ADDISON – It was a cold start on a chilly Thursday night for Addison, but it didn’t take the Bulldogs long to warm up; they steamrolled over Hubbertville 45-13 on their way to the second round of the 2017 AHSAA 1A state playoffs.
Hubbertville started the game with the ball and marched it right down the field, running over the Addison defense with a trio of bruising backs. John Upton, Daniel Holliday and Gage Key combined for 51 yards and looked as if they were going to score, but the Bulldog defense stood strong when it had to, causing a fumble at its own 6, with a pile of blue and gold falling on the ball at the Addison 17.
The Bulldogs capitalized on the turnover quickly, when, on second-and-11, quarterback Zayne Guthrie called his own number and followed his lead blocker into the flat where he did the rest, racing 84 yards to pay dirt. The 2-point conversion failed, but the Bulldogs took a 6-0 lead with 5:12 left to play in the first.
When the Lions took over, they picked up where they left off, running up and down the field. After the Lions picked up a first down, the Bulldogs looked as if they had Hubbertville stopped, but a pass from Ethan Echols to Brady Tucker on a fake punt went for 26 yards and a first down. However, the trick play seemed to wake up the Bulldogs, who quickly shut down the Lions and forced a punt.
Addison and Hubbertville played the field position game for the rest of the first quarter and into the second until Addison took over on its own 35 following the third Lions punt of the night.
On first-and-10 Logan Wilkins turned and stuck the ball in the gut of Tyler Borden, who sprinted 65 yards for the touchdown. After the failed 2-point conversion, Addison enjoyed a 12-0 lead.
The Bulldogs forced a three-and-out on the next Hubbertville possession, setting themselves up at fisrt-and-10 at their own 42. It took them just six plays to cross the goal line for the third time in the game when Guthrie hit Luke Chambers for a 24-yard touchdown in the front corner of the near side end zone. The 2-point conversion failed again, but the Bulldogs took a comfortable 18-0 lead.
Addison went three-and-out to open the second half but were very fortunate when the Lions muffed the punt; the Bulldogs recovered at the Hubbertville 27. Addison converted a fourth-and-10 to keep the drive alive. On the very next play, Guthrie found Wilkins for a 16-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed, and it was 24-0.
Hubbertville finally dented the scoreboard in the third when the Lions converted a 15-play drive that consumed more than seven minutes in the quarter into points on a Holliday 2-yard touchdown run. The 2-point conversion came up short, making the score 24-6.
Addison answered quickly with a 53-yard touchdown carry by Borden. The Bulldogs converted the 2-pointer, widening the lead to 32-6.
Borden added his third score on the night on the very next Bulldog possession when he went 29 yards up the middle for the TD. The 2-point conversion failed, making the score 38-6 with 10:51 left to play.
Hubbertville got a late score on a 1-yard plunge by Holliday. The Lions converted the PAT, but Addison answered with a 43-yard touchdown run by Braxton Preuitt down the far sideline. Addison added the PAT to cruise to a 45-13 victory.
The Bulldogs will face the Hackleburg Panthers in the second round of the 2017 AHSAA playoffs.
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