BLOUNT WINS JAMBOREE GAME

LIONS' YOUTH SHOWS AS LEOPARDS' DEFENSE PROVED TOO TOUGH TO HANDLE

AUSTIN MACGINNIS BOOTS 52-YARD FIELD GOAL FOR ONLY LION POINTS

Football coaches often talk about being a young team.  Prattville’s new coaching staff can certainly look back on their first game experience and be rest assured that this team is “young.”

Yes there are 32 seniors listed on the roster, however very few had much playing time during the Lions championship run last fall.  Friday night (August 23) it showed, as the Blount Leopards’ quarterback senior Quinterris Toppings (6-1-205)) riddled the Lions’ young secondary for two touchdowns and 225 yards passing with 10-of 16 completions in a jamboree game played at Stanley-Jensen Stadium.

This was in only three quarters of action.  Former Prattville defensive back coach Mark Hurt is now the head coach at Blount, and Hurt’s game plan apparently was to keep the ball away from Prattville. It worked as the Leopards won, 16-3.  Blouint held ther ball for 23 minutes to Prattville's 13.

The Mobile area school’s defense kept Prattville bottled up on their half of the field for the three quarters.  Prattville had not crossed midfield and trailed 16-0 at the end of three.

The junior varsity squads then played the final 12-minutes

With 1:43 remaining Blount’s punter hit a short 18-yard punt that Prattville let roll dead to its 45 yard line.  Kendall Bowman, a junior running back ripped off two consecutive five yard runs into Blount territory for a first down.  Prattville had to settle for a 52-yard field goal attempt from kicker Austin Macginnis as the clock expired to end the game.

There was no doubt to the accuracy of Macginnis’  kick as it sailed over the middle of the goalpost for three points, the only damage the Lions offense could muster during the game.

The varsity team’s offense sputtered for three quarters as the aggressive speed of Blount's front four over powered the Lions’ offensive Line and gave young sophomore quarterback Kalen Whitlow little time to throw.

Whitlow’s receivers did not help the cause droping four passes that were catchable.

Prattville had seven possessions in the three quarters of play

First possession – Blount kicked off to the Lions.  Prattville made one first down, up to the Lion 42.  But a sack of Whitlow ended the drive and Macginnis punted dead to the Leopards’ 23.

Blount ripped off four first downs to the Lion 10-yard line, where the drive ended as Yusuf Howard stood  running back  sophomore Demetrice Vaughn up at the 2-yardline.

Prattville’s second possession netted one first down to the 15 where it stalled and Macginnis was forced to punt barely getting the punt off due to a bad snap.  Blount took over at Prattville’s 48 and drove to Prattville’s 30-yard line as the first quarter ended.  On third down and 17 Blount scored with a 37-yard TD pass for a 6-0 lead with 11:06 left in the half.

Toppings found sophomore wide receiver Antonio Lee (6-2-165) behind the Lions secondary.  Vaughn's PAT was wide right of the goalpost.

Prattville’s third possession - Prattville took over at its 20 after an 11-yard return of the kickoff by Anthony Lykes.  The Lions picked up one first down when Pettway broke four tackles en route to a 12 yard run.  A motion penalty stalled this drive and Macginnis had to punt.

Blount took over at its 26-yard line.   The Leopards scored in four plays with a 63-yard TD bomb, a beautiful spiral from Toppings to junior wide receiver Jamarucs King. Vaughn kicked the extra point running the score to 13-0 with 8:10 left in half.

Prattville’s fourth possession ended in another frustration after Jeremy Goodson picked up a first down at the Lion 32.  Prattville could gain only seven yards on three rushes with Macginnis punting away with 4:05 left in half.

Blount went three and out and was forced to punt with ball rolling dead at the Lion 4.

Prattville’s fifth possession ended in disaster as Whitlow’s pass was picked at midfield and return to the Prattville 8 with 7.8 ticks until half.  Prattville knocked away pass in end zone and Blount failed on a run as half ended 13-0.

To start third quarter Macginnis’ kickoff rolled into the Blount end zone.  The Leopards drove to the Lion 19 for a first down.  The highlight was a 56-yard pass play to Lee, who broke six tackles.  On third and 8 Patrick Parks and Ronnie Slayton dropped Delorean Bethany for no gain forcing a 33-yard field goal that was good by Vaughn.  Blount 16 Prattville 0 with 9:21 left in third quarter.

Prattville’s sixth possession- Lions took over at its 30 after a 23-yard return of the kickoff by Lykes.  Prattville picked up one first down, but was forced to punt after a 5-yard penalty and a sack of Whitlow.  Macginnis’ punt rolled dead at the Leopard 41 yard line with 6:33 remaining.

Blount went three and out.  A short 19-yard punt gave Prattville excellent field position at its 40.  The Lions' seventh and final possesssion with only varsity players - Kamyrn Pettway picked up 6-yards and Goodson added one.  On third down Whitlow’s pass was dropped at the Leopard 28.  Tripp Burnett came in and his punt roll dead to the Blount 34 yard line.

Blount had final possession of the three quarters of varsity play and picked up two first downs.  After a holding penalty the three quarters of varsity play ended at Prattville’s 48 with Blount having a second down and 15.