DHS falls at Thomasville 41-17
Published 12:17 am Saturday, September 25, 2010
DHS senior David France blocked two kicks at Thomasville, but Demopolis fell on the road, 41-17.
By Jeremy D. Smithsports@demopolistimes.com
THOMASVILLE — A heated rivalry that had all the makings of a barn burner turned in the second half when the home Tigers rolled off 27 unanswered points to down Demopolis (3-2, 3-0) 41-17. “We’ll find out what we’re made of now,” Demopolis head coach Tom Causey told his team following the game. “Some adversity has hit us.” Thomasville (5-0, 3-0) gashed its way through the Demopolis defense on the first possession of the game, using 11 run plays out of its Wing T set to go 64 yards and score on a nine-yard touchdown run by John Knight. Already down 7-0, Demopolis put itself in danger of falling even further behind early when it went backward on its first possession and launched just a 17-yard punt out of its own end zone. But just as Thomasville appeared poised to take a two-touchdown lead, David France forced a fumble that rolled into the end zone and found the waiting arms of LaVaughn Terry. The fortuitous bounce gave Demopolis new life and set up the Tigers at their own 20. On the fourth play of the drive, the Thomasville defense bit hard on the play fake to DaMarcus James, allowing quarterback Ben Pettus to pitch the ball to James Wilson, who took it 67 yards to get Demopolis on the board. Cameron Fendley put the extra point through to tie the game with 1:46 remaining on the first quarter clock. Demopolis took its first lead of the night with 6:41 to play in the opening half when Cameron Fendley connected on a 25-yard field goal for the visiting Tigers first three-point play in more than two years. The 10-7 lead proved short-lived when Tyler Hayes caught a Tevin Watters pass and bolted 59 yards for a touchdown to put THS up 14-10 with 5:43 left in the opening half. Thomasville threatened to stretch the lead even more as the waning seconds ticked off the second quarter clock when it lined up for a 32-yard field goal attempt. France made his presence felt again, dashing untouched around the right side and getting parallel to the ground to come up with the block. The play appeared to spark Demopolis for a time as the 5A Tigers bounced off the field with momentum. That momentum carried over to the second half as Demopolis marched its opening drive 78 yards on eight plays and capped the push with a one-yard touchdown plunge from Wilson. Fendley’s extra point put the Tigers up 17-14 with 8:02 left on the third quarter clock. That proved to be the last time Demopolis held the advantage. Thomasville fired right back, going 80 yards on seven plays to retake the advantage. The payoff play came in the form of a 28-yard scoring run by Charles Tylor. The point after left THS up 21-17. “I was proud of our kids for the way we played in the second half with a team like Demopolis,” Thomasville head coach Jack Hankins said. “We’ve been talking all week, and really the last three weeks, about fighting through adversity. We knew it would come this game.” Thomasville wasted little time adding to its advantage, going up 28-17 on its next possession when Michael Thornton broke a 70-yard run on third and long. After a Demopolis three-and-out, Thomasville put their rivals even further in the rear view when it got a 62-yard scoring run from James Jones to go up 35-17.”They weren’t doing anything we weren’t countering,” Causey said. “They out-coached us and out-played us from the middle of the third quarter on.”Thomasville proved to have Demopolis’ number one final time on its next drive when it went 55 yards on eight plays and capped it with an 11-yard touchdown run by Hayes. France pulled a repeat performance of his first-half heroics, blocking the extra-point attempt. Demopolis amassed 320 yards of total offense, including 236 on the ground. Wilson led the way with 97 yards on 10 carries and 36 receiving yards on four catches. James had 89 yards on 13 carries while Pettus toted the ball nine times for 67 yards.”I thought James Wilson played his tail off tonight,” Causey said, focusing on the individual efforts of some of his players. “I thought Ben Pettus grew up tonight.” “We talked all week about getting a bunch of guys to DaMarcus and trying not to give the big play away,” Hankins said of his defense’s concerted effort to get to Demopolis’ stalwart running back. “He still did a good job. He is a great back.” Thomasville countered with 424 yards of total offense, including 297 rushing. Despite the THS success, Demopolis had three defensive players with double-digit tackle totals. Deonte Washington led the way with 13 stops. Terry finished with 10 and a fumble recovery. France finished with 10 stops for the second time in as many weeks, this time adding a pass deflection, a forced fumble and the two blocked kicks. “We’ve got to have leadership,” Causey said of his team’s focus for the second half of the season. “We’ve got to come together and be a football team. Right now, we’re not a real good team. We’ve got to come together and that will come from getting your butt whooped.” Demopolis returns to the road next week when it travels to Tuscaloosa to face region foe Paul Bryant for the first time. Thomasville will host region opponent Escambia County.
THOMASVILLE — A heated rivalry that had all the makings of a barn burner turned in the second half when the home Tigers rolled off 27 unanswered points to down Demopolis (3-2, 3-0) 41-17.
“We’ll find out what we’re made of now,” Demopolis head coach Tom Causey told his team following the game. “Some adversity has hit us.”
Thomasville (5-0, 3-0) gashed its way through the Demopolis defense on the first possession of the game, using 11 run plays out of its Wing T set to go 64 yards and score on a nine-yard touchdown run by John Knight.
Already down 7-0, Demopolis put itself in danger of falling even further behind early when it went backward on its first possession and launched just a 17-yard punt out of its own end zone. But just as Thomasville appeared poised to take a two-touchdown lead, David France forced a fumble that rolled into the end zone and found the waiting arms of LaVaughn Terry.
The fortuitous bounce gave Demopolis new life and set up the Tigers at their own 20. On the fourth play of the drive, the Thomasville defense bit hard on the play fake to DaMarcus James, allowing quarterback Ben Pettus to pitch the ball to James Wilson, who took it 67 yards to get Demopolis on the board. Cameron Fendley put the extra point through to tie the game with 1:46 remaining on the first quarter clock.
Demopolis took its first lead of the night with 6:41 to play in the opening half when Cameron Fendley connected on a 25-yard field goal for the visiting Tigers first three-point play in more than two years.
The 10-7 lead proved short-lived when Tyler Hayes caught a Tevin Watters pass and bolted 59 yards for a touchdown to put THS up 14-10 with 5:43 left in the opening half.
Thomasville threatened to stretch the lead even more as the waning seconds ticked off the second quarter clock when it lined up for a 32-yard field goal attempt. France made his presence felt again, dashing untouched around the right side and getting parallel to the ground to come up with the block. The play appeared to spark Demopolis for a time as the 5A Tigers bounced off the field with momentum. That momentum carried over to the second half as Demopolis marched its opening drive 78 yards on eight plays and capped the push with a one-yard touchdown plunge from Wilson. Fendley’s extra point put the Tigers up 17-14 with 8:02 left on the third quarter clock. That proved to be the last time Demopolis held the advantage.
Thomasville fired right back, going 80 yards on seven plays to retake the advantage. The payoff play came in the form of a 28-yard scoring run by Charles Tylor. The point after left THS up 21-17.
“I was proud of our kids for the way we played in the second half with a team like Demopolis,” Thomasville head coach Jack Hankins said. “We’ve been talking all week, and really the last three weeks, about fighting through adversity. We knew it would come this game.”
Thomasville wasted little time adding to its advantage, going up 28-17 on its next possession when Michael Thornton broke a 70-yard run on third and long.
After a Demopolis three-and-out, Thomasville put their rivals even further in the rear view when it got a 62-yard scoring run from James Jones to go up 35-17.
“They weren’t doing anything we weren’t countering,” Causey said. “They out-coached us and out-played us from the middle of the third quarter on.”
Thomasville proved to have Demopolis’ number one final time on its next drive when it went 55 yards on eight plays and capped it with an 11-yard touchdown run by Hayes. France pulled a repeat performance of his first-half heroics, blocking the extra-point attempt.
Demopolis amassed 320 yards of total offense, including 236 on the ground. Wilson led the way with 97 yards on 10 carries and 36 receiving yards on four catches. James had 89 yards on 13 carries while Pettus toted the ball nine times for 67 yards.
“I thought James Wilson played his tail off tonight,” Causey said, focusing on the individual efforts of some of his players. “I thought Ben Pettus grew up tonight.”
“We talked all week about getting a bunch of guys to DaMarcus and trying not to give the big play away,” Hankins said of his defense’s concerted effort to get to Demopolis’ stalwart running back. “He still did a good job. He is a great back.”
Thomasville countered with 424 yards of total offense, including 297 rushing. Despite the THS success, Demopolis had three defensive players with double-digit tackle totals. Deonte Washington led the way with 13 stops. Terry finished with 10 and a fumble recovery. France finished with 10 stops for the second time in as many weeks, this time adding a pass deflection, a forced fumble and the two blocked kicks.
“We’ve got to have leadership,” Causey said of his team’s focus for the second half of the season. “We’ve got to come together and be a football team. Right now, we’re not a real good team. We’ve got to come together and that will come from getting your butt whooped.”
Demopolis returns to the road next week when it travels to Tuscaloosa to face region foe Paul Bryant for the first time. Thomasville will host region opponent Escambia County.
