Flashes finish season with loss to Winston Academy

Published 12:37 am Saturday, October 21, 2023

St. Aloysius completed its historic season by doing something no other football team at the school had done in 110 years — even if it didn’t want to.

Omar Scott scored four rushing touchdowns and caught a TD pass, all in the first half, as Winston Academy defeated St. Al 35-14 on Friday night.

St. Al (0-10, 0-4 MAIS District 2-4A) finished the program’s first winless season since the 1913 squad went 0-2. The Flashes will head into the offseason with a school-record 19-game losing streak.

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“Nobody ever wants to be on that side of history,” St. Al coach Bubba Nettles said.

Injuries and a lack of depth plagued St. Al all season, but did have one bright side. Four ninth-graders and one eighth-grader saw playing time Friday, and they should help form the nucleus of a brighter future.

“We build on the fact that it was an unfortunate thing all year only having four seniors. You always love to have a big senior class. But returning almost everybody and getting these great ninth-graders moving up, it gives us excitement for sure,” Nettles said.

The Flashes’ four seniors — linemen Land Oglesby and Brady Harrell, linebacker Caleb Tucker and running back Damien Reeves — also played their final high school game. Nettles said he was proud of them for seeing it through.

“I’m proud of these seniors. I hate to see them go. Great group of kids that worked hard,” he said. They were the nucleus of our football team. But it’s time for the offseason to start and get ready for next season.”

Scott scored on runs of 12, 73, 78 and 37 yards for Winston Academy (6-4, 1-3) in the first half, and caught a 26-yard TD pass from Holder Tidwell to give the Patriots a 35-0 lead at halftime.

St. Al finally got on the board in the third quarter with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Carson Smith to Sadler Lambiotte. Smith also threw a 22-yard TD pass to Walt Andrews in the fourth quarter. Reeves caught the two-point conversion pass that made it 35-14.

Smith finished with 141 passing yards and two touchdowns, as well as 34 rushing yards. Thompson Fortenberry had 104 total yards — 40 rushing and 64 receiving — as well as 10 tackles on defense.

“I think the first half they were kind of stressed out. It kind of blew up on them a little bit,” Nettles said. “We went in at halftime, readjusted, and they came out the second half and played lights out football. I know for a fact they had a ton of fun in that second half.”