Sumiton Christian's Jon Moon (8) looks to throw during their game against Victory Christian on Friday night. Victory Christian won the game 13-7.
PHOTO BY MATT NORRIS
SUMITON — The Sumiton Christian Eagles suffered a hard-fought 13-7 loss to Victory Christian at home on Friday night.
Quarterback Jon Moon and the offense fell to an overpowering front-seven in the Eagles’ final drive to attempt a last-minute comeback.
Victory Christian struck early in the first quarter with a 7-yard touchdown, but it did not take long for the Eagles to retaliate.
Moon completed a 4-yard scoring pass to Griffin Myers that sent the game into halftime with a 7-7 tie. It seemed as though both teams’ offenses were starting to find rhythm in the first half, but both failed to build off that momentum in the second.
Moon went 16 for 28 through the air for 128 yards and an interception.
Turnovers were a constant theme throughout the night, with most going in Sumiton Christian’s favor. Victory Christian was picked off twice by the Eagles defense, once by Jeremy Brown who returned the interception for 41 yards and another time by John Short for his own 15-yard gain.
However, the turnovers did not end there. Christopher Bunn and Garrett Potts both recovered fumbles to give the ball back to Sumiton Christian.
A tough defensive battle ensued. Garrett Gable led the Eagles with four tackles and Christopher Bunn, Jeremy Brown, and John Short followed closely behind with three each. Bunn also had Sumiton Christian’s lone sack of the night for a substantial 14 yard loss.
Neither team was able to tack any points on to the scoreboard until late in the third quarter when Victory Christian broke a 5-yard run for a touchdown to make the score 13-7. No other points would be added, resulting in a disappointing loss for the Eagles.
Still, first-year head coach Bart Black was proud of his young team and seemed optimistic for the future. When Black was asked about what this team meant to him, he answered, “I’ve just enjoyed being around these kids. They’ve put forth a lot of effort. We were the underdog and outmanned many times this year in every position, but they fought through regardless. That says a lot about this group’s character, especially our five seniors who did a great job this year.”
The 2018 season is in the books for Sumiton Christian (1-9), but Black sees a bright future ahead.
“The program building starts now,” Black said. “It starts in the weight room. We’ve just got to get these kids out of the stands and onto the field. That’s why I’m here. I want to be with this program long term. We’re going to get it on track.”
This article was originally posted by the Daily Mountain Eagle.
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