Lions hold off Dublin for 28-21 win
By Donnie A. Lucas
After a pre-game ceremony when the field at Robert Nail Stadium was named for longtime head football coach Denney Faith, the Lions roared their way to a 14-0 lead in the first period against the Dublin Lions last Friday.
But the visiting Lions didn’t allow Albany to coast to an easy win, with Dublin posting two touchdowns of their own in the fourth quarter and threatening to score what could have been a game-winner late in the bout.
Albany’s defense fended off four passing attempts by Dublin from Albany’s 15 yard line with less than a minute remaining to preserve a 28-21 victory.
Albany will be on the road this week in Eastland for a 7:30 p.m. game against a tough 3A program that Faith said will be the Lions’ biggest challenge yet.
“Eastland will be a step up in the competition level,” the coach said. “They have an outstanding team led by an exceptional quarterback who is being recruited by several D1 colleges.”
Both teams enter the fray with a 2-0 record, including Eastland’s 57-21 win over Comanche and a 49-7 win last week over West.
“This is going to be a big challenge for us, but it is also a great opportunity to improve to a higher level of competition,” Faith said. “There will be a lot of pressure on our defense to stop them both throwing and running the ball.”
During last week’s dedication ceremony before the home opener, Faith thanked all the players, coaches, administrators, board members and the fans for the support and honoring with the naming of the field.
“It is an unbelievable honor to have this field carry my name,” the coach said. “There is much tradition at this field, much of which came well before me. It is overwhelming.”
Faith is currently entering his 33rd year as head coach for the Lions and just last week in the season opener hit the 300-win mark. The Lion football program also has a good chance of hitting the 700-win level this season, standing at 693 after the victory over Dublin.
Improvement Still Needed
Faith was happy with the win over Dublin, which bumped the season record to 2-0.
“I thought we improved some over the first week, but we still have to get better,” he said. “We are expecting the guys to get things worked out more.”
The coach said that the offense played well in certain situations, but not in others.
“We left at least two touchdowns on the field due to turnovers and penalties,” he said. “When we have an opportunity to score, we have to do it.”
Faith commended the efforts of quarterback Ben West, who threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns.
“Passing for 320 yards is a really good number, but we have to get our running game going,” he said. “Dublin had a game plan to keep us from running the ball, but in turn that helped open up our passing game.”
The Lions rushed for just 44 yards on 32 carries.
The coach commended receivers B.J. Morris, Blaine Kayga, Dillon Hindman, and Cade Neve.
Faith said that the defense played well, but there were breakdowns in the secondary that will have to be corrected.
“Going up against a big, strong kid like their quarterback was a challenge,” he said. “He was hard to break down, so he had extra time to keep plays alive.”
Faith said he was very proud of the defense at the end of the game.
“The defense really stepped up at the end of the game to keep Dublin out of the end zone,” he said. “Responding well to that much pressure early in the season was a big positive. I am very proud of the way they reacted to the situation.”
The coach named Parker Henry and Gregori Mikeska as standouts on defense.
“The special teams played well, but we still need to work on our PATs,” he said. “We need better blocking and timing.”
No new injuries were reported from the game, but Faith said there was a lot of soreness from such a physical game.
Scoring Summary
Albany – 1st quarter, 6:52. Ben West pass to Dillon Hindman for 8-yard TD. PAT attempt by Colby Hargett blocked. Score 6-0.
Albany – 1st quarter, 1:26. B.J. Morris 1-yard run for TD. 2-point conversion pass from West to Morris. Score – 14-0.
Dublin – 2nd quarter, 8:39. Cy Wing 10-yard pass to Colton Couch. PAT kick by Christian Ramirez good. Score – 14-7.
Albany – 2nd quarter, 0.29. West 10-yard pass to Morris for TD. Two-point pass from West to Morris good. Score - 22-7.
Albany – 3rd quarter, 3:52. West 25-yard pass to Blaine Kayga for TD. Two-point run by Morris failed. Score – 28-7.
Dublin – 4th quarter, 8:44. Wing 39-yard pass to Hagen Huffman for TD. PAT by Ramirez good. Score – 28-14.
Dublin – 4th quarter, 5:59. Wing 23-yard pass to Couch for TD. PAT by Ramirez good. Score – 28-21.
