|
Fyffe reaches 100-win mark
From staff reports
The Weekly Post
|
|
Published October 29, 2009
It's not often that a high school football team wins 100 or more games in a decade.
In fact, before the 1990s, it had never happened to a DeKalb County team. Plainview broke that curse, gaining 104 victories in the '90s.
Now, Fyffe joins the Bears in the Century Club, winning its 100th game of the 2000s Friday night against West End, in a 54-21 victory.
"It's a great accomplishment for any program," said Red Devil coach Paul Benefield. "I'm blessed to be a part of it. We have players who want to work and win and we have a community that loves football.
"This is something that everybody who played during the '90s can look back on with pride."
The Red Devils became the 20th Alabama team to win 100 for the decade. But for winning percentage, Fyffe is in 12th place for the 2000s.
With longer seasons, more teams are now winning 100 or more in 10 years. During the 1950s or '60s, no team accomplished the feat. In fact, the most games any team played in the '50s was 100, as there were no playoffs at all (every team played a maximum of 10 games per year).
The playoffs started during the '60s but still, the most games played by any team was 104.
In the 1970s, Monroe Academy won 102 games — becoming the first Alabama team to notch the century mark. The number of teams to break the mark rose to four in the 1980s and rose again, to 12 in the '90s.
A total of 22 have a good shot this decade — and Brooks and American Christian can if they go undefeated from here on out.
None of that is to belittle the feat. There are 388 football-playing schools in the state, so making the 100-win club means Fyffe is in the top five percent of all schools for victories. And in 2A, only three-of-64 teams have accomplished the feat. Leroy and Clay County are the others.
Friday's game started with West End (2-7, 2-5) scoring on the opening possession. The Patriots drove 70 yards in seven plays, with Scott Beavers barging in from the 1-yard line with 9:19 left in the first quarter.
It looked like Fyffe (7-2, 6-1) had the answer on the ensuing drive, after Taylor Thrash returned the kickoff 37 yards, to the 48. However, the drive stalled and the Red Devils turned the ball over on downs at the 15.
After forcing a Patriot punt, however, Fyffe went 43 yards to the tying touchdown, with Jesse Westbrook scoring from the 2 with 3:01 left in the quarter. Cody Hurley kicked the PAT.
On West End's next play, Joseph Harris grabbed a Beavers fumble and it took only four plays for the Red Devils to cover the 23 yards and score again, on a 1-yard Westbrook rush. Hurley split the uprights for the extra point.
After several rounds of field-position football, Fyffe scored again, with 5:34 to go until intermission. Westbrook scored from the 14 and Hurley notched the point after.
With the half winding down, West End turned the ball over on downs and on the next play, Thrash broke free for a 52-yard touchdown. Hurley booted the PAT.
Thrash ended with 166 yards on 13 carries.
Fyffe opened the second half with a 42-yard drive, scoring on a 2-yarder by Westbrook. Again, it was Thrash who set up the short field, this time with a 41-yard kickoff return. Hurley again kicked the point after.
It took only three plays for Fyffe to score again, as the Red Devils regained the ball on a fumble and scored on a 29-yard Thrash run. Hurley increased the lead to 42-7.
West End seemed to be winning the late-game field position battle, as Michael Wise pinned Fyffe on the 1-yard line and the Red Devils punted three plays later, giving the Patriots a short 34-yard field to work with.
However, the Red Devils forced a West End punt and once again, Fyffe took possession on the 1. This time, though, Josh Baldwin scampered 21 yards on the first play and followed it up with a 78-yard scoring run. Adam White's extra point try failed.
The Patriots got on the board again, on a 4-yard Beavers run with 7:57 left in the game. The final West End touchdown was a 1-yard Wise run with :24.7 remaining.
Sandwiched in between was a 16-yard Baldwin touchdown. Jason Gass' PAT attempt was wide. Baldwin finished with 119 yards on just four touches.
Fyffe goes to Plainview Thursday.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
