JV Lions hand Santo 46-6 loss
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions junior varsity football team opened its season Thursday, Aug. 26 with a 46-6 victory over Santo at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium.
The JV Lions host Dublin at approximately 7:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1 (tonight), in their second outing of the season. The game will follow two junior high games, the first of which starts at 4:30 p.m.
Against Santo, Albany took advantage of five possessions starting in Santo territory. Brody Oliver passed for three touchdowns, and Breylon Billington ran for two.
Albany finished with 249 total yards (149 rushing, 100 passing) and gained 14 first downs. The Lion defense held Santo to 96 total yards (44 rushing, 52 passing) and four first downs.
“Defensively, we played really well,” coach David Fairchild reported. “Woods Peterson, Ethan Green, Shawn Keen, Calhan Fairchild, Jaxson Street, and Huffman Heatly had good games. Offensively, Brody Oliver, Calhan Fairchild, Shawn Keen, Huffman Heatly, Jackson Shack, and Laithe Leech along with Breylon Billington played well.”
Green had an interception that he returned 38 yards in the second half.
Oliver finished 9 of 12 passing. Keen rushed for 56 yards with Heatly adding 45 and Billington 26. Heatly caught three passes for 10 yards with Calhan Fairchild catching two for 31 yards. Keen, Street, Cade Fairchild and Mason McCloy each caught one pass.
Albany opened up a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter. Keen took a short pass 23 yards to cap the opening drive, with Billington running for the conversion. Calhan Fairchild capped the next drive with a 13-yard TD run, getting a key block from Leech, and Oliver passed to Heatly for the conversion.
Heatly then caught a 7-yard scoring pass on the first play of the second quarter with Street catching the conversion pass to make it 24-0.
Santo answered with its lone score on a 1-yard run. The Wildcats gained three of their first downs on the drive, including a 44-yard pass on third down to set up the TD.
On the conversion attempt, Street recorded a sack and forced a fumble that Billington scooped up and returned for a two-point touchdown for the Lions.
Street capped the ensuing drive by catching a 21-yard TD pass from Oliver with 48 seconds left in the half to give Albany a 32-6 lead.
In the third quarter, Billington scored on runs of 2 and 12 yards. Heatly ran for the conversions on the last TD to close out the scoring.
Billington had a 22-yard score in the final minute of the game called back on a penalty. The Lions then took a knee to run out the clock.
