Even the goal posts were sweating Friday night in Uniontown where the Bobcats of R.C. Hatch battled extreme heat and humidity along with a gritty A.L Johnson team in their season opener, as they fell 34-20.

R.C. Hatch head coach Jammie Abraham said the heat adversely affected his team.

“They played a tough game but the heat definitely had a factor,” Abraham said. “We have to get used to it and pick it up a little.”

At the start of the third quarter, Hatch’s Kevante Shepherd returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown and made it a 20-14 game.

After trading additional scores, the Bobcats pulled within eight.  With 6:00 left in the game and a 28-20 score, Hatch had a final shot but couldn’t capitalize before time expired.

A.L. Johnson head coach Mose Jones said his team must improve moving forward.

“The heat was something else and we’ll take this win, but if we don’t get better by next week, we’re in serious trouble,” Jones said. “R.C. Hatch played a tough game but we managed to take it up a notch.”

After shutting down the Eagles’ offense on its first possession, the Bobcats couldn’t capitalize as a fumble during the punt return on their own 30-yard line gave the ball right back.

With a short field in front of him, and on the second play of the drive, A.L. Johnson junior running back Castillo Huggins cut to the outside, found the sideline and blazed by defenders for a 30-yard score.  A failed two point conversion left the score 6-0.

R.C. Hatch returned the favor on the following possession by pounding the ball inside.

Deroderick Norfleet had a 51-yard run to set up a first and goal from the 4-yard line. Norfleet got the pitch to the outside on the next play and marched the distance.