Haleyville Upsets Northside

The Haleyville Lions (2-3) upset the Northside Rams (4-1) 35-27.

The first quarter was a defensive battle. Haleyville had a chance to put up points with its first possession, driving the ball down all the way to Northside's 20-yard line before fumbling the ball and turning the ball over to the Rams.

There was no points put up by either team at the end of the first quarter.

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The second quarter started out like the first, both defenses able to hold each team scoreless until five minutes left in the second quarter, where Northside drove the ball all the way to the two-yard line of the Lions. Senior quarterback Braden Green finished the drive off with a two-yard rushing touchdown for the Rams, putting Northside up 7-0 with around five minutes left in the half.

Both teams could not score again in the first half with Northside leading going into halftime 7-0.

Haleyville received the second half kick. The Lions started its first drive of the second half with a 49-yard rush by senior Will Bartes, bringing the Lions to the Rams ten-yard line. After a two-yard rush by Bartes, the Lons would finish off the drive with a eight-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Matthew Coleman to senior receiver James Sutherland to tie the game 7-7.

After the Haleyville touchdown, Northside threw a pick six on the next drive to junior Jackson Kutis who would run it back for 38 yards to put the Lions up 14-7.

Northside threw another interception on its next drive, but this time it was to Sutherland.

Haleyville capitalized off the interception, driving the ball to the Ram's three-yard line where Coleman ran it in for a three-yard rushing touchdown to put the Lions up 21-7.

Northside got the ball at its own 30-yard line after the Coleman touchdown for the Lions. On the first play of the drive, Green would take off for a 70-yard rushing touchdown to bring the game to 21-14.

Coleman returned the kickoff all the way to the Rams' 27-yard line to give Haleyville good field positioning.

The Lions drove the ball down to the Rams' seven-yard line. This is where Coleman finished the drive with a seven-yard rushing touchdown. The Lions went up 28-14, with three minutes left in the third quarter.

Northside responded on its next drive. The Rams started with the ball at its own 29-yard line and drove the ball to the Lion's 15-yard line, with the help of a 36-yard pass from Green to senior receiver Justin Montgomery along the way. At the Lion's 15-yard line, Green finished the drive off with a 15-yard touchdown bringing the Rams within seven of the Lions.

The Lions punt their next drive ending the third quarter.

At the beginning the fourth quarter, the Rams turnover on downs making Haleyville start its next drive at its own 24-yard line.

Haleyville was intercepted by Montgomery for the Rams. This interception set the Rams drive at the Lion's 27-yard line.

The Rams drove the ball to the Lion's five-yard line where Green would run it for a five-yard rushing touchdown, but the Rams missed the extra point. The score is 28-27 with the Lions up by one with five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Lions were forced to punt the ball, giving it to the Rams with three minutes left in the game.

The Rams started its drive at the Lion's 39-yard line after a penalty on the punt return. The Rams got down to the Lion's 22-yard line, when Green threw a pass to the end zone, where senior Hayden Gilbert would intercept the pass running the ball all the way to the Lions 15-yard line.

The Lions ran the ball to its own 34-yard line, called a timeout, then Coleman broke free for a 66-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Lions up 35-27 with 39 seconds left in the game.

The Rams attempted to tie the game with just a second left on the clock by trying a Hail Mary throw, but the ball was batted down as time expired and the Haleyville defense sealed the win on the road.

"This is what high school football is about," said Haleyville head coach Bo Culver. "What our kids have got to realize is this is who we can be night in and night out."

"I think that we need this," said Rams head coach Robbie Jones. "We got to respond, this program has been challenged so many times and it's come back and responded."

Next week, Haleyville travels to West Morgan and Northside has a BYE week.