Handley knocks off Clay County

The Handley Tigers faced their first true test of the season Friday night in Ashland against the Clay County Panthers.

They passed with flying colors in a 17-12 region victory.

Handley was able to capitalize on scoring opportunities while holding the defending 2A state runners-up to only a pair of scores.

“It was just two good football teams after the same prize,” Handley head coach Mike Battles said.

On paper, the two teams were as evenly matched as possible. Handley rushed for 189 yards while Clay County gained 177 on the ground.

The Tigers passed for 73 yards while the Panthers passed for 60 yards.

In total, the Handley offense gained 262 yards to Clay County’s 237 yards. Handley was credited with 12 first downs and Clay County had 14 first downs. Penalties were dead even, with both teams committing four penalties for 30 yards. Neither team had any turnovers.

“It was just a matter of not making mistakes and holding on,” Battles said. “Clay County has a fine football team.”

The pivotal play of the game was the 33-yard field goal from Trae Kyles with 6:52 left in the fourth quarter. Handley was up 14-6 before the field goal, but the three points helped take Clay County out of their deadly running game.

“That field goal was big because it put them in a position where they had to make two scores to come back,” Battles said.

Clay County buckled down on the next drive and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:09 left in the game. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 17-12.

The Panthers attempted an onside kick, but failed to recover, giving Handley the ball with just under two minutes left in the game.

From there it was a matter of making one first down to seal the deal. On third and 10, Breyon DeBerry ran for a first down with just over a minute to play, giving Handley the win.

“Our kids played lights out,” Battles said. “They played hard enough to win.”

Handley took the lead in the game late in the second quarter with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Kyles to Jeremy Higgins at the 1:52 mark. The point after gave Handley a 7-0 lead.

Clay County closed the gap in the third quarter with a 12-yard touchdown run with 5:17 left in the quarter. Handley blocked the extra point to retain the 7-6 lead.

Later in the third quarter, Handley got a big boost on a 1-yard touchdown run from Duran Zachery. The point after put Handley on top 14-6.

Kyles’ field goal in the fourth quarter was the key moment, though.

“I think they (Clay County) made big plays when they had to,” Battles said. “We made several big plays on special teams. Those kind of plays are big plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet.”

Battles said he wasn’t as pleased with the offensive performance as he would have liked, but a lot of it is due to the caliber of team Clay County fielded.

“We didn’t play a good ball game offensively,” Battles said. “But Clay County is a good football team and they deserve a lot of credit. We’ve still got a lot of young guys getting that on-the-job training. We’ve still got to get better.”

Kyles led the offense in rushing with 89 yards on 16 carries. Kyles also passed for 73 yards and one touchdown.

Jeremy Higgins led the receivers with two catches for 31 yards and one touchdown.

This week won’t be any easier for Handley. The Tigers will travel to southwest Alabama for a date against 1A powerhouse Sweetwater.

Sweetwater, known for beating some of the toughest teams in the state such as Leroy and Thomasville, will give Handley a tough time in enemy territory.

“They do a good job,” Battles said. “It’s fun watching them on tape. They’re as good as anyone we’ve played.”

Battles said the key to beating Sweetwater will be playing Handley’s kind of game. And of course, not making mistakes.

“Obviously, the biggest thing is not making mistakes,” Battles said. “We’re in hostile territory down there and we can’t give them anything extra. We’ve got to go out there, get the job done, get on the bus and come home.”