By Staff
Justin Schuver, Sports Editor
GARDENDALE — After a game like Hartselle played Friday night, where the Tigers scored 21 unanswered points to come from behind and defeat Gardendale 28-24, there are usually two questions on every fan’s mind.
Did Hartselle win the game? Or did Gardendale give the game away?
The answer is: a little of both.
Yes, several things had to go Hartselle’s way for the Tigers to pull off the comeback. Hartselle forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter, and that’s not even counting a blocked punt. Without those changes of possession, the comeback would not have been as likely to happen.
Gardendale quarterback Conner McCain went out in the fourth quarter with a concussion and his backup, Adam Erwin, threw two interceptions. Would the Rockets have been able to hang onto the lead if their starter hadn’t gotten injured? It’s possible.
But at the same time, a tremendous amount of credit has to go to the Hartselle Tigers. Not only did Hartselle force the turnovers in the first place, but they took advantage of them.
Hartselle’s first turnover of the quarter was an interception in the end zone, meaning the Tigers had to march 80 yards down the field. Essentially, it was no more of a Gardendale gift than a punt into the end zone would have been.
Yes, Hartselle’s other two scores were set up by turnovers that set the Tigers in much better field position — particularly Reed’s fumble recovery for a touchdown. But again, the Tigers forced those turnovers and then took advantage.
Plus, it is important to remember that a major reason Hartselle was behind in the first place is because the Tigers were making turnovers of their own. Gardendale’s 17-7 lead early in the third quarter was set up by a turnover that led directly to seven points. So if you’re going to say that Gardendale gave the game away to Hartselle, you have to also say that the Tigers gave the Rockets the lead in the first place.
The only fair thing to say is that nobody gave anything away in that game. Things went wrong and things went right for both teams. In the end, it all essentially evened out and the only thing that mattered was the scoreboard.
Athens Golden Eagles (9-3) at Hartselle Tigers (11-1): Round 1 of this battle went to Hartselle, who defeated Athens 35-31 on the road in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate. Now, the stakes are higher and the contest is at a J.P. Cain Stadium that hasn’t seen a game like this since 2002. In the last game, the Hartselle defense gave quarterback Rob Ezell fits and made the Golden Eagles one-dimensional by taking away running back Ferrell Williams. If they can do the same Friday night, I see no reason why Hartselle shouldn’t make it 2-0 this year against Athens…Tigers 31, Golden Eagles 28.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1) at USC Trojans (9-1): At the start of the season, I believed that my Irish would go 10-2. I believed that the losses would be to USC and to Michigan. Earlier this season, I went against that early prediction and picked Notre Dame to upset the Wolverines. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. Pete Carroll just doesn’t lose in November, the Trojans haven’t lost at the Coliseum since 2001 and USC is still in the title hunt if they can win out. Those three things add up to bad news for a Notre Dame secondary that is very shaky against a talented passing attack…Trojans 38, Fighting Irish 28.