on our kids.”

Scoring 31 points in the second quarter went a long way to build confidence going into the final second half.

“Our first quarter was pretty good on both sides,” Jackson said.

“Our defense played well and we came back and had a very good second quarter.”

Red Bay capitalized on three turnovers by scoring each time to take a lot of the fight out of the Wildcats.

The Tigers opened the game on a scoring drive that helped set the tone for the rest of the game.

A Tyler Reach first down run and a completed pass from Red Bay quarterback Troy Borden to Reed Holt gave the Tigers a first and goal from the 10 yard line.

Red Bay was backed up five yards on a false start call, but Reach carried Red Bay to just short of the goal line on a run around the left side.

Borden put the Tigers up 6-0 on a fourth and goal keeper run.

After the Red Bay defense forced the Wildcats to punt, a Tiger fumble gave Colbert Heights the momentum to tie the game on an Aaron Lewey TD run.

The Tigers scored again after Reach broke open a 45-yard touchdown run around the left side. Borden connected with Nick Thorn on the two-point conversion to put Red Bay out front 14-6 near the end of the first quarter.

In the top of the second, Colbert Heights tied the game at 14-14 after Denton connected with Glover on an eight-yard pass.

Red Bay’s Jade Pounds pulled in a Borden pass to set up the Tigers’ next score that started from the Colbert Heights 21 yard line.

Borden found Holt open on a third and three from the 13 to add Red Bay’s third score of the night. Reach added the two-point conversion to put Red Bay up by one score, 22-14.

After the Wildcats returned the kick-off to their own 29 yard line, Red Bay’s Pounds intercepted Denton’s shuffle pass and returned it 53 yards for a score. Holt added the two-point conversion for Red Bay to extend their lead by a score of 28-14.

Red Bay’s Tyler Reach and Dylan Gresham sacked the Wildcats’ Denton on their next possession, forcing them into a third and 24 from their own 28 yard line.

Reach added six more points and a two-point conversion pass to Thorn extended Red Bay’s lead to 38-14.

Red Bay’s Tate Ozbirn intercepted a Wildcat pass to set up another Reach TD run near the end of the first half. Jonathan Miller tapped in the point after kick to give Red Bay a 45-14 first half advantage.

Colbert Heights added a scoring drive to start the third quarter, but Red Bay’s Andrew Richardson picked up a fumbled ball that was stripped by Tyler Reach to set Red Bay up on a 65-yard scoring drive. The drive was capped off with a Borden TD keeper run.

Miller added the point after kick to extend Red Bay’s lead to 52-21.

A quarterback sack by Red Bay’s Gresham, Knoblock and Holland set Red Bay up for their final score from Pounds.

Colbert Heights added another in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers had 474 yards on total offense against Colbert Heights.

Red Bay rushed for 292 yards and passed for 187 yards.

Red Bay quarterback Troy Borden completed 13 of 16 passes for 187 yards and one TD.

Borden connected with Reed Holt for 96 yards on four attempts and one TD.

Jade Pounds caught two passes for 51 yards, Nick Thorn pulled in two passes for 14 yards and Tyler Reach caught one pass for eight yards.

Tyler Reach led Red Bay with 161 yards on the ground. Tate Ozbirn had eight carries for 51 yards, Jade Pounds rushed for 50 yards on four carries, Troy Borden ran for 19 yards on five carries, Reed Holt had six yards on two carries, Daniel Wooten ran for five yards on three carries.

Jade Pounds returned an interception for a 53-yard TD, and Reed Holt and Andrew Richardson each recovered a fumble.

Red Bay had one fumble turnover.

Next Friday Red Bay will host Haleyville.

“They have a good team and they’re going to be the biggest school we play all year,” Jackson said about next Friday’s opponent.

“This is probably a team you would play in the third or fourth round of the playoffs.

“We’re going to come and be challenged with this because this is going to make us better for the rest of the year.”