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By SCOTT MIMS | Special to the Reporter

MONTEVALLO – West Blocton handed Montevallo its first loss of the season, 10-7, in the kind of nail-biter that the rivalry has become known for.

Now, the West Blocton Tigers and Montevallo Bulldogs have split their four most recent games, the previous three of which had been decided by a single point.

Despite the loss, Montevallo coach Blake Boren is optimistic that his team’s resilience and toughness will prevail in the coming weeks.

“We still have a lot to play for,” Boren said. “Our kids played incredibly tough, and that says a lot for our program. We like our team, and adversity hits everyone, and I think what defines us will be how we rebound and how we continue to play.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Montevallo’s Dee Cutts intercepted a pass and the Bulldogs took over on their own 3-yard line—however, the Tigers recovered a fumble in the end zone for a safety.

West Blocton missed a field goal attempt with 6:05 in the second, and Montevallo showed promise with big gains by Rozario Conwell and Braxton King. But at halftime, the score remained 2-0.

Back from intermission, the Bulldogs got on board with a 5-yard touchdown run by Conwell and the resulting PAT courtesy of Ben Locks, giving Montevallo a 7-2 lead.

The Bulldogs would hold on to their lead until the 9:58 mark in the fourth quarter, when West Blocton scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown and tacked on a 2-point conversion to make it 10-7.

West Blocton recovered a fumble and took the ball as far as the Montevallo 8-yard line but turned the ball over on downs. Then, the teams exchanged punts and Montevallo found themselves in possession with just 2 seconds remaining—unfortunately, the Bulldogs came up short.

For Montevallo, King completed seven of 12 passes for a total 73 yards. Conwell rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries, and King rushed for 53 yards on nine carries. Javon Rogers had four receptions for 32 yards, and Christian Tolbert garnered three receptions for 41 yards.

Defensively, Elfreeman Morton and Charlie Adams each made seven tackles, while Cutts made three tackles and an interception.

Next week, Montevallo faces Jemison at home on Sept. 29 in another region game.