Winning debut on new field • Junior high Lions beat Byhalia


Thursday, September 10, 2009
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Winning debut on new field
• Junior high Lions beat Byhalia

By CLAUDE VINSON
Sports Editor

Photo by Ronnie Day

Fumble return for score

Byers’ Dominic Jones (58) starts his trek to the end zone after picking up a fumble. Chasing are several Indians, including Tyler Chaufee (on ground), Levandrick Smith (64), Edwin Jones (78), Christopher McClarty (62) and Michael Tadlock (79)

History came to H.W. Byers once again last Thursday afternoon when the junior high Lions football team hosted its first home game against the Indians of Byhalia.

Byhalia had the ball first but went four and out. Then the history making started.

Photos by Ronnie Day

Indian versus Lion

Byers’ Ladarrius Jones (22) tries to make the catch as Byhalia’s Thomas Taylor (29) plays defense. The pass was incomplete.

On their first play from scrimmage, Ladarrius Jones made the first touchdown via a 60-yard run, in the first game on the new gridiron. He came back seconds later and ran for the two-point conversion.

Football had officially returned to the H.W. Byers School after an absence of three decades. Just that quickly, the brand new scoreboard registered its first score of 8-0.

On the ensuing possession, Ronnie Dennis and Dalton Pritchard recorded consecutive sacks on the Indian quarterback for big losses. The Lions got the ball back with little time left in the first quarter. They were hit by two penalties but managed a first down as the quarter ended. The score was still 8-0

Byers started the second quarter with an option play to L. Jones but a holding penalty nullified the first down. The Lions offense sputtered after a pair of incompletes and the ball went over.

The Indians suffered two successive losses and faced a third and 25. They failed to convert and the Lions had decent field position. Lion quarterback Anthony Rubin tossed a long one, but it was dropped by his receiver at the 7-yard line. The half ended on a failed option play. The score was still 8-0.

The Lions were in possession to start the third quarter. A fake delay to Quantario Stigger gave them a first and L. Jones carried for another. They decided to go on a fourth down and L. Jones skirted the left side for a first and goal. A play later he danced his way into the end zone. The try-for-two failed but the lead increased to 14-0.

The Indians were holding onto the ball and making progress when a fumbled was picked up by Dominic Jones, who rambled across the goal line. A pitchout to L. Jones was fruitful and yielded a 22-0 score at the end of the third.

The Indians were again holding onto the ball in the final quarter until their signal caller suffered back-to-back sacks at the hands of Pritchard and Dennis. The Lions wasted little time in tacking on another touchdown with a 60-yard run by Stigger, who also rushed for the two extra points. The Lions had successfully defended their new turf with a 30-0 victory.

Hanging on
Devin Tipler (6) of Byhalia uses the stiff arm as Ronnie Dennis (88) of Byers hangs on.

It was announced that the new field would be named in honor of Eddie Dixon.

The head coach of the junior Indians is C. B. McClatchy and James Kimbrough leads the junior Lions.

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