PREP FOOTBALL: Vinemont collects 32-19 win at Danville

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The Vinemont Eagles fell to Sylvania in the first round of the state playoffs 41-0 Friday night. (Cathy McSwain/The Cullman Tribune)

DANVILLE, Ala. – The Vinemont Eagles were back on the road Friday night for a big regional matchup against Danville and after dropping three straight coming into this week, the Eagles bounced back to pick up a crucial, 32-19 win over the Hawks.

Vinemont received the opening kickoff with Diego Rodriguez taking the ball into Danville territory. Starting on the Hawks 48-yard line, Rodriguez carried it 4 yards down to the 44. Rush Sandin got the ball to the Hawks 38 and Rodriguez went 14 yards on his next carry before Sandin carried it 19 yards down to the Hawks 4-yard line. On first and goal from the 4, Kayden Henderson punched it into the end zone and got Vinemont on the board with a 6-0 lead.

Danville started its first drive on its own 36. Hawks running back Cristian Rodriguez was the team’s work horse. He went for 52 yards on nine carries before the Hawks turned the ball over on downs at the 22-yard line. 

Vinemont wasted no time as Sandin went for 6 yards on first down. Facing third down and long later in the drive, Rodriguez took the handoff from Sandin and went 74 yards for another Eagles touchdown, making it a 12-0 game.

The Eagles started their next possession with their strong ground game, driving the ball down to the 1-yard line where Sandin called his own number and put the Eagles up 18-0 with 7:21 remaining in the second quarter.

With the half coming to a close, Danville finally got on the board with 13 seconds and managed to trim Vinemont’s lead to 18-6 at the break.

Danville got the ball to start the third quarter and the Hawks came out swinging, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown pass to pull within 5 points of the Eagles at 18-13. A big return on the ensuing return from Vinemont’s Josh Wilhite gave the Eagles great field position and with the ground game going strong they drive the ball down to the Hawks 7-yard line where Rodriguez scored his second touchdown of the night to give Vinemont a 24-13 lead with 5:45 left in the third.

Danville started its next possession on its own 35. Rodriguez carried the ball up to the 42 and the next play saw Wyatt Summerford running open down the left sideline and a beautifully thrown ball led to another Hawks touchdown, cutting the Vinemont lead to 24-19 with 5:14 left in the third. 

Vinemont put the final score on the board in the third quarter when Kayden Henderson took the ball into the end zone from 6 yards. The two-point conversion was good, and Vinemont led 32-19 with 1:55 left in the third.

Danville’s next drive ended with Josh Rhodes picking off a Hawks pass at the Vinemont 13-yard line.

The Eagles drove the ball down to the 17-yard line before fumbling the ball away. The Eagles scored on every possession except their last two and the final possession of the first half.

Next week the Eagles will travel to Albertville to face Asbury in another regional matchup.

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