Hail hydra, the monster grows
- Updated: August 28, 2021
Valley Cubs’ three-headed monster grows to four, team rushes for 429 yards behind newcomer Upton, McGhee, swamps Jacksonville 42-6
FRIDAY’S SCORES
Alexandria 42, Jacksonville 6
Anniston 32, Ohatchee 27
Cleburne County 43, Beulah 13
Munford 21, Fultondale 0
Piedmont 27, Cherokee County 0
Pleasant Grove 61, Oxford 24
Saks 42, Talladega 0
West End 39, Pleasant Valley 14
White Plains 29, Donoho 14
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — Javais McGhee coined Alexandria’s triple-threat on offense last year a three-headed monster. Well this year it’s turned into a full-blown hydra.
Cut off one head, two more grow in its place.
The Valley Cubs unveiled even more weapons to move the ball Friday night in their 42-6 season-opening win over Jacksonville.
It was thought the three-headed monster was dead after Ronnie Royal caught the last train for the coast this winter, but it actually grew two new heads in Westbrook Christian transfer Ryan Smith and Jake Upton from Pleasant Valley..
Together with holdovers McGhee and Antonio Ross, the Cubs rushed for more than 400 yards as a team. And that was without the final 9:25 of the second quarter, wiped out for the restart after a 100-minute weather delay. They rushed for 289 in the two quarters after the delay, even if it did get off to a balky start when they fumbled the second play back from the delay trying to run the reverse.
“From the get-go we’ve always been about doing the things the way we do them and that starts with running the football,” Alexandria coach Todd Ginn said. “You don’t worry about what you don’t have, you go with what you got.”
Upton (pictured) was particularly effective in his first official game with the Valley Cubs, trudging for 157 yards, sometimes running behind 330-pound former PV teammate Damon Parr in the heavy package they put in just this week. He had 70 yards in the third quarter on the wet field with runs of 21, 10 and 17 yards.
“It was absolutely great; I loved it,” said Upton, who transferred in last winter and got to play baseball and spring football with the Cubs. “I run as hard as I can because I know my teammates got my back and I’m going to go all out for them. (In the second half) the coaches were telling me it was going to be wet out there, hold the ball tight and just run hard and I said I’m going to do that and I’m not going to get tackled easy.”
“He did great today; he did more than what I thought he could do,” McGhee said. “I didn’t know he was going to come in here and run the ball that hard, but I’m glad he’s part of the team now.”
As for the rest of the monster, McGhee rushed for 151 yards and Ross scored three touchdowns. Smith was limited by a hamstring injury, but he adds the speed dimension the Cubs lost in Royal — even wears the same number — while Upton brings them a reliable power presence.
“I thought it was going to be tough on us when we lost Ronnie, but then we got transfers in and they made a big impact in the summer,” McGhee said. “They’re part of us now. I’m happy with the work they’ve been putting in with us. They fit in perfect.”
Ross also was involved in perhaps the most electric play of the night, running down Jacksonville receiver Drew Pridgen, who caught a ball that went through defensive back T.K. Downie’s arms, and stripping the ball at the 1 (which Alexandria recovered) after a 68-yard completion from Jim Ogle.
“If anybody sees that play they’re going to be impressed,” Ginn said, “because that was a heck of a play.”
On the next play McGhee almost took it all the way back, but was caught along the sideline after a 73-yard burst. He did score on a 46-yard run in the third quarter.
“You got Ross, you got Javais, you got Ryan, you got speed outside, but Upton gives us that presence in the middle, that power presence,” Ginn said. “I was pleased with the way he ran tonight.”
Enough perhaps for a certain someone to rethink what he calls that element of the offense?
“They wanted me to change the name to three-headed snake; I didn’t want to,” McGhee said. “It’s still a three-headed monster, but now there’s four. If I can find another nickname by next week I will. I’m thinking about it.”
Alexandria 42, Jacksonville 6
| Alexandria (1-0) | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 – | 42 |
| Jacksonville (1-1) | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 – | 6 |
A – Antonio Ross 4 run (Cleat Forrest kick), 7:37 1Q
A – Jake Upton 6 run (Cleat Forrest kick), 9:25 2Q
(100-minute weather delay)
J – Drew Pridgen 19 pass from Jim Ogle (pass failed), 9:55 3Q
A – Antonio Ross 14 run (Cleat Forrest kick), 8:25 3Q
A – Javais McGhee 46 run (Cleat Forrest kick), 1:07 3Q
A – Antonio Ross 3 run (Cleat Forrest kick), 9:03 4Q
A – Tyler Brown 18 run (Luis Torres kick), 2:51 4Q
| Alex (42) | Jax (6) | |
| 19 | 1st Downs | 5 |
| 40-415 | Rush-yds | 23-6 |
| 2-5-0 | Passes | 8-12-0 |
| 22 | Pass yds | 133 |
| 2-1 | Fum-lost | 4-2 |
| 0-0 | Punts-avg | 4-40.3 |
| 4-20 | Pen-yds | 3-25 |
You must be logged in to post a comment Login