The key, McCarley said, was that South Lamar stopped some key Phillips plays,
but the reverse was not true.
“I don’t even think we got them to third down. That’s how a bad defense it was tonight,” McCarley said.
The Phillips coach said the Bears finished their regular season with the first
winning record in 20 years, ending with a 7-4 record.
“The kids tried hard. I guess they might have been too fast for us. I don’t know, but we sure didn’t tackle anybody,” the coach added.
McCarley commended South Lamar on a good running attack, especially from Justin
Brock, Nathaniel Funk and Kendrick Mitchell.
Phillips made it to the opening round of the playoffs last year, being knocked
out by Talladega County Central 34-0, who went on to win the Class 1A state
championship, McCarley recalled.
South Lamar was ahead 49-22 at halftime and adding 30 more points in the second
half for good measue. Phillips raked in 24 points in the second half, but not
enough to claim the victory.
Each team scored on its first possession of the night. Phillips got the ball and
scored with 6:59 left in the opening quarter off a three-yard
quarterback-keeper from Adam McCarley for the touchdown. McCarley’s keeper was good for the two-point conversion to give the Bears an 8-7 lead.
South Lamar scored on its next possession with 5:25 left in the first quarter
and again with 43 seconds left in the opening quarter to expand its margin to
22-8.
The Bears threatened, coming from behind to score with no time left in the first quarter. McCarley connected with Trent Williams in the
end zone. Kent Hallman got the hand-off but the two-point conversion attempt
fell shy of the goal line. leaving South Lamar with a 22-14 advantage.
The Stallions expanded the score to 30-14 on their next possession. The Bears
answered with a touchdown on their next possession. McCarley connected a
10-yard pass to Hallman, who ran in from the 10-yard line with 8:01 left in the
second quarter. McCarley connected with Hallman for the two-point conversion,
cutting the Stallions’ lead to 30-22.
South Lamar took over on downs after the Bears couldn’t make a first down after recovering a South Lamar fumble off Justin Brock’s return.
The same drive produced a South Lamar touchdown with 5:44 left in the second
quarter. A good point-after ry put South Lamar ahead 37-22.
After the Bears failed to convert, South Lamar took over to score yet
again--this time with 4:20 left in the second quarter. The two-point conversion
attempt was picked off by Phillips’ Derek Mitchell boosting the South Lamar cushion to 43-22.
South Lamar expanded its lead 50-22 with only five seconds left in the half off
a rush to the uprights and a successful conversion.
The Bears couldn’t make it on downs on their first possession of the third quarter, so South
Lamar took over deep at their own seven-yard line. Mitchell took off on a
60-yard rush to the end zone two plays later with the two-point conversion
making it 58-22, South Lamar.
The Bears got some momentum on their next possession with James Demastus setting
the ball in play off a return to the Bear 35. McCarley aired the ball complete
to Hallman, and mixed in ground work on his keeper, moving the Bears deep to
the South Lamar five-yard line.
McCarley then sailed one complete to Hallman for the score with 4:29 left in the
third quarter. McCarley again found a good receiver in Hallman for the
two-point conversion, and the score was 58-30, South Lamar.
South Lamar recovered the onside kick at the Bear 48, and Malcolm Willingham
took off on a 48-yard stretch to the end zone with 4:17 left in the third. Funk’s point-after try made it 65-30, South Lamar.
The Bears added more points to the board off their next possession off a 17-yard
pass from McCarley complete to Williams with 11:06 left in the game. McCarley’s keeper was good for two, and the score was 65-38, South Lamar.
South Lamar broadened the margin to 72-38 after an eight-yard carry by Funk and
the conversion. The score was 72-38, South Lamar.
South Lamar had another score with 5:18 left in the game off a 40-yard rush by
Willingham.
The Bears got the final touchdown of the night with 2:01 left in the game. After
McCarley was sacked near the South Lamar 15, he fought back, firing one
complete to Williams in the end zone. McCarley scrambled, but completed his
pass to Williams for the two-point conversion, making the final score, 79-46.
