Friday night is one you have to throw away and move on from. The Trinity game was already expected to be a difficult game, but when you turn the ball over six times and gift three touchdowns, the odds are stacked against posting a W. Except for one blown assignment on the first drive of the contest, the defense played an excellent game. Offensively, the team was inconsistent, but showed flashes at times.
Trinity opened the game on offense and scored on its third play from scrimmage with a 55-yard scoring pass. The defense was nowhere to be found for the easy Wildcat TD. The Wildcats led 7-0 just 67 seconds into the game. The visitors scored again quickly with an interception and a 20-yard passing touchdown two plays later for a 14-0 lead with 9:13 left in the first period. If you count that score as a gift, then all four touchdowns were gimmees. To the defense’s credit, they only gave up 167 yards for the rest of the game.
ACA’s first points of the game came in the second quarter as the team drove 64 yards in 11 plays eating more than six minutes of the clock. The Eagles employed a direct snap to the back which took Trinity by surprise. ACA ran the ball on ten of the eleven plays which was capped by a 13-yard Micah Merritt touchdown run. Merritt met the safety at the five and carried him into the end zone. With a 2-point conversion, the home team cut the score to 8-14 with 4:00 left in the half. The defense forced a three and out and the momentum seemed to be shifting. On the punt, ACA failed to field it in the air or on the bounce and watched the ball roll all the way to the 2-yard line. The worst outcome imaginable happened on the next play as the Eagles fumbled and the Wildcats recovered in the end zone for a 21-8 halftime lead.
Both teams had the ball twice in the third quarter but neither team could score. On the second play of the final period, ACA lost a fumble on a sack at their own 1-yard line. Trinity scored on the next play for a 29-8 lead with 10:16 left in the game. The Eagle defense held again after another interception which led to Alabama Christian’s second score of the game. The offense covered 82 yards on six plays to cut the lead to 15-29. Mason Henry was 4 for 4 on the drive and Bryson Dabney scored on a beautiful cutback against the grain for a 13-yard touchdown run. Trinity ran out the clock for the 14-point win.
Levi Summers led the defense with eight tackles and also delivered some blows as a runner on offense. Mekhi Gardner and LaDarius Walters each had seven tackles while Noah Shack and Cooper Milner both had six. Tyler Money had an interception and Bryson Dabney had a sack. On offense, Micah Merritt finished with 85 yards on 17 attempts and a touchdown. Summers and Dabney both had three catches to lead the receivers. Mason Henry finished 8 of 14 for 62 yards.
On paper, the hardest part of ACA’s schedule is behind them. However, winning games and clinching a playoff spot aren’t done on paper. The Eagles must lock in and play to their potential in the final six games of the regular season.