Bulldogs drop homecoming game
Published 12:00 am Monday, October 28, 2002
Heartbreaker was the only way Andalusia Head Coach Paul Woolley could describe Friday night's homecoming loss to the Thomasville Tigers.
Andalusia went on top 33-29 with just 1:39 remaining in the game on a 64-yard touchdown pass from C.T. Eldridge to Neal Patterson, but the game ended with Thomasville on top via a touchdown with just nine clicks left on the clock.
"It was a tough, tough loss," Woolley said after the game. "Honestly and truthfully, since I've been here, I don't know if we've ever played better.
"There ain't no way I could be prouder of them," Woolley said about his players for the effort they showed on Friday.
Woolley said the Bulldogs played against a ranked team and held their own to the very end and for that he is proud of all of the players.
Andalusia went on top almost from the opening kickoff when Daniel Wall returned the kick from the 11 all the way out to the Thomasville 43-yard line.
On the first play of the game, the Bulldogs were flagged for illegal procedure to set up a first-and-15 situation at the 48-yard line.
Then, senior running back Richard Justice took a handoff from Eldridge and raced 48 yards right up the middle for a touchdown and an early 6-0 lead. David Kyle added the PAT out of Josh Dutton's hold and the Bulldogs were on top 7-0 with 11:37 remaining in the first period.
Thomasville fumbled the ball on the ensuing drive and Kevin Wise pounced on it for the Bulldogs to set the offense up with a
first down at the 48-yard line. The offense stalled forcing the Bulldogs to punt the ball back to the Tigers.
Thomasville turned the ball back over to the Bulldogs three plays later when Riley Hill Taylor recovered another Tiger fumble.
Andalusia's offense ran three plays before it was forced to punt the ball back to the Tigers. Daniel Wall's punt hit just inbounds near the 20-yard line and then tip-toed down the sideline before going dead inside the one-yard line.
But, big plays hurt the Bulldogs and the salt in the wound was that the big plays usually came after what appeared to be a break for the Bulldogs.
After Wall's punt, Thomasville scored on the first play of the drive when running back Wayne Davis broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and raced 99 yards for a touchdown. Todd Pierce added the extra point and the score was knotted at 7-7 with 3:13 remaining in the first quarter.
Andalusia's offense got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff and moved out to the Thomasville 41-yard line before punting the ball back to the Tigers.
Tigers' punt returner Aaron Johns fumbled the ball after signalling for a fair catch. Once again it looked like Andalusia had caught a break.
Thomasville's Chris Strait, however, scooped up the pigskin and raced 97 yards for a touchdown. The PAT was good and the Tigers were on top 14-7 with 16 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Andalusia answered with 6:36 remaining in the first half when Justice scored his second TD of the game on a seven-yard run. Kyle's PAT was good and the score was knotted at 14-14.
Andalusia's defense got the ball back for the offense when Lavoiris Daniels recovered a Thomasville fumble at the 39-yard line.
Andalusia's offense need just one play to go on top with Eldridge finding Patterson for a 61-yard touchdown pass. Kyle's PAT was no good, but Andalusia held a 20-14 edge with 5:22 remaining in the first half.
Thomasville answered with a five-play drive capped off by a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jarmin Rothchild to Brent Jackson.
The PAT was good and Thomasville held a 21-20 edge with 2:57 left in the first half.
The score remained 21-20 until the second half.
Andalusia went back on top with a touchdown drive on the first Bulldog possession of the second half. The six-play scoring drive was capped off by a touchdown pass from Eldridge to Patterson. The play covered 16 yards and gave the Bulldogs a 26-21 lead after the two-point attempt came up short.
Thomasville answered with a 16-play drive late in the fourth quarter which included two conversion's on fourth-down plays. The drive was capped off with a one-yard touchdown run by Rothchild on a quarterback sneak.
The two-point attempt was good on a pass from Rothchild to Jackson on a fade route and the Tigers were on top 29-26 with 1:58 left in the game.
The Bulldogs answered with a one-play touchdown drive when Eldridge hit Patterson down the sideline for a 64-yard touchdown pass play. Kyle's PAT was good out of Dutton's hold and the Bulldogs were back on top 33-29 with just 1:39 left to play in the game.
Thomasville, however, managed to move the ball 74 yards on eight plays for the winning touchdown after one touchdown run was called back due to a clipping penalty.
The Tigers scored the go-ahead touchdown on a pass from Rothchild to Jackson with nine seconds left in the game.
Andalusia hosts the rival Opp Bobcats next Friday night.