Andy Howard threw three touchdown passes as Albertville beat host Grissom, 34-27 for its first win of the season.
The Aggies (1-3, 1-2 in Class 7A, Region 4) led 20-6 at halftime at Milton Frank Stadium. Grissom closed within 27-21 in the final five minutes, but Albertville put the game away with a late touchdown.
“I’m proud of our guys,” said Albertville coach Chip English, who coached Grissom from 2017-20. “Anytime you can get a win, it’s a good night.”
RELATED: Thursday’s statewide scores
Howard, a sophomore, connected with Givenchy Dorival on a 20-yarder and a 39-yarder and with Hayden Howard on a 15-yarder. Dorival also scored on a 13-yard run. Isaac Henderson scored on a 33-yard run with 1:07 left.
The Tigers (1-4, 0-3) scored on Caleb Hunt’s 95-yard interception return, Tristan Graham’s 33-yard run and two touchdown passes by Rynzo Crutcher. He threw a 48-yarder to Franklin Johnson and an 18-yarder to Mark Howard.
Star of the game: Howard completed 13-of-23 passes for 183 yards for three touchdowns with two interceptions. Dorival had seven catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns plus his TD run.
Play of the game: Trailing 27-21, Grissom was forced to punt from its end zone with a minute and a half left. Albertville took over on the Tigers 40. Three plays later, the Aggies scored on Henderson’s run.
Stat sheet: Albertville’s Kaleb Gant had 16 carries for 60 yards. Grissom’s Mark Howard had 14 carries for 60 yards.
By the numbers: 323, Albertville total yards with 140 rushing and 183 passing. 429, Grissom total yards with 231 rushing and 198 passing. 5, Grissom turnovers with three lost fumbles and two intercepted passes. 19, Grissom penalties for 184 yards. 8, wins apiece by the teams in this series all time. Grissom won 55-0 in 2020.
Coachspeak: “At times, our guys executed. Unfortunately there were times where we didn’t. And it made the game closer than maybe it should’ve been. I’m happy for Albertville. I’m happy for our guys.” – English.
“Turnovers, they’ve been our enemy for a while and it resurfaced again tonight.” – Grissom coach Rich Dutton.
They said it…: “We made mistakes, but we stayed up and played through them. It (this win) is huge. It’s a big momentum booster for the rest of the year.” – Andy Howard.
“We got it done by keeping our composure. And I had to try to help the team be calm and collected.” – Dorival.
What’s next? Albertville will host Boaz while Grissom has an open date.
Ad Choices