Cold Springs running back Ayden Alexander (middle) navigates a sea of Meek players during Thursday night’s game at Cold Springs High School. (Hayden Hyatt for The Cullman Tribune)
BREMEN – The Eagles of Cold Springs (2A, Region 5) started their season strong with a 34-20 victory against the Meek High School Tigers (1A, Region 6) Thursday evening at home.
Cold Springs came out hot in the first quarter with a 35-yard touchdown run, courtesy of running back Ayden Alexander, who rushed for 94 yards, and a successful extra point. Cold Springs followed up with another touchdown and PAT with only 55 seconds left in the first quarter, putting the Eagles up 14-0 going into the second.
Cold Springs kept it up in quarter two, with another touchdown, this one a 60-yard pass by quarterback Brodi WIlliams to wide receiver Roberto Ayala, and topped it off with the PAT. Not long after that, the Eagles scored again with a short run by Alexander capped by an extra point.
The Tigers were unable to answer in the first half, leaving the halftime score at 28-0, Cold Springs.
Early in the third, Meek finally got on the board when senior Gabe Jones, who rushed for 130 yards on the night, ran in the TD and the Tigers completed a 2-point conversion. With 52 seconds left in the third, the Tigers scored again with a short pass.
The score stood at 28-14, Cold Springs heading into the final quarter of play.
The Eagles answered quickly with a short touchdown run by tight end Calvin McNabb, who rushed for 102 yards in the game. Meek scored again with 4:58 left in the contest, but it was not enough to pull out the victory. The final score was 34-20 Cold Springs.
Cold Springs Head Coach Rod Elliot was satisfied with the result of the game.
"We're certainly excited about the outcome," said Elliot. "I thought we played well the first half and I thought we lost our intensity the second half, which can happen, and I have a bunch of young players."
Elliot said he's looking onward to the next obstacle for his team.
"We got the next game to go, which is Berry,” said Elliot. "That's what I'm thinking about right now. You know, you win the first one then you work on winning the second one and then you go from there."
Elliot said he and the rest of the coaching staff were proud of the players’ performance.
"We're just proud of our kids and excited for them and happy for them," he said. "We just gotta make it work and keep working."
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