Indians fall at Lewisburg


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Indians fall at Lewisburg

By CLAUDE VINSON
Sports Editor

The Byhalia Indians faced their next-to-the-last game on their four-game road swing last Friday when they visited the Lewisburg Patriots.

The Indians won the toss and elected to take the ball first. The Indians didn’t waste any time in lighting up the big board. Andrey Collins took a handoff from Markiese Rodgers and ran for six points. Devonte Norman got the call next and scored the deuce. Byhalia was up 8-0 in a matter of minutes in the opening quarter.

The Indians stopped the Patriots on their first drive and forced the hosts into a punt situation, however, the Indians were tagged for illegal contact on the center. Another infraction call followed and the Patriots had a first down and scored soon after, booting an extra point which pulled them within one at 8-7.

The flags kept flying against the visitors during the next series and backed them into their own end zone. A bad snap was the result of the two big flags and the Patriots claimed a safety to put them ahead 9-8.

Lewisburg scored 15 more points, converting for two on one of the touchdowns.

The Class 3A Indians were still contesting the 4A school on both offense and defense. Rodgers made a pitch out to Norman and he scampered 10 yards to make it 24-16 after the two-point conversion was successful.

Lewisburg had the ball to begin the second half but the Indian defense didn’t allow the Patriots’ offense any latitude. The Indians were still very much in the game at this point which was at the top of the third.

Rodgers made another good pitch to Collins this time and the speedy back left all defenders behind as he trucked the pigskin 73 yards for another Indian score. They missed the PAT but had pulled to within two at 24-22.

It was hard to explain after that, according to Markeith Washington, the head coach of the Indians.

“We had a trio of touchdowns nullified,” he said. “I think we picked up about 125 yards in penalties”.

Washington said the Patriots were flagged twice over the course of the game.

The Indians didn’t score for the remainder of the game but the Patriots went on to record 29 more points for a total and final score of 53-22.

Coach Washington named Collins as the most valuable player of the game, saying that the back carried 13 times for 181 yards. Norman picked up 55 yards on 10 carries; Terence Phinessee gained 17 yards on six tries; and Tedric Myers ran for 10 on five carries. Norman also scored both of the two-point conversions.

The Indians’ road trip will end at Charleston this Friday, their first contest of the year against a district foe. They enter with a 3-3 overall record.

“We have played four 4A teams and one 5A,” he said. “We feel that Charleston will be a good match for our guys as we begin our attempt to make the playoffs.”

The Indians will be back in Byhalia for their homecoming game versus Independence on October 7.

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