By Brannon King for the FCT

Neither a hard rain nor the Ardmore Tigers’ defense could stop the Russellville attack on homecoming Friday night at RHS. Bernard Phinizee scored five touchdowns in the 44-6 win, and the senior rushed for 215 yards on 20 carries.

Offensively, the Golden Tigers gained 450 yards with 300 of that total coming by way of the ground game. Linemen John David Aycock, John David Palmer, Will Rushing, Ondre Armstead and Edgar Amaya helped clear the running lanes and protect quarterback, Luke Barnwell, who went seven of nine passing for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

The Golden Tigers (3-6, 3-4) kept their postseason hopes alive with the win and moved into a tie for the final play-off position alongside Lawrence County and East Limestone. With the Class 5A Region 8 standings so tight and the way things appear as of now, it makes a win over Colbert County this Friday night at Russellville essential if RHS is to make the playoffs.

“I’m proud of the kids because they knew what we had to take care of on our part, and they did it,” Russellville head coach Mark Heaton said. “I felt that we got better from last week on both sides of the football and on the special teams.”

The kick-off time for the game against Ardmore was moved up an hour because of the forecast of rain during the night. Even when heavy precipitation fell during most of the second half, the Russellville players and coaches kept going about their business to finish off the win. “We talked about the weather tonight and how important it was for us to start out fast so we didn’t get into a situation where you’re in a close football game playing in a monsoon,” Heaton said. “The rain came through, and the guys just kept playing at a high level. It was very evident that our guys wanted to be out there.”

Russellville used a nin-play opening drive to get onto the scoreboard first when Kenner Perez kicked a 26-yard field goal. The Ardmore offense was moving the ball effectively their first drive as well, but it came to a stop when Kevin Partrich recovered an AHS fumble in Russellville territory.

Ardmore again moved the ball on their next possession, but the Russellville defense came up with a big stop on fourth-and-three. Six plays later, Calen Bragwell caught a Barnwell pass for a 39-yard touchdown. The Perez extra-point kick put Russellville ahead 10-0 with 9:13 remaining in the half. Russellville added another score just before the end of the second quarter; Phinizee scored from the quarterback position for a 1-yard TD, and RHS led 16-0. Russellville took the lead into halftime after Jamaal Hubbard intercepted an Ardmore pass as time expired in the second quarter.

The second half was all Russellville. Phinizee picked up an 83-yard touchdown on a pass reception that he caught from Barnwell, and the lead grew to 23-0 after another Perez PAT. Ardmore tried a fake punt on the next possession, and it backfired, as the pass fell incomplete.

On the next play, Phinizee raced 45 yards for another touchdown, and the rout was on.

Phinizee added yet another TD as the third quarter came to as close when he went 55 yards on a quarterback keeper to put Russellville ahead 37-0. A 25-yard run on fourth down by Phinizee finished the RHS scoring before Ardmore got a touchdown as time expired in the game.