By DREW GRANTHUM/Sports Writer

MONTEVALLO — On a night marked by steady rain that led to messy field conditions, the Vincent Yellow Jackets took down the Montevallo Bulldogs, 48-7, in both squads’ 2013 season finale.

The Jackets took the ball to begin the game, but were halted by the Dawgs’ defense after seven plays.

Following the VHS punt, Montevallo’s drive ended after three plays when Zac Oden’s pass was intercepted by Daniel Hawkins. A few plays later, Michael Gilham hit Hawkins for an 11-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was no good, and the Jackets led 6-0 with 4:35 left in the first.

The Bulldogs responded with a seven-play drive that ended when Michael Arnold scored on a 9-yard run. The extra point from Diego Martinez was good, and the Dawgs led 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.

It was short-lived, however, as a 61-yard strike from Gilham to Jace Green put the Jackets up 13-7 following the extra point.

The rain began to take its toll on the game, as grip both on the ball and on the field began to come at a premium. Vincent responded by turning to running back Rodney Groce for its next touchdown, this time from three yards out. The extra point was good, and the Jackets led 20-7 with 3:24 left in the half.

Montevallo, meanwhile, struggled to get its ground game going, punting on its next drive.

Vincent took two plays to score on another deep pass from Gilham, this time from 56 yards out. After a missed extra point, the Jackets took a 26-7 lead into half.

Following intermission, the Bulldogs took the ball, driving all the way to the Vincent 13 before turning it over on downs.

A reverse pass on the next play saw Gilham hit Ryan Kelow for 87 yards and score gave Vincent a 33-7 lead after the kick.

Vincent got on the board again with 3:38 left in the third when Groce returned a punt for a touchdown. The kick was no good, giving the Jackets a 39-7 lead.

A late field goal and a Hawkins fumble return for a touchdown gave Vincent a 48-7 final score.

Head coach Jason Hill said that while his team was unable to make the playoffs, the 6-4 final record was something the squad could build off of.

“(We’re) very proud of our young men,” he said. “We finished (a complete game) for the first time all year. That’s a testament to our assistant coaches. They do a great job of getting a game plan together.”

Stats for either team were unavailable for either team at press time. The win gives Vincent its third straight winning season, while Montevallo falls to 1-9 on the season with the loss.