From Staff Reports / Demopolis Times

Their hold on the No. 1 spot in the AISA football rankings didn’t last long.

On a sloppy night full of bobbled balls and mishandled snaps, the Marengo Academy Longhorns, who crept their way up the state rankings, lost to Southern Academy in Greensboro 13-7.

The lack of offensive production for the Longhorns could be blamed on a number of elements in Friday’s game. For starters, a consistent rain kept the field wet and the center-quarterback exchange tough. And the quarterback-running back exchange wasn’t much better.

To make matters even worse, every time the Longhorns attempted to throw the ball, the Cougar defensive backfield came down with the ball.

Though the wet playing conditions made it tough for Marengo Academy, Southern’s defense proved to be the toughest condition of all. That defense, which went up against the Longhorns twice last year, found a way to stop West Alabama’s leading rusher &045; Patrick Cannon. Cannon scored MA’s only touchdown of the game and was held under 100 yards rushing for the first time this season.

Though Southern Academy figured out a way to stop the Longhorn offense, much of the blame for Friday’s loss came in the turnover category. In all, Marengo Academy lost four fumbles and threw three interceptions.

A fourth pass and subsequent interception was ruled incomplete when officials said the Southern defender actually picked the ball off out of bounds.

Despite the woeful offensive performance, Marengo Academy still had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter. After Cannon scored on a four-yard touchdown run, the Longhorns got the ball back one more time in the fourth quarter trailing by just six points. But on a fourth-and-two play, the Southern Academy defense honed in on Cannon and stopped him short of the first down.

Next week, Marengo Academy will host Patrician Academy.