Calhoun County, AL – White Plains brings ‘physicality’ up front, explosiveness from Holloway and Perry while opening with 35-20 victory at Talladega.
This week’s games
THURSDAY, Aug. 22
Wellborn 46, Munford 12 (varsity half 32-12), jamboree
Spring Garden 41, Sand Rock 7
White Plains 35, Talladega 20
FRIDAY, Aug. 23
Anniston at Cleburne County (jamboree)
Hokes Bluff at Westbrook Christian (jamboree)
Central-Clay at Handley
Piedmont at Cherokee County
Donoho at Gaylesville
Glencoe at Southeastern
Jacksonville at Etowah
Jacksonville Christian at Tuscaloosa Christian
Shelby County at Lincoln
New Hope at Ohatchee
Oxford at Central-Carrollton (Ga.)
Pleasant Valley at West End
Mt. Zion (Ga.) at Ranburne
Woodland at Randolph County
Saks at Horseshoe Bend
Guntersville at Southside
Wadley at B.B. Comer
Weaver at Oak Grove
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
TALLADEGA — P.J. Holloway’s explosiveness was one adjustment away Thursday.
The White Plains’ speedster rushed for 168 of his 203 yards in the second half and scored all three of his touchdowns after halftime, and the Wildcats opened the season with a 35-20 victory at Talladega.
Holloway, who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at a University of Alabama camp this summer, showed his burst with touchdown runs of 57, nine and 10 yards. A 44-yard run set up his 9-yard touchdown run.
All three of his touchdowns came in the third quarter, as White Plains (1-0) turned a 14-0 halftime edge into a 35-6 lead.
“We made a lot of adjustments at halftime,” Holloway said. “We saw a couple of holes, made a fix, a couple of blocks, and that’s it.”
Second-year White Plains coach Blake Jennings
“We were picking up the wrong guy, one of our guards was, in the first half,” Jennings said. “He made that adjustment, and you seen that big run in the third quarter.
“We knew we were going to get it, but we just had to make that little adjustment and block the right guy.”
Holloway’s performance was the centerpiece of a strong overall performance for White Plains. Rodney Perry added 99 yards rushing, with two touchdown runs of two yards … one in the first quarter and one in the second,
Perry also came up with two of five turnovers forced by White Plains’ defense, recovering a fumble and coming up with an interception.
White Plains also got interceptions from Aiden Kilgore and Bryson Cheatwood and a fumble recovery from Cash Pritchett.
Cheatwood blasted all five extra points with room to spare, and Crew Martin completed nine of 14 passes for 104 yards.
“I’m proud of our kids for fighting and competing,” Jennings said. “Talladega is much, much improved. Both teams are much improved from last year.”
Jennings saw the biggest improvement in White Plains’ “physicality.”
“We were a lot more physical than last year,” Jennings said. “You see people like Hudson Ingalsbe, Ty Roberts and Dalton Lukar absolutely mauling folks at times, they get after those guys. I seen a lot of pancakes out of those guys tonight.”
White Plains came within one victory of making the playoffs for the second time in its history last season. After knocking on the door, the Wildcats hope to kick it in this season.
“We’ve got a lot to prove,” Perry said. “There’s a burden on our backs. We’ve got a lot to prove this year.
“It’s making the playoffs. We’ve got a lot of people doubting us, and I believe we can do it.”
Talladega, coming off consecutive 0-10 seasons, played its first game under first-year coach Damien Dorsey, the former Wellborn and Anniston standout who played for Louisville.
The Tigers matched White Plains’ three touchdowns in the second half Thursday. Quarterback Xzay Lyles hit scramble-drill touchdown passes of 19 yards to Jaden Jones and 12 yards to Malik Smith.
Lyles also rushed 16 yards for a touchdown.
“We played with heart,” Dorsey said. “We just can’t turn the ball over, but we played with heart. …
“We scored 20. That means we’ve got to get better on defense.”
