ADDISON —
Addison’s postseason successes have been defined with powerful running games and stingy defenses.
It was only fitting then that the Bulldogs secured homefield advantage in the Class 1A playoffs Friday night using that familiar formula to outlast longtime foe Falkville 20-12 at A.G. Hicks Stadium, ruining the Blue Devils bid for an undefeated season.
After a first half littered with uncharacteristic miscues, Addison settled down on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs’ defense held Falkville scoreless in the second half, yielding only 68 total yards, and the offense relied on its strong rushing game to ice the team’s sixth straight victory.
“I told the guys at halftime just how many missed opportunities we had in the first half. We had people wide open and we missed them or we dropped it,” first-year coach David Smother said. “I told them we were going to keep punching, keep punching and it was going to break the game open in our favor and that’s what happened.Meanwhile, our defense bent, but it didn’t break. At times you may worry, but they sucked it up and did what an Addison defense does. Defense is bred in Addison football players.”
In the second half, Addison’s defense was so dominating it forced Falkville into possessions that halted after a punt, a failed fake punt, a hook-and-ladder shy of a first down and an interception.
Addison’s Kaleb Estill had a pair of sacks in the second half, and John Everett tallied one of the biggest of the night, yanking down Falkville quarterback Aaron Estes at his own 5-yard line early in the third quarter. The sack on third down set up a short field for the Addison offense and it cashed in.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 6-1 1A, Region 6) started at the Falkville 20, and Seth Robinson, returning for the first time in a month from injuries, scored the go-ahead touchdown four plays later, crossing the end zone on a 5-yard plunge with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter, for a 13-12 lead.
Levi Tyree’s fourth-quarter interception set up the final Addison touchdown. The Bulldogs started at their own 40, and Dustin Bladow rumbled 45 yards on the first play of the possession. Four plays later, Robinson added a 4-yard touchdown for the final score.
Falkville (6-1, 5-1 1A Region 6) tallied three first downs on the ensuing drive but turned it over at the Addison 36 after the hook-and-ladder play fell short of the first down.
Robinson finished with 49 yards rushing and two touchdowns on eight carries.
“Seth is an awesome kid. I couldn’t ask for a better kid. He loves this team and loves this game,” Smothers said. “He wanted to be out there so bad. He’s hurting, but he’s performing.”
Bladow added 84 yards rushing on 13 carries, and Jake Wade had 27 rushing yards, including a 2-yard touchdown.
Everett passed for 45 yards for the Bulldogs and rushed for 26.
For Falkville, Estes finished 16 of 20 for 145 yards with one interception. He added 18 rushing yards, including a 2-yard touchdown.
Falkville scored first after a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown by Daniel Woodall with 7:29 remaining in the first quarter.
Addison answered with Wade’s 2-yard touchdown with 1:57 left in the first, tying it at 6-6.
Estes scored a 2-yard touchdown for Falkville with 4:57 remaining in the second quarter, giving the Blue Devils a 12-6 advantage they took into intermission.
Addison’s defense made sure that was the last time Falkville crossed the end zone.
“It was a great win. We expected to be in this position and we are,” said Smothers of securing a home playoff game.
Addison is idle until Nov. 2, when it hosts rival Winston County in a non-region matchup.
Top Sports
PREP FOOTBALL: Addison spoils Falkville’s perfect season, secures home-field advantage
- Top Sports
-
-
WALLACE STATE SOFTBALL: Lions capture second NJCAA Division I national championship
Wallace State softball has won its second national championship.
-
LOCAL GOLF: Lindsey takes 3-shot lead into final day of Cullman Golf Course Spring Invitational
Todd Lindsey went low with a 5-under 67 on Saturday to head into the final day of the Cullman Golf Course Spring Invitational with a three-shot lead over Jake Tucker and Josh Roberson.
-
TALKIN' PREP SOFTBALL: Raider seniors close out prep careers as proven winners
Anyone who believes athletes are only as good as their last game obviously knows nothing about Cara Goodwin, Kayla Tillman and Darcie Wilson.
-
CLASS 3A STATE SOFTBALL TOURNEY: Trio of solo HRs helps Winfield eliminate Raiders
Winfield was only able to muster five hits off Good Hope's Cara Goodwin on Saturday morning — but three of them were big ones.
-
WALLACE STATE SOFTBALL: Six-run fifth inning lifts Lions to 8-6 win over Pima
Wallace State is two wins away from the program’s second National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national softball title.
-
GOLF: Bradley has 3-stroke lead after 2 rounds at Nelson
Keegan Bradley again bogeyed Nos. 1 and 18 in the second round of the Byron Nelson Championship.
Unlike the first round, Bradley didn't set a course record. But he still finished with a three-stroke lead.
Bradley started and ended his round Friday with those bogeys, part of a 1-under 69 that got him to 11-under 129, the lowest 36-hole total at the Nelson since 2001. -
CLASS 3A STATE SOFTBALL TOURNEY: Raiders on to weekend with up-and-down Day 1 split
Canceling hotel reservations for an entire softball team isn't exactly Wayne Harris' idea of a good time. Yet, that was precisely the predicament the coach was put in when his Good Hope squad failed to score a run in two quick losses at the 2012 state tournament.
-
PREP SOFTBALL: Wilson to reunite with former Raider after signing with Martin-Methodist
Going to an out-of-state college can be a scary proposition for any prep athlete fortunate enough to continue their playing careers. Having to leave behind family, friends and your hometown isn’t always the easiest situation for the average 18-year-old to handle.
-
WALLACE STATE SOFTBALL: Lions knock off top-seeded Butler at NJCAA national tourney, advance to semifinal
Katie Gentle had another big afternoon at the plate with five RBIs, and Wallace State’s offense applied early pressure, scoring in all but two innings, as the Lady Lions knocked off top-seeded Butler (Kan.) CC 8-6 in a winner’s bracket game Thursday at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I national championship.
-
MLB: Increase in draft pool could affect Cats' Thompson
Major League Baseball teams can spend a little more money on amateur draft picks this year.
The signing bonus values for the selections in next month's draft will increase by 8.2 percent, players and owners agreed this week. - More Top Sports Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
