Selma beats Monroe County to go 2-0

Published Saturday, September 5, 2009

Selma running back Eddie Johnson racked up 127 and two touchdowns on 10 carries and Keenan Woods chipped in 87 yards and a TD on 12 carries to lead Selma to a 35-6 win over Monroe County.

The game got off to an quirky beginning for both teams, as the three light banks on the home side malfunctioned and remained off for the game’s duration.

Both teams had to rely on their ground attacks to move the chains on a dimly lit field.

The rushing game defined both teams, but it was the Saint defense that made the first big splash. Selma defensive back Shaey Kratochvil sniffed out an Aaron Chaney slip-screen to Sherrod Smith and scampered the other way for a 10-yard touchdown.

“He read it all the way,” said Selma coach Foster Davis. “That was a big interception. He sat on it, and played it perfectly. It fell right in his arms.”

Monroe County coach Matt Blake said the interception came off a play the Tigers (0-2) worked on all week, but Chaney missed his read.

“We were expecting them to jump the slot receiver, and that’s exactly what they did,” he said. “Pick-6 right off the bat like that really sets the tone for them and takes away from your excitement for us.”

Johnson took over on Selma’s next possession, and kept Tiger defenders reaching and missing the rest of the way. He capped a three-play drive with a 34-yard touchdown to put Selma up 16-0 after a J’Vantae Furlow rush for the 2-point conversion.

The Tigers stiffened toward the end of the first quarter, and ended the stanza on a high note by sacking Darion Alexander for a 16-yard loss to force a second-and-goal from the 24. Keenan Woods raced for a 24-yard touchdown after the break to make 22-0 after Amos Bonner’s point-after sailed wide.

“The biggest difference was size and strength,” said Blake. “They were bigger and stronger than we were and they were able to handle us on the offensive and defensive line. That’s where ballgames are won and lost.”

Selma’s final score of the half offered the game’s best summation. The Tigers forced the Saints to turn the ball over on downs at the Monroe County 42 with less than two minutes left. The next play, Chaney threw his second interception, this time to Kendrick Woods, who raced 65 yards to the Tiger 10.

“We wanted to finish the half with something positive happening,” said Blake. “We felt like if that could happen, we might regroup. You go in at halftime with a larger deficit and it’s hard to try and come back from that.”

Three plays later, Johnson rushed for a 6-yard scamper on fourth-and-6 for his second TD to make it 28-0 at the half.

The Saints (2-0) extended the lead to 35-0 on a seven-play third quarter drive capped by an 8-yard Furlow run. The defense focused on pitching the shutout the rest of the way, but gave up the goose egg on the final play of regulation on a 10-yard Brandon Smith touchdown.

“We were hoping for that shutout. We weren’t trying to embarrass them, but wanted to keep our defense with a little confidence.

With the win, the Saints are in familiar territory. They opened the season with lopsided wins over Southside and the Tigers en route to a 4-1 start before fizzling out the back half of the season to finish 5-5. Davis said his players are wary of their history, and don’t want to repeat it.

“I don’t think it’ll be hard to keep them focused. Most of these kids played with us last year. They know what happened,” said Davis. “We have got to keep our heads on straight and just keep working. That is what we’re going to do.”

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---