Tigers Pluck Eagles

The meeting between the two teams will be the first since 1944, when the Eagles defeated the Tigers 19-0 on the road.

“They’ve got a young football team, but they do have some talent,” said coach Steve Savage. “They’ve got good skilled people, they run well, they’ve got some athleticism. They’ve got a good quarterback, and some good running backs. They’ll give us some problems on defense because they’ll swarm to the football. They’ve got a decent football team.”

Athens Christian

Commerce took control early on in Friday night’s game at Athens Christian, as the Tigers marched down the field 75 yards in 13 plays on their first possession, resulting in Addison Davis scoring on a run from 13 yards out to make it a 7-0 game in the first quarter.

The Tigers returned to the Eagles’ end zone in the second quarter after driving 78 yards on 14 plays, Davis scoring again on a nine-yard run. This time, however, Athens Christian blocked the extra point, leaving it a 13-0 game.

The Tigers’ third TD was set up by an ACS special teams mistake. A long snap on a punt attempt sailed over the kicker’s head, and the Tigers pounced on the ball the Eagles’ two-yard line, opening the door for another Commerce touchdown.

Two plays later, Cody Streetman ran in those two yards to score. A successful two-point conversion gave the Tigers a 21-0 lead going into the half.

The Tigers next score came on an 11-yard run from Davis after a 92-yard drive. The point after made it a 28-0 lead.

While Commerce failed to score in the fourth quarter, Athens Christian managed to get its lone touchdown on the board, making it 28-7. That’s as close as they would get, as the Tigers cruised on to win their region opener.

For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Commerce News.