By CURTISS DUNCAN / For the Reporter

HOOVER – For the second straight week the Evangel Lightning retuned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Hunter Price scrambled 87 yards to give Evangel the early edge over previously undefeated Franklin Classical Knights who fell at Hoover Central Park 38-32 to the Lightning Friday.

Franklin posted a counter attack with a 12-yard touchdown run to tie the game 8-8, but Evangel’s J.T. Miller ripped out a 23-yard run to regain the lead, 16-8. Franklin answered again, but failed on its two-point try to fall behind by two. Luke Miller tacked on a 9-yard TD run, followed by an 11-yard TD reception by Franklin to cut the halftime lead to 22-20.

Price, who completed the night with 377 yards of total offense at quarterback and kick returner, broke down the Knights’ special teams once again in the second half with a 99-yard kick return to take a 30-20 lead.

Although trailing by 10 points, the Knights were not ready to be denied their glory, scoring 12 unanswered points to take a 32-30 lead with just under three minutes to play.

Price had one last flash for the lightning, a 7-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to Jacob Snuggs with 24 seconds to play.

Lance Hipps ran in the two-point try for his third of the night to put the game away. Hipps finished with 107 yards in the game off 14 carries and leading the defense with 1.5 tackles.

The Knights entered the game 2-0 and scoring at an average of more than 60 points a game, but Evangel’s defense held the Kinghts to less than 200 yards of total offense.

Evangel hosts Randolph School from Huntsville on Sept. 14.

football: evange