The Alcovy Tigers (1-5, 1-0 Region 2-AAAAAA) get their first win of the season in a region matchup against the Lakeside Vikings (3-3, 0-1 Region 2-AAAAAA). The Tigers had not won a game since Friday November 01, 2013. With a 15-12 victory over Lakeside, Alcovy won its first game of the season.

The homecoming night for the Tigers started with drizzling rain but it didn’t quail the enthusiasm of the crowd. Lakeside received the ball first starting at its own 30-yard line. Starting with a run up the middle, they followed it up by penalties on second and third downs and had to punt on the first drive.

The Tigers started their opening possession on their own 38-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Quindrelin Hammonds ran for a two-yard gain and a four-yard gain before throwing for a first down on third down.

A penalty brought them back 5 yards but it didn’t matter. Senior running back Chris Stewart ran the ball for a 20-yard gain, and followed it up by with another 19-yard gain to the right side. The Tigers’ run-heavy offense was on a roll with Hammonds breaking tackles to gain 15 yards to get the Tigers in the red zone, and seven more yards to set them up at the Viking’s 7 yard line.

Third and goal from the seven-yard line, and Hammonds runs a quarterback draw for the first score of the night. The Tigers go for the 2 point conversion and get it making it 8-0 with 5:32 left in the first quarter.

The Vikings crippled themselves in the first quarter with five costly penalties. Their second possession, they threw for a first down before the Tigers’ junior Chris Clark forced his way into the Viking back field for a big hit on the running back for a loss, causing the Vikings to punt.

The Tigers started at their own 34-yard line, and went right back to the running game. Three runs in a row getting a first down before a six-yard loss on a sack forced them to punt.

The second quarter started with the Vikings at their own 39-yard line. They start with a run that goes nowhere and they were in third and long after minimal gains. On third-and-eight, the Vikings went over the middle on a slant route and connected for 42 yards setting them up inside the 10-yard line.

After a few runs, the Vikings were at the two-yard line. They called a quarterback sneak for a two-yard touchdown, but failed on the two-point conversion. The Tigers still led 8-6.

The Tigers started at their own 32-yard line, and Hammonds rushed for 16 yards for a first down before three more runs were snuffed out and the Tigers had to punt.

The Vikings started their second drive of the quarter at their own 46, and connected on the same slant play again for 34 yards. The Tigers defense held. Senior Lonnie Braddy was all over the field making big open-field tackles to help the Tigers hold the Vikings at the Tigers’ 18-yard line. The Vikings went for it on fourth down, and didn’t get it, thanks to efforts by the linebackers on a group tackle.

Starting at the 15-yard line, the Tigers got a five-yard penalty added on pushing them back. Senior Erin Mccalpine got a first down on a third-and-six play, but it was followed by a penalty on the Tigers.

Stewart ran a sweep play for 15 yards before two false start penalties and a sack killed the drive. The Vikings, starting at their own 41-yard line didn’t move the ball and the half ended after a penalty for delay of game.

The third quarter started for the Tigers at the 32-yard line. Senior James Bell rushes for 16 yards and a first down. Bell had a couple of big runs in the first half and started this half the same way. The next play though, Hammonds fumbled the ball and the Vikings recovered.

The Vikings went to the air starting from their own 40-yard line. They connected on a 17-yard pass, a 10-yard pass and another six-yard pass for two first downs. After two runs set them up in the redzone, the Vikings had a third and goal from the two, and Bell and sophomore Andruw Binion stopped a run from the Vikings, forcing a field goal making the score 9-8 Lakeside with 8:55 left in the third.

The Tigers started the impending possession at their own 30-yard line. A three-yard loss on first down followed by a one-yard gain and a 10-yard reception wasn’t enough, and the Tigers had to punt.

Two drives later, after getting good field position all night, Lakeside started the third drive off at their 46-yard line. They started with a six-yard pass and followed it up with four rushes for 40 yards before they were stopped again by the Tigers and settled for a field goal. With 6.3 seconds left in the third quarter, the score was 12-8.

The fourth quarter didn’t start well for the Tigers. A sack, a chop-block penalty and a no gain rush forced them to punt.
The Vikings received the ball deep in their own territory, and the Tigers’ Senior Quinton Grizzard caused a fumble setting up the Tigers at the 14-yard line. After a penalty on the Vikings, Stewart ran in from the two-yard line, and with 9:03 left in the game, the Tigers go ahead 15-12.

The Vikings started at the 41-yard line and after a 15-yard pass to get them a first down, they looked like they were going to go for it on fourth down, but they took a timeout and decided to punt. The Tigers didn’t get too much offense the rest of the game and punted on the next possession.

The Vikings started with their best field position of the night at the Tigers’ 46 yard line with 3:58 left. They ran up the middle for two yards, and the very next play Kyrese Knox picked the Vikings off after making a spectacular play on the ball near the sideline. The Tigers proceeded to run the clock out, and they get their first win of the season and first home conference win.

Alcovy will be on the road next Friday, but not really as they will play Newton at Homer Sharp Stadium at 7:30 p.m.