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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor 

VINCENT – Vincent is seemingly sitting in a good situation to start the 2018 football season, but with a new head coach always comes some adjustment, and for the Yellow Jackets, an opening-night 49-18 loss to White Plains at home on Friday, Aug. 24, showed there is still some work to get done.

While the Jackets returned a good cast of players this season, they were taking on a White Plains team that was two classifications higher in 4A, and were also breaking in new head coach Lucas Weatherford.

Still buying into Weatherford’s system, stamina, depth and other things are the big emphasis spots for Vincent this season, and while the final score was lopsided, the Yellow Jackets showed some of those things in the first half of the game.

The Wildcats showed their strength early in the game, but Vincent never let the game get out of reach in the first half.

After falling behind, the Yellow Jackets were able to claw back and get within eight points early in the second quarter to make the score 14-6 with 10 minutes left until the halftime break.

That score held up for all of three minutes before White Plains scored again to extend the lead to 14 points at 20-6 with 6:47 left until the half.

Neither team really gathered much steam the rest of the half, as Vincent’s defense stepped up to keep things from getting out of control before even getting to the half.

Vincent did one better than keep themselves within shouting distance when the Yellow Jackets scored less than three minutes into the second half to cut the deficit to just eight points at 20-12, which made the game a one possession game with 9:20 remaining in the third quarter.

This is where the depth and stamina of a 2A classification team comes into play with several players playing on both sides of the ball. Normally the third quarter is where it starts to decline and over the next five minutes, White Plains scored two touchdowns and converted two 2-point conversions to really bust the game open in a hurry, taking a 36-12 lead.

Vincent scored shortly after to make the score 36-18, but it didn’t take long at all before the Wildcats added on another touchdown to extend the lead again.

Down 42-18 with 8:46 remaining, it was too much for the Yellow Jackets to overcome as White plains tacked on one more touchdown late to win by the final score of 49-18.

Chris Hardie led the Jackets on the ground with 14 carries for 71 yards, while Tae McGregor added two carries for 39 yards and one touchdown.

Dusty Davis was 5-of-8 passing for 93 yards and two touchdowns, while Robbie Albright had three catches for 38 yards and one touchdown. Malik Hamilton also had one reception for 39 yards and a touchdown.

While Vincent fell to 0-1 on the season, the Yellow Jackets will have plenty of chances to gain momentum moving forward with 1A Autuagaville on the schedule next week and their playoff hopes still very much a real possibility.

See more photos from the game here.

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