Lions open with Faith’s 300th win
By Donnie A. Lucas
It was a win for the record books, both for Coach Denney Faith and the Albany Lion program in general.
The Lions opened the 2019 season with an 18-3 win over the Colorado Wolves last Friday – avenging last season’s opening loss, giving head coach Denney Faith his 300th career victory and pushing the Albany program one notch closer to setting a program record of 700 wins this year.
The Lions will host Dublin in their home-opener this week, with kickoff on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Robert Nail Stadium.
Special pre-game activities are slated for 7:15 p.m. to officially dedicate the field in honor of Faith in recognition of his 37 years as an Albany coach, including the last 32 seasons as head coach. Faith’s head coach record is 300-101-4, four of which are state final appearances in 1991, 2009, 2014, and 2015.
Faith has joined an elite group of just a dozen football coaches in Texas to reach the 300 mark, with only four who are still coaching.
The Albany ISD Board of Trustees voted earlier in the year to designate the field at Robert Nail Stadium as Faith Field. The unveiling of a sign mounted at the top of the press box is planned prior to the kickoff, along with the dedication of the field.
Albany’s football program could break the 700-win mark this season, currently standing at 693, to join 11 programs across the state that have reached the milestone.
Faith is expecting a battle against Dublin, a member of District 6-3A Div. 2, especially following their 45-6 romp over Hico last week in their season opener.
“We know they have a really good quarterback and a very good running back,” Faith said. “Their quarterback is big and strong, and he throws as well as he can run. He also has a big offensive line to get behind.”
The coach said that the game will be a real test for Albany.
The JV Lions will play in Dublin on Thursday following a pair of junior high games starting at 4:30 p.m.
Lions Win
Defensive Battle
Albany came out on top of a tough defensive game in Colorado City.
“Opening the season with a win is always positive,” Faith said, “but we still have a lot of things to correct.”
The coach said the Lions are going to have to pick up stunts, something they didn’t see in scrimmages.
“We saw a lot of variety coming at us,” he said. “We are going to have to get better, but it was the first time for several of our guys to play at the varsity level, and there is room for improvement.”
The coach said that the defense played fast as the game progressed.
“We had to adjust at first, but the guys defended well against an option offense after a few plays,” the coach said. “Defensive ends Gregori Mikeska and Parker Henry both did an exceptional job of putting pressure on their quarterback.”
He also commended Blaine Kayga and Cade Neve for an interception each, and Albany also recovered two fumbles.
“Dillon Hindman ran a fumble back for a touchdown,” Faith said, “and Isaiah Dockins recovered the other fumble to set up a scoring drive for us.”
On the offensive side, Faith said the line defended Albany quarterback Ben West as well as it should have.
“They ran different blitz packages at us than we were prepared for,” he said. “We have to be able to adjust quickly to situations like that.”
Robert Bailey was the leading rusher with 97 yards on 13 carries for one touchdown, followed by Jaheim Newton with 44 yards on 10 carries.
Kayga had three receptions for 57 yards to lead in receiving yardage, and Hindman caught two passes for 29 yards including a touchdown.
“Jaheim and Robert both rushed well in the game, and Blaine and Dillon had big receptions,” Faith said.
The coach said that the special teams still have work to do.
“It is early in the season, and we are behind a little on special teams, but we have got to get better,” he said. “We will be spending extra time on that this week.”
While the Lions didn’t suffer any new injuries, there are three players still out due to injuries.
Brooks Neece is recovering from a fracture of the femur, but is expected back in two or three weeks. Coby Knight is in rehab for a dislocated elbow, while Brodey Jones is healing from a non-football related accident.
Scoring Summary
Albany – Robert Bailey scored on a 20-yard run. The PAT attempt by Colby Hargett was no good due to a bad snap. 1st quarter - 1:01. Score 6-0.
Colorado City – 30-yard field goal by Zach Thompson. 2nd quarter - 9:30. Score 6-3.
Albany – Dillon Hindman returns fumble recovery 21 yards for touchdown. PAT attempt by Colby Hargett was no good due to bad snap. 3rd quarter - 10:10. Score 12-3.
Albany – Ben West passes to Dillon Hindman for 29-yard touchdown. PAT attempt by Colby Hargett is no good. 4th quarter - 10:34. Score 18-3.
