Anniston, White Plains come close
- Updated: October 4, 2014
Both teams go for the win, but late two-point conversions fail
“I told my kids we’re the most improved team in Alabama, maybe America, since Week 1.”
— White Plains coach Larry Strain
By East Alabama Sports Today
Anniston and White Plains both came close to pulling out last-minute victories Friday night, but both fell short when potential game-winning two-point conversions didn’t bear fruit.
Anniston lost at home to Springville when Tae Miller’s two-point conversion pass was batted down and White Plains fell at Sardis when Lawrence Jackson was stopped short of the end zone on his two-point attempt.
Sardis 42, White Plains 41
BOAZ – The Wildcats rallied from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to draw within one on Jackson’s fourth touchdown of the game, a 42-yard pass from Drew Hudson with 45 seconds left.
The Lions had blocked an extra point earlier in the game, so Wildcats coach Larry Strain was going for the win right there.
They ran a toss sweep out of a tri-back set they hadn’t run before and Jackson was stopped just short of the goal line.
“It was a heartbreaking loss not doubt to us,” Strain said. “The story line has to be where we came from, from Week 1 to now.
“I told my kids we’re the most improved team in Alabama, maybe America, since Week 1. We’re not supposed to be in the game tonight and just the heart and will they put forth on that field made all the difference in the world.”
Indeed. The Wildcats (1-5, 0-4) had scored only 27 points in their first four games, but scored 90 in their last two.
On Friday, they had 391 yards of total offense. Hudson completed 11 of 29 passes for 232 yards and touchdown passes to Jackson and Dillon Greenwood. In addition to his touchdown catch, Jackson rushed for 76 yards on 18 carries and had touchdown runs of 16, 6 and 4 yards. Greenwood caught five passes for 130 yards; he also threw a touchdown pass.
WP Sar
First downs 17 16
Rushes-yds 33-134 39-241
C-A-I 12-31-2 11-19-2
Passing yds 257 99
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1
Punts-avg 4-29.3 4-27.3
Penalties-yds 8-75 7-65
White Plains 7 0 20 14 — 41
Sardis 7 14 7 14 — 42
WP – Lawrence Jackson 16 run (Drew Hudson kick)
S – Austin Hallmark 17 pass from Logan Gaskin (Sawyer Cahela kick)
S – Jesse Hubbard 1 run (Cahela kick)
S – Tristan McCurley 22 pass from Gaskin (Cahela kick)
S – Keenan Lewis 61 run (Cahela kick)
WP – Nathan Gilbert 25 pass from Dillon Greenwood (kick failed)
WP – Greenwood 67 pass from Hudson (Hudson kick)
WP – Jackson 6 run (Caleb Turner pass from Hudson)
S – Hallmark 5 pass from Gaskin (Cahela kick)
WP – Jackson 4 run (Jackson run)
S – Bryan Noblitt 15 run (Cahela kick)
WP – Jackson 42 pass from Hudson (run failed)
Springville 13, Anniston 12
The Bulldogs (1-4, 1-3) got in position when Quint Dobbins hit Miller with a 36-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-long with 56.7 seconds left.
There was no question coach Eddie Bullock was going for the win, but with what approach. Dobbins is the Bulldogs’ regular kicker, but he hurt his kicking leg during the course of the game and Bullock didn’t want to entrust such a big play to an untested foot.
He called the swinging gate play that gotten results for the Bulldogs several times this season. The ball went to Miller, who rolled out looking for any of four possible receivers, but his pass ended up being knocked down. He had Dobbins wide open in the end zone.
Earlier in the game Dobbins threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Hutchinson. Dobbins was 13 of 25 for 190 yards. Hutchinson had two catches for 120 yards.
Defensively, TyQuez Bullock led the Bulldogs with nine tackles. Joshua Duncan, Tyler Johnson and Elijah Jackson had eight each.
“It’s rough,” Eddie Bullock said of the result. “Preparation wise I’m not disappointed because we had the right game plan going into it. We played our base defense first, but when we realized they couldn’t throw the football, we went to a 50 front and slammed the door on them.”
The Tigers (1-5, 1-3) had lost nine in a row coming into the game.
Sardis 0 13 0 0 — 13
Anniston 0 6 0 6 — 12
S – Isaiah Benson 2 run (PAT failed)
A – Anthony Hutchinson 67 pass from Quint Dobbins (PAT failed)
S – Hunter Richardson 4 run (PAT good)
A – Tae Miller 36 pass from Dobbins (pass failed)
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