Tables turned: Montevallo dominates Calera in opener
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Chad Glass was tired of doing pushups.
The senior quarterback and other Montevallo players had done lots of them since falling to Calera in the season opener last year.
Always 34 at a time &045;&045; one for each point the Eagles scored against Montevallo in last year’s lopsided contest between the two rivals separated by just six miles of Highway 25.
&uot;We did 34 pushups every day for punishment because that’s how many points they scored on us last season,&uot; Glass said.
There won’t be any pushups done in the name of Calera by the Bulldogs this year, as Montevallo avenged last season’s defeat with a 33-22 victory over the Eagles at Theron Fisher Stadium Friday night.
The return of A.J. Ward, who broke his leg the first day of baseball practice, came earlier than anticipated for Montevallo.
Ward was back in the starting lineup for the Bulldogs and appeared to be close to old form, rushing for 84 yards and a touchdown on eight carries to put Montevallo up 6-0 at halftime.
Ward sat out the second half, giving way to a host of other Montevallo backs who led a scoring explosion that netted 27 points in the third quarter.
Montevallo’s first drive after the break was capped by a 15-yard touchdown run by Phillip Evans.
Glass then picked off a Calera pass, his first of two interceptions on the night, before Leland Johnson took a handoff on the first play of the ensuing drive 43 yards for the score.
The next play from scrimmage, Johnson picked off a pass on defense and returned it 35 yards for his second touchdown in less than a minute.
Johnson finished with 84 yards and two touchdowns on offense and nine tackles on defense.
The Bulldog defense pressured Calera quarterback T.J. Green all night, recording three sacks and forcing six interceptions.
&uot;Besides the turnovers, I think we just got our butts beat,&uot; said Calera head coach Lanny Jones. &uot;They hit us in the face and we weren’t ready for it. I think after the big win last year, our players just expected to show up and win.&uot;
Montevallo was led defensively by Brian Fulgham’s 15 tackles