The Friday matinee contest could not have started any worse for the Alabama Christian football team. The Eagles muffed the opening kickoff giving Fort Dale a short field to work with. The offense ran just three plays for minus nine yards over the first 16 minutes of the game. On the flip side, the visiting Eagles ran 18 plays over the same time span. The teams combined for 22 penalties for 164 yards. Eighteen of the flags were thrown in the first half.
After recovering the ball on the opening kickoff, Fort Dale was only 41 yards away from the end zone. However, they managed to run 13 plays and eat up almost seven and a half minutes of the clock before they scored their only points of the game. ACA’s first possession was over in three plays as they gave the ball right back to Fort Dale. The visitors held the ball for 13 more plays, but could not put points on the board. A missed field goal gave the ball to ACA. Fort Dale drove all the way to the Eagle’s 12-yard, but back to back tackles for loss by Mekhi Gardner made the field goal attempt longer.
With 7:45 left in the first half, the ACA offense trotted onto the field for its second possession. Micah Merritt got things rolling with a 26-yard run on the first play of the drive. The senior ran the ball on four of the first five plays of the drive to move the ball to the Fort Dale 32-yard line. Facing a 4th and 1 from the 23-yard line, Merritt finished the drive as defenders bounced off of him on the way to the end zone. With 4:37 left in the half, the game was tied 7-7. Landon Widmer set the tone on the next series with a tackle for loss which eventually led to a three and out for FDA. Alabama Christian had 2:50 to navigate 85 yards at the end of the half. Ethan Dabney gained 19 yards despite a holding call downfield to start the march. Mason Henry found Levi Summers for 14 more on the second play and the Eagles had already reached midfield. Five of the next six plays were penalties, two on ACA and three on FDA. The net result was a 1st and 10 for the home team on the FDA 28-yard line. On 2nd and 13 from the 21-yard line, Henry threw to Summers for a six-yard gain. As ACA moved quickly to the line Henry threw a fade to Summers in the end zone. The junior receiver went up to go get it and came down with a foot inbounds for the score. The stunned Fort Dale defense never saw the two-point conversion coming and ACA led 15-7 with 43 seconds left in the half.
The third period was a disaster for Fort Dale as ACA pulled away for a comfortable lead. Throwing caution to the wind on their first series, FDA went for a 4th and 6 on their own 36-yard line. The attempted pass fell incomplete and ACA’s offense had great field position. The Eagles drove as far as the nine-yard line but could go no further. David Johnson hit a 27-yard field goal to give ACA an 18-7 cushion. On the next offensive play for Fort Dale, Cooper Milner intercepted a pass to put the offense right back on the field. ACA scored in three plays as Micah Merritt finished the drive with a three-yard lunge over the goal line to give the Eagles a 25-7 lead. Fort Dale picked up a first down on their next series but quickly found themselves facing another fourth down. Beau Gainey intercepted the fourth down attempt to shut down the drive. Whatever hope might have been left for the visitors after Gainey’s pick disappeared like a puff of smoke as they watched Mekhi Gardner race down the right sideline for a 72-yard touchdown on the very next play. With 2:10 left in the third, ACA led 32-7. The ball stayed on the ground in the fourth quarter as the clock moved quickly. There were only three drives in the period and no points were scored.
After giving up the early score the defense stood tall and performed well all afternoon. Mekhi Gardner led the squad with 12 tackles and a sack. Three Eagles, Aidan Whiten, Levi Summers, and LaDarius Walters each had six tackles. Whiten and Landon Widmer each had a sack while Cooper Milner and Beau Gainey each had a pick. Micah Merritt finished with 98 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns while Gardner had 84 yards on two rushes and a score. Mason Henry was 7 of 11 for 83 yards and a touchdown. Levi Summers had five catches for 56 yards and a score while Ethan Dabney had two receptions for 27 yards.