Andalusia and Florala’s youth football teams kicked off the 2015 football season with all three teams in action at Andalusia High School on Saturday morning.

 

The season got underway with a half game between the first year tiny mite players for each team.

 

Florala went on top early when Micah Peters scampered 30 yards for the touchdown with 5:21 left in the first quarter.

 

Peters gave the young Wildcats a 13-0 lead after scoring two yards out.

 

Andalusia’s players weren’t giving up, and Conner Ray went 55 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game to make the score 13-6.

 

The tiny mite squads began next, and Florala went up 13-0 with two minutes left in the first half.

 

Andalusia began to battle back when Spencer Stroud flew down the sideline for a 60-yard touchdown with just 43 ticks left on the clock before halftime.

 

The next score came as time expired in the third quarter Elijah Landrum made his way 26 yards for a Bulldog touchdown that tied the game.

 

Both teams continued to battle it out, but in the end the defenses prevailed and the game ended in a 13-13 tie.

 

“I was extremely proud of the way our guys fought back,” Tiny Mite head coach Ronnie Levitzke said. “After getting down two touchdowns early, they kept their composure and came back to tie the game.”

 

Next up, the two termite squads squared off for bragging rights with Andalusia lighting up the scoreboard in a 35-6 victory.

 

Kaden Denson got things started off for the Bulldogs with a quick 70-yard touchdown run with six minutes left in the first quarter, Andalusia added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

 

The Bulldogs’ defense started the contest off strong when Ty Cameron Jackson intercepted a Florala pass.

 

Andalusia’s offense quickly went to work as A.J. Coleman hit Conner Dalton for 22-yard pass and catch for a Bulldog first down.

 

A few plays later, Josh Riley ran in a four-yard touchdown, and following a successful extra point from Jamarion Burnette, the Bulldogs were on top 14-0.

 

Andalusia got a third touchdown in the first quarter when Coleman connected with Dalton for a 10-yard touchdown.

 

Burnette put the Bulldogs up 27-6 with a 17-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

 

The final score of the contest came on a 65-yard run by Worley, and following a successful extra point the Bulldogs went on to win 35-6.

 

“I was blown away by how we played,” Termite head coach Michael Jackson said. “I am never one to get over confident, but I just can’t get over how good we looked. Being that we only had two weeks to prepare, I was worried about how disciplined we would be. By halftime, those worries were laid to rest. We had one minor breakdown on defense by losing containment and one on offense when we ran the wrong route, which caused an interception. Take those two plays away, and we were exactly where we needed to be. We won’t get too confident with our success, though. We will be back to work Monday, and get even better.”

 

In the pee wee contest, Florala got on the board first when Rashaad Coleman hit Antoine Stone for a 40-yard touchdown with 5:33 left in the first quarter.

 

Both defenses buckled down, and halftime Florala clung to a 6-0 lead.

 

Florala went up 12-0 during the third quarter.

 

Andalusia fought back with a late touchdown run from Omare Latimare, but came up just short in the comeback attempt.

 

“My players showed a lot of heart and determination as we fought back after being down by 12 points,” Pee wee head coach Andy Faircloth. “Omare Latimare scored on a big run late in the game, but our comeback was cut short as time ran out on us. Regardless, I could not be any more proud of how this group of young men came together and built on our motto of, ‘family, discipline and heart.’”

 

The Andalusia Youth Football League will be back in action Sat., Aug. 22, when they travel to Red Level to take on the Tigers at 5:30 p.m.