By Heath Hambrick, Fort Payne Times-Journal
FYFFE – Class 3A, No. 6 Fyffe continued its dominance against No. 10 Collinsville in Region 8 football action on Friday. The Red Devils won their 26th straight meeting in the series by pulling away for a 58-22 victory.
Fyffe’s opening drive began with seven minutes to go in the first quarter. The Red Devil offense took only four plays to answer Collinsville’s opening score.
On the drive, Maddox Doss had a 40-yard run to set up a 23-yard touchdown run from Ryder Gipson. Fyffe converted the 2-point play, but it was called back due to a penalty, and then Fyffe missed the extra point. The score was now 7-6 Collinsville with 5:48 to go in the opening quarter.
On their ensuing possession, the Panthers appeared to be marching for another scoring drive until Mason McAteer was picked off by Fyffe’s Ryder Smith at the 10-yard line.
Fyffe ran out the remainder of the first quarter, and with 10:16 to go in the second, Doss scored from seven yards out to give the Red Devils the lead. After the 2-point conversion, Fyffe led 14-7.
Collinsville answered with a nine-play drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from McAteer to Jeremiah Killian with 5:37 left in the second. Collinsville tied the game at 14 with the extra point.
The Red Devils’ next drive took less than 30 seconds after a pair of 45-yard runs from Gipson, with the second one being his second touchdown of the night. Fyffe made the 2-point conversion to take a 22-14 lead.
The Panthers went on a 15-play 67-yard drive to close out the first half with a touchdown run from McAteer that tied the game at 22 at halftime.
Fyffe opened the second half with the first passing touchdown of the year for Doss, a 25-yard completion to Cooper Harrison. Fyffe converted the 2-point play for a 30-22 lead with 8:09 remaining in the third.
Fyffe’s defense finally forced a punt to give the ball back to the Red Devil offense. Gipson converted a 4th-and-4 with a 43-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 28-22 after another 2-point play.
Collinsville’s offense turned the ball over again as Fyffe’s Hunter Latham picked off McAteer for the second time on the night.
The Red Devils made quick work with a five-play drive capped off with another Gipson touchdown from seven yards out. Gipson also added the 2-point conversion to give Fyffe a 46-22 lead with under two minutes to go in the third quarter.
After another Collinsville punt, Ryder Smith scored to extend the Red Devil lead 52-22.
The Fyffe defense forced another punt, and Brody Freeman scored the game’s final touchdown as the Red Devils improved to 2-1 and 1-0 in region play.
Collinsville dropped to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in region play. The Panthers travel to Whitesburg Christian next Friday.
