Friday night, the Alabama Christian football team travelled to Sweet Water, AL, population 228, SA-LUTE! Historically, the Bulldogs have been a 1A powerhouse with a state championship as recently as 2021, but that is not the case this season. ACA overpowered the hapless home team holding them to 25 yards of offense and just two first downs in just over three quarters of play. With a running clock for the entire second half, the game was called with 9:39 left in the contest due to a transformer issue at the field. The score of the game might have had a little something to do with it, too. ACA left town with a convincing 44-0 victory.
Sweet Water started on offense and faced a 4th and 1 at their own 49-yard line. The home team gambled and went for it, but Landon Widmer and LaDarius Walters stopped the runner for no gain to give the offense great field position. ACA threw on its first three plays but gained only seven yards. On 4th and 3, #7 introduced himself to the Sweet Water defense. Micah Merritt rumbled 42 yards to the end zone for the early 8-0 lead. Aiden Whiten’s tackle for loss on first down of Sweet Water’s next possession set the tone for a quick three and out. Once ACA had the ball back, the offense moved 63 yards in six plays for another score. Mason Henry connected with Ethan Dabney on a long pass down the right sideline for a 33-yard touchdown and a 16-0 lead. Whiten and Logan Foster produced another tackle for loss on the next possession to give the ball back to the offense. ACA scored in just three plays as Merritt took it in from 34 yards out for a 23-0 first quarter lead. Max Sanchez kicked the extra point after the score. If you were wondering where our regular kicker is, he is in Sweden playing baseball. That was not on my bingo card for reasons to miss a game.
Keenan McCarthy’s fumble recovery to start the second period provided the offense another chance to score. Mason Henry connected with Levi Summers twice on the drive. The second time was a 12-yard touchdown that Summers just seemed to keep going up to get. With 8:15 left in the half, ACA led 30-0. Sweet Water produced its second first down of the game on the next drive, but a Cooper Milner tackle for loss stalled the drive. The Eagles drove 61 yards on eight plays using just over four minutes of the clock for the last score of the first half. Henry again hit Summers on a 7-yard scoring pass with 1:26 left in the period.
Halftime was more interesting than normal. After the ACA band performed, the PA announcer informed the stadium there was an issue with a transformer on the visitor’s side of the field. All of the lights in the stadium would be momentarily turned off. After ten minutes or so, the crowd was told the game would continue as normal until the workers from Alabama Power arrived. As the teams took the field the two head coaches met with the officials and it was decided to have a running clock for the entire second half.
Alabama Christian got the ball to start the second half and used it as an opportunity to rest many of its starters. The Eagles had to punt after three plays, but an Aiden Whiten fumble recovery on Sweet Water’s first play of the half, set the offense up at the Bulldog’s 20-yard line. Carlos Smith covered the yardage in two carries, scoring on a 7-yard run to make the score 44-0. Both teams traded punts to end the third quarter. As the clock continued to roll only one play was run in the fourth quarter. Fittingly, it was a tackle for loss by Whiten. With 9:39 left in the game, the Alabama Power workers arrived and the game was called.
Aiden Whiten led the team with seven tackles followed by Mekhi Gardner with five. Logan Foster, Cooper Milner, and Bryson Dabney each had four tackles. On offense, Micah Merritt rushed for 127 yards on just nine carries and two touchdowns. Mason Henry passed for 120 yards, completing 12 of 16 passes with three touchdowns. Ethan Dabney led the receiving corps with five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. Levi Summers had four receptions for 30 yards and two touchdowns.