The Alcovy High School football team matched its win total from the last two years in just one game.

On a very rainy Friday night, Alcovy earned its first win under new head coach Chris Edgar, with a 27-19 road victory against Duluth in the season opener.

“It feels great,” Edgar said. “For two years, there’s been games we didn’t think we could win. These guys prepared all summer, and they knew they were a good team. They just had to have some energy and fire back in their life, and they brought it tonight.”

The Tigers came out of the gates with high energy, scoring a touchdown on the first play of the game — a post play that sent a high flying pass from junior quarterback Quindrelin Hammonds to senior Koby Perry. According to Edgar, this was the first time the play has been successful in 10 years.

“The first play of the game, we designed that up,” he said. “In 10 years, we’ve never thrown a post play, so I said, ‘[offensive coordinator] Toby [Davis], we’re running a post the first play, and if we do it right, it’s going to be a touchdown. I think I hurt something running down the sideline with them.”

The Tigers scored another touchdown by junior Basil Stone at the 8-minute mark of the first quarter to go up 13-0, but the Wildcats answered with two of their own at the end of the quarter to tie the game at 13 apiece.

However, the Tigers scored another pair of touchdowns in the third with a pick-six by Demetrius Tuggle at the very start of the quarter and a rushing touchdown by freshman Adrian Robinson, giving the Tigers the 27-13 lead.

The Wildcats scored one more touchdown in the fourth quarter and intercept a Hammonds pass to get the ball back in Tiger territory with just under two minutes left in the game, but the Tigers answer with another interception of their own to hold off the Wildcats and seal the victory.

The Tigers introduced their new power-run offense on Friday, utilizing two new players: Robinson and his twin brother Andrae Robinson. The two of them combined had 27 carries in the game. At just 14 years old, both running backs could be the future of this program.

“That’s a lot to ask two 14-year-old kids, to play in a varsity football game. We told them all along, we’re not going to make you go until you’re ready. They’re ready, and they’ve earned the respect of the team. During the summer, they had to carry coolers and flags, and they had to pay their dues, but they are a well-respected part of this football team. We had 249 yards rushing tonight, I believe. That’s tremendous.”

Both teams made key mistakes, taking turns fumbling the ball. But according to Edgar, these are mistakes that can be fixed.

“We’ve got to take care of the football,” he said. “In the wet conditions and the rain, that kind of happens, but you just have to learn to take care of the football. We still have to learn the game. There were some mental mistakes that we made that are correctable. What I do know is that we have effort. We played with a great, positive attitude, and we have pride in each other, and that’s part of our cornerstone. I’m just happy for them. They deserve it.”

The Tigers will resume action Friday, Aug. 26 at Meadowcreek at 7:30 p.m.