Rutherford football nearly pulled off a 22-point comeback Friday, Aug. 21 at Tommy Oliver Stadium, but Union County held on for a 35-34 victory in the Rams’ season opener.
The loss extended Rutherford’s season-opening drought to seven years. The Rams have not won their opener since 2019.
Rutherford trailed 35-13 early in the fourth quarter before junior quarterback Jaleel Reed and running back Jamarion Blount sparked a furious rally.
Reed accounted for three touchdowns during the comeback, while Blount added two rushing touchdowns, including an electric 78-yard score that helped bring the Rams within striking distance.
With Rutherford trailing 35-34 late in the fourth quarter, the Rams opted to go for two and the lead. Blount took the ball but was stopped short, leaving Union County with a one-point advantage.
Rutherford’s defense then gave the Rams one more opportunity.
The Rams stuffed the Fighting Tigers and forced a punt with 50 seconds remaining, giving Rutherford a chance to complete the comeback.
Rutherford marched down the field and reached the Union County 22-yard line, setting up a potential 39-yard game-winning field goal with nine seconds remaining.
But Zavian Olds’ kick missed, ending Rutherford’s comeback bid. Olds finished the night 1-for-5 on field-goal attempts.
Despite the heartbreaking finish, Rutherford coach Albert Floyd praised his team’s fight after falling behind by three scores.
“I told my guys to continue to fight regardless of what happened,” Floyd said. “And man, I’m proud of them because everybody can see in the stadium that they fought. And when they fought at the end of the game, it gave us a chance to win the game.”
Floyd said he had no hesitation about giving Olds another opportunity in the final seconds despite the kicker’s difficult night.
“I showed my guy that we got confidence in him, and if I can do it all over again, we’ll kick the same field goal with nine seconds,” Floyd said. “I guarantee you, he’ll make it.”
For Rutherford, the loss was a painful reminder of how close the Rams came to completing one of the biggest comebacks in program history.
But Floyd believes the experience can help his young team moving forward.
“That one’s supposed to hurt, and I’m glad it hurts, because our guys going to be ready to go on Monday, ready to fight,” Floyd said. “And I’m excited to see what we’ll do in practice on Monday.”
Arnold 27, Freeport 21
Arnold opened its season with a 27-21 victory over Freeport on Friday night at Mike Gavlak Stadium, giving a young Marlins team an early boost of confidence.
Quarterback River Walding scored on a zone-read keeper from the 1-yard line, while Xzavier Morris hauled in a 45-yard touchdown on a corner route. A.J. Morris added a touchdown on a jet sweep, and junior Chase Millican scored his first career varsity touchdown on a slant.
Arnold coach Jason Griffin said the win provided valuable experience for a team with plenty of inexperience coming into the season.
“Some guys grew up tonight,” Griffin said. “We got some of that experience. The only way you can get it was to go out and play.”
Arnold’s defense also had to adjust on the fly after Freeport came out in an offense the Marlins had not seen on film.
“They came out, ran some Wing-T on us,” Griffin said. “And, you know, that’s tough to get ready for in a whole week of practice.”
Griffin credited defensive coordinator Josh Wright and the defensive staff for making the necessary adjustments.
“They bent, but they never broke,” Griffin said.
Local scores
Mosley 15, Choctawhatchee 13
Dothan (Ala.) 35, Bay High 28
Cottondale 30, North Bay Haven 20
Taylor County 47, Bozeman 13
Blountstown 49, Ariton (Ala.) 14
Destin 53, Port St. Joe 13
Adebanji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Rutherford football rally falls short amid series of Week 1 defeats
Reporting by Adebanji Bamidele, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Adebanji Bamidele, Panama City News Herald | USA TODAY Network
