Evangel wins return to 11-man play against Abbeville Christian at Larry Simmons Stadium

Published 1:18 am Saturday, August 24, 2024

By Andrew Simonson

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By CHRIS MEGGINSON | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – Playing 11-man football for the first time since 2021, Evangel Christian School struck down the Abbeville Christian Academy Generals, 28-7, on Friday, Aug. 23. The game was played in the recently renovated Larry Simmons Stadium.

“It was a good win for us and a great crowd,” Evangel coach Tim Smith said. “The city of Alabaster supported us well tonight. Getting back into 11-man was fun. I think our kids enjoyed it and I think our fans loved it. I’m very appreciative of the city and the way our fans showed up. The stadium was full.”

Penalties, negative yardage and swapped turnovers started the night, but quarterback Kemp Swords helped the Lightning settle into the new formation. Swords put ECS on the board with an 8-yard quarterback draw with 5:47 to play in the first quarter. It was the first of two touchdowns for the senior, who rushed for 93 yards and threw for 106 on 17-of-31 passing.

An Evangel drive stalled late in the second quarter, but Will Ward executed a fake punt, passing on the run to Swords for a 46-yard gain. Cade Joiner capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown. With a 14-0 lead, Evangel continued its aggressive calls on special teams, converting an onside kick. Swords later scored from 18 yards out to give Evangel a 21-0 halftime lead.

Smith said he thought the team relaxed a bit in the second half as both teams were scoreless in the third quarter.

“We did some things that were not very smart football,” Smith said. “Abbeville was playing hard, and I’m proud of the effort our players gave in the end.”

Evangel fought back to score late on a 9-yard Nick Cloud touchdown. Cloud rushed 91 yards, scoring on his final touch of the night.

“I’m really proud of Nick,” Smith said. “That’s the best game he’s ever had. He wasn’t even a running back. He was a lineman last year. We asked him to get some tough yards, and he did. He helped us milk the clock.”

The defense finished 29 seconds shy of a shutout, as Mason Staehle threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Shi Crawford in the final minute of the game.

Eli Black led the Evangel defense with nine tackles and a fumble recovery, followed by Simon Stafford and Reed Castleberry’s seven tackles. Cloud had six stops on defense, and Wesley Holmes had four. Nick Sanders was 4-for-4 on his first extra point attempts this season.

Evangel (2-0) will continue its 11-man schedule next Friday, Aug. 30, with a trip to Legion Field in Birmingham to challenge Banks Academy.

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