By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
IRONDALE, Al. – The Shades Valley Mounties kicked off their 104th season at Frank Nix Stadium against the Woodlawn Colonels and came away with a 41-20 victory.
The 41 points are the most scored by a Mountie team in a season opener since 2017.
Head coach Rueben Nelson was happy to get a win to open the season but is looking for improvement.
“Our kids played hard,” Nelson said. “We just have to get better.”
A renewed commitment to the running game by offense coordinator Baniko Harley yielded five rushing touchdowns.
The Mounties scored on their opening drive with a two-yard touchdown by Geordan Clarke with 8:36 left in the first period. Jair Aguilar’s PAT made it 7-0.
The Mounties got on the board again after Valley recovered a Woodlawn fumble at the 17-yard line on the ensuing Colonel possession. Zavien Bolden hit Shawn Gee with a nine-yard pass for a touchdown. Aguilar’s PAT made it 14-0 with 7:33 in the first.
Woodlawn got on the board with a twelve-yard run with 5:30 remaining in the first. A 62-yard pass completion by the Colonels set up the score.
The Mounties went up 21-7 on a five-yard touchdown run by Clarke with 8:28 in the half.
Valley added another touchdown on a 32-yard run by Quincy Poole with 5:16 remaining in the half. Aguilar’s PAT made the score 28-7.
Neither team could muster any points during the third period due to penalties and turnovers.
The Mounties’ Bolden completed a 42-yard pass to Corey Knight set up first and goal from the one-yard line.
Poole punched it in for Valley on a one-yard run with 10:36 remaining in the final stanza. The PAT failed due to a bad snap and hold, and the Mounties led 34-7.
The Colonels followed up with a five-yard touchdown run at the 7:54 mark. The Mounties lead 34-13 after the failed Woodlawn PAT.
The Mounties closed out the scoring with a 34-yard run by Clarke, his third score of the night, with 4:30 remaining in the game. Aguilar’s PAT pushed the Mountie lead to 41-13.
Woodlawn score with five seconds on the clock to make the final score 41-20
The Mounties travel to Leeds on Friday night.
