What started out to be a running clock game ended in a rather tight game,as the Patriots of Winston Academy held on to their 27-0 halftime lead to finish with a 27-12 victory over St. Aloysius from Vicksburg. Winston scored on their first 3 possessions as the visiting St. Al punted on their first 3. Winston got on the scoreboard first with 6:50 left in the opening quarter when Holder Tidwell found Ky Kirk open at the goal line for a 25-yard scoring pass. Tidwell then ran the 2- point conversion in to give his Patriots an 8-0 lead. Then on their next possession. TIdwell hit Kirk down the middle for another touchdown pass for 30 yards with Reed Yates converting the PAT to send the Winston lead to 15-0 with 5:31 left in the first quarter. Another St. Al punt set up Winston's next score when Jackson Hudson took it around the right corner for a 25-yard score with the PAT failing to increase their lead to 21=0 with 31 seconds left in the opener. A St. Al fumble in which Conner Curran recovered, set up the Patriots' next score right before halftime when Tidwell hit Ethan Bourland on a quick look-in pass for a 15-yard touchdown pass. The try for 2 run failed and Winston increased their lead to 27-0 with 22 seconds before halftime. With the expectation of continuing their scoring to start the second half, the Patriots were denied that when they were intercepted near midfield. This set up St Al's first score on an 8- yard run with the PAT failing to send the score to 27-6 with 2:59 left in the third quarter. After a series of punts from both teams, St Al added the final points of the night on a 47- yard run with 1:04 remaining to end the scoring to give Winston the 27-12 win to end their regular season record at 6-4. Offensively, Winston produced 133 yards in rushing, led by Holder Tidwell with 64 yards. He was followed by Jackson Hudson with 35 yards and a touchdown, and Beau Boatner with 24 yards. Tidwell then passed for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns. His leading receivers were Ky Kirk with 60 yards and 2 touchdown receptions, and Reed Yates with 52 yards. Also with receiving yardage were Rett Hatcher and Jayson McMillin each with 17 and Ethan Bourland with 15 yards and a scoring reception. The defense had Judson Joiner leading the tackle chart with 13, followed by Jackson Hudson with 10 and Beau Boatner with 8. Hayes Caperton had a caused fumble and Conner Curran recovered a fumble. So as the regular season comes to an end, the Patriots earned a spot in the state playoffs by hosting their first round at Winston this week. This week, the Patriots will have a second round with St. Al, this time at Patriot Field. Patriots to face St. Al again tonight in playoffs By Robbie Faulk Winston County Journal After a dominant first half, Pat Byrd wasnít pleased with how his Patriots closed against St. Aloysius. The result was a win and thatís all that matters, but the Pats have bigger fish to fry in the playoffs, and putting teams away is at the forefront. WA gave up just 18 yards of offense and one first down in the opening half while building a big lead, but they limped to the finish line. ìSecond half we put it in cruise control and muddied it up,î Byrd said. ìIím very disappointed with how we played in the second half. Weíve got to learn some consistency and learn how to finish the deal. That bothers me a little bit.î After winning five of six games, the Pats lost back-to-back to Central Hinds and Wayne Academy. That was followed up by the 27-12 win against St. Al. Not taking care of business in the previous two games cost the Patriots some positioning in the playoffs, but theyíll be back at home this week for the first round. That matchup will be the same that WA just finished. In a rare occurrence, both WA and St. Al meet for the second week in a row as the Flashes make the trip back to Louisville. ìIn 38 years of coaching, Iíve never played back-to-back like this,î Byrd said. ìThe film swap was easy, and your preparation is fairly simple. Thereís not a lot that needs to be done differently on the scheme size; weíve just got to execute for four quarters. ìYou just worry about the mindset of having to play somebody in a weekís time that you just beat. That always puts you in a bind. Weíve just got to focus on ourselves.î
