By DREW DENNIS/For the Reporter

PINSON — Clay-Chalkville took advantage of three costly Oak Mountain fumbles to put up 22 points off of turnovers in a win over Oak Mountain Nov. 1.  The game was within Oak Mountain’s grasp in the first half but after an OMHS fumble on the first snap of the second half, Clay-Chalkville opened up the flood gates to take the 50-22 win.

Clay-Chalkville was able to get on the board first with an impressive 59 yard touchdown run by Terelle West.  The PAT was good, giving the Cougars a 7-0 lead just 53 seconds into the game. Oak Mountain answered with a nice drive of its own, capped off by Warren Shader’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Chris Johnson, who showed his athleticism going up for the jump ball.  Oak Mountain converted the two-point conversion and took the lead, 8-7, with 7:46 left in the first quarter.

Clay-Chalkville put together a ten-play drive on its next possession that resulted in a 5-yard touchdown run by Christopher Marshall.  The successful PAT gave the Cougars back the lead, 14-8.

Oak Mountain needed an answer on its next drive in a game that was quickly beginning to look like a shootout.  Instead, the Eagles turned over possession on their first fumble of the game giving the cougars excellent field position on Oak Mountain’s 18-yard line.  It took the Cougars only two plays to reach the end zone on Christopher Marshall’s 3 yard touchdown run making the score 21-8 Clay-Chalkville.

Oak Mountain was able to close the deficit to six after a nice drive set up with nice field position after a late hit on the kickoff return.  The momentum was short-lived, as T.J. Simmons took the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for the touchdown increasing the Cougar lead to 28-15 headed into the half.

Oak Mountain’s second fumble of the game came at another costly moment in the game; this time on the first play of the second half setting Clay-Chalkville up at Oak Mountain’s 26 yard line.  Clay-Chalkville was able to take advantage of the turnover on a 19-yard touchdown pass making the score 35-15.

After a 43-yard run by Oak Mountain’s Harold Shader, which set the Eagles up on their opponent’s 5-yard line, Shader pushed it into the end zone to cut the lead to 35-22 after a successful PAT.

On Clay-Chalkville’s next possession, the Cougars were unable to convert on a 42-yard field goal attempt, giving the Eagles back the ball with 6:41 left in the third quarter.  Oak Mountain was unable to capitalize losing its third fumble of the game and setting up Clay-Chalkville with another short field on Oak Mountain’s 27-yard line.

Clay-Chalkville was able to take it into the end zone on Terelle West’s 2-yard touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion gave the Cougars a 21 point lead, 43-22 with 2:13 left in the third quarter.  Terelle West managed to find the end zone again on an 85-yard touchdown run, making the final score Clay-Chalkville 50, Oak Mountain 22.