Turnovers and a breakdown in special-teams play proved costly for the Calera Eagles, who fell to Slocomb 41-13 Friday night, ending their season with a 8-3 record.

&uot;Slocomb’s got a good football team,&uot; Calera coach Ken Adams said. &uot;They were a top-five team in the state.&uot;

Calera outgained Slocomb on offense, piling up 340 total yards to Slocomb’s 244 and had 14 first downs to Slocomb’s 13, but turnovers made the difference.

Slocomb returned two fumbles for touchdowns in the contest, one on a bad snap that sailed over punter Corey Turnbloom’s head. With his contact limited because of a shoulder injury, Turnbloom wasn’t able to recover the ball, Adams said.

Calera fumbled nine times on the night, losing possession four times. C.J. Pearson led the Eagles on offense, completing 5 of 9 passes for 62 yards. He also rushed for 174 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Paul Delbridge had 15 carries for 87 yards and the Eagles only other score. Adams said the offensive line deserved credit for a solid performance.

&uot;We had another big game from Delbridge,&uot; Adams said. &uot;Any time your fullback has a great game, you’ve done something on the offensive line.&uot;

David Lacey had 3 receptions for 54 yards for the Eagles.

Calera was led defensively by Tim Baker with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Jake Garzarek had 9 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble for the Eagles, while Scott Hall recorded 11 stops and a fumble recovery.

Calera finished the season with eight wins for the second straight year.

&uot;These kids went out there and paid a price and won eight games,&uot; Adams said. &uot;These seniors have been great, they’ve got something to be proud of.&uot;

Adams said he would like to thank Calera’s principal, coaches, band and the majority of the fans