By Brannon King / For the FCT

The Russellville Golden Tigers took on Mae Jemison at Milton Frank Stadium in Huntsville Friday night and fell to the Jaguars by a 56-10 score.

Russellville dropped to 0-3 in Class 5A Region 8 play and remain winless on the season with a 0-4 record. The team and coaches are still working hard and showing determination even through the tough times so far this season.

“These kids fought their tails off, and we got better,” Russellville head coach Mark Heaton said after the game. “We’re a better football team this week than we were last week, and I’m proud of them. There’s no other guys I would want to play with.”

The Golden Tigers jumped out to a first quarter lead on the sixth-ranked in 5A and undefeated Jaguars when Bernard Phinizee caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Luke Barnwell. The Kenner Perez extra point kick put RHS ahead 7-0 with 4:23 remaining in the opening period.

The scoring drive came after the Golden Tigers’ opening possession came up empty. A fourth down stop by the Jags at the 1-yard line ended the 10-play drive that saw both Barnwell and Logan Jones take snaps at quarterback.

Mae Jemison’s first possession came to an end when Russellville’s Calen Bragwell recovered a fumble near the mid-field stripe. After RHS claimed the 7-0 advantage, it took Mae Jemison seven plays to answer, tying the score at 7-7 with 2:46 remaining in the first quarter. The Jemison scoring drive covered 79 yards and featured entirely running plays.

A 10-play RHS scoring drive followed, capped by a 32-yard Perez field goal early in the second quarter. A penalty on Russellville took away another TD pass from Barnwell to Phinizee on that drive, but Russellville did take the 10-7 lead.

The Jaguars took back the lead for good on their next possession, when Jemison scored on a 51-yard carry, with a good extra-point kick, to make it 14-10 Jaguars with 4:29 remaining in the half.

Each Mae Jemison possession for the rest of the game would either end with a fumble to Russellville or a Jaguars touchdown.

Another highlight in the game for Russellville came when Kenner Perez recovered his own onside-kick to begin the second half after RHS accepted a penalty on the Jaguars when their halftime homecoming festivities ran long.

Russellville will once again face a tough road test Friday night. The Golden Tigers will travel to Hartselle to take on the 6A Tigers.