The Selma Times-Journal

Nine quarters, 96 game minutes and three opponents: That was the difference between Selma’s lone touchdown Friday night and the last time they scored.

The Saints broke a long

scoreless drought, albeit too late to take down the visiting Sidney Lanier Poets.

Lanier (1-2, 1-1 6A Region 4) scored all their points unanswered in a 21-8 win at Memorial Stadium.

Despite last week’s game against Jeff Davis when they were plagued by penalties, Selma played a virtually perfect game in that department.

The Saints (1-2, 0-2) did not have a penalty called on them in the first half and were penalized just three times for 25 yards. The Poets racked up 95 yards on 15 penalties.

“We’ve got some things we’ve got to work on as far as execution,” said Selma coach Brian Montgomery. “We’ve got to get this team able to play some football. We’re just going to regroup as a team and as a coaching staff and get this thing back on the right track.”

Justin Moore-Jones punched a ball in from five yards away with 1:23

left in the game to prevent the Saints from being shut out for the second

consecutive week.

The score came after a partially blocked punt in the

Poets’ end zone set Selma up with a first down on the 17-yard line.

Although

penalties didn’t kill Selma, other mistakes did.

A punt midway through the

first quarter that would have given the Saints good field position was

muffed by Rakeem Harris and recovered by Lanier’s Richard Wilson.

Selma took

the ball back when Courtney Morgan recovered a fumble, but the Saints were

unable to capitalize. Morgan also sacked quarterback Ceddric Scott earlier

in that drive.

The teams combined for 144 yards of total offense in the

first half.

The only scores came on a pair of field goals by Darius Waits.

He connected on a 27-yarder to cap Lanier’s opening possession. He hit

another one from that distance with 8:04 left in the half.

Special teams set

Selma back again in the third quarter. On the opening possession, Lanier’s

punt was blocked, but a Selma player touched the ball. The Poets recovered,

and five plays later, Scott hit receiver Charles Payne for a 34-yard

touchdown. A two-point conversion gave Lanier a 14-0 lead.

With 8:33 left in

the fourth, Scott hit Payne again for a 13-yard score that put the Poets on

top 21-0.

Lanier found ways to stop Selma’s momentum all night, usually by

creating turnovers.

On Selma’s final possession of the first half, Jeffrey

Harris picked off a Justin Brown pass in the end zone.

Darius Thigpen, who

replaced Brown for a series due to injury, threw a pick that Harris returned

to the Selma 16.

Brown passed for 195 yards on 13-of-24 attempts and left

the game briefly in the third after a hit caused spasms in his leg.

Saints are now at the bottom of the region after starting the season with an

explosive performance.

“It’s still not too late to get this thing right,”

said Montgomery. “We’ve just got to keep practicing, continuing to work and

stay positive.”