Gabriel Stovall

gstovall@covnews.com

Perhaps the best way to describe the Alcovy High School football team’s season finale against Greenbrier is to use the term “learning experience.” 

The Tigers dropped a heartbreaking 10-7 decision to the Wolfpack when Greenbrier kicker John Waters booted a 39-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter to seal the win on what would be the final game of the season for both teams. 

It was an emotional, hard-fought, defensive grudge match but still the kind of game that reinforced Alcovy coach Chris Edgar’s belief that the Tigers are, indeed, on the climb. 

“They fought they’re tails off the entire game,” Edgar said. “It was truly a defensive battle. Both teams played very well defensively and it was pretty much a stalemate throughout.” 

The game was a scoreless tie going into the second quarter when Greenbrier quarterback Hayden Harrison scored on a 43-yard touchdown run to give the Wolfpack a 7-0 lead at about the eight minute mark in the second period. 

Alcovy had a chance to knot things up right before the half but quarterback Cam Anderson threw an interception in the red zone to end the Tigers’ drive and hopes of walking into the locker room in a tie game. 

“(Greenbrier) got that touchdown, and we thought we could have a chance at the end of the half, there,” Edgar said. “We saved our time out hoping we’d get a play off and be able to take the time out to kick a field goal if it didn’t work, but that’s when the pick came.” 

Anderson would bounce back though after a scoreless third quarter. With about five minutes left in regulation, Anderson threw a strike to senior tight end Cam Schadl for an eight-yard touchdown on a well-executed play action pass that knotted the game up at seven. The two teams traded defensive stops, before Greenbrier got the ball with about a minute left to start its game winning drive. 

After the game, Edgar said the two teams engaged in a bit of a skirmish that, according to the coach, probably was the spill-over of some earlier tensions between the two teams that resulted in a Greenbrier player getting ejected. 

Edgar wasn’t going to hide from it, though. Instead, he called the incident a teachable moment for his young program. 

“You know, dealing with adversity is part of growing a program,” he said. “You’re going to deal with tough losses, but you have to be able to handle everything — a win or a loss — with the same type of grace. I don’t think either team did particularly well with that in this game. But I told our guys after the altercation ran its course that our team is built on these four cornerstones: pride, attitude, character and effort. I told them that all that stuff at the end isn’t an example of the kind of team we are or want to become.” 

Now that the season is over, Edgar said he’s ready to start focusing on leading his program to the next step. With “95 percent of our offensive skill” returning in 2017, the goal for Alcovy is to build the kind of offensive line that can give his quarterbacks and tailbacks protection and running room. 

“If we can develop a young line that is big and strong, even if they might be raw, I think we can really do some damage,” Edgar said. “Our future is bright. And it starts with the guys coming back holding each other accountable.” 

Edgar said that conversation began even during the pregame moments last Friday. 

“All of my seniors took the field as captain last Friday,” he said. “But I held my other guys back and I told them, it starts with you. You’re the guys who will help Alcovy football take the next steps. You’re the ones who will help Alcovy football make playoff history at this school.”