SCCHS quarterback Tez Goldsby breaks free in the Moody defensive secondary for a huge gain.
The two teams were tied 7-7 at the half, but it was all St. Clair in the second half as they scored on three of its first four possessions, returned an interception for a touchdown and scored 20 fourth-quarter points to win the game with ease.
After the two teams traded punts to start the game, the Saints scored first on a 3-yard run by Sequoah Humes with 1:28 remaining in the first quarter. The drive covered 96 yards and took 11 plays. Logan Hudson added the PAT to make it 7-0.
Moody had its problems moving the ball on offense and had to punt the first three times they had the ball. Penalties also hurt the Blue Devils but they caught a break late in the second quarter as the Saints fumbled the ball and Moody’s Chris Barnes recovered at the Saint 21. Five plays later, Josh Owen scored on a quarterback sneak with 16 seconds remaining before halftime. The PAT by Blake Spiker was good to tie the game 7-7 at halftime.
The first time SCCHS had the ball in the second half, the Saints marched 70 yards in five plays. The touchdown came on a fumble recovery. Quarterback Tez Goldsby handed off to Chris Rosenaur who was hit at the line of scrimmage and fumbled. Goldsby picked up the loose ball and raced untouched around right end to score from 29 yards out to make it 14-7.
Moody was still unable to get anything going offensively. They punted on their next three possessions.
Meanwhile, with 6:48 remaining in the game, St. Clair’s Rosenaur scored from 6 yards out to make it 21-7. Then 39 seconds later, Goldsby hit Dee Franklin on a 28-yard touchdown strike to make it 27-7.
Daniel Fortner intercepted an Owen pass and returned it 43 yards for the final score of the game to make it 34-7.
Wiley said the game did not end up the way he wanted it to but they would live to see another day.
“We’re going to find ways to fix the problems,” Wiley said. “They are all fixable issues. We had too many penalties and did not execute in the kicking game. I believe we were a little winded there at the end. The coaches did a great job.
“Odenville has a pretty good football team and I was pleased with the way we played in the first half. That cliche about that halftime adjustment is a killer.”
SCCHS coach Charlie Boren said they found out something about themselves tonight after getting involved in a tough game in the first half.
“We made a lot of mistakes in the first half and Moody took it to us in the first two quarters,” Boren said. “We came out in the second half and played ball the way I know we can play. If we continue to play like that, there will be some good things to happen for us on into the season.”
Boren said he told his guys at halftime just to relax.
“I felt like we were in control of the ballgame but we got rattled when we fumbled late in the first half that led to their only score,” Boren said. “Our biggest thing was for us to come out and just play our game. That’s what we did in the second half and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Humes led the ground game for the Saints as he gained 105 yards on 18 carries. Goldsby carried seven times for 50 yards and was 7-of-14 through the air for 102 yards.
Moody quarterback Owen was 5-of-16 in the air for 51 yards.
Heath McGuff ran 14 times for 64 yards to lead Moody. Owen added 30 yards on 8 carries.
SCCHS, 1-0, travels to Ashville tomorrow night while the Blue Devils, 0-1, are on the road at Talladega.
