FORT PAYNE, Ala. – The Arabian Knights were back on the road Friday night for a battle at Fort Payne and the Wildcats were not friendly hosts. Fort Payne used quick scoring drives to build a 21-7 lead at halftime and was able to continue pulling away in the second half to wrap up a 38-14 win.
Knights quarterback Drew Puccio kept the chains moving on the Knights’ opening possession with some short passes, but the drive stalled once they got into the redzone, and Arab was forced to turn the ball over on downs midway through the first quarter. The Wildcats took advantage of the early stop, driving down the field and punching a 4-yard touchdown run into the end zone to take a 7-0 lead with just over a minute remaining in the opening period.
Arab responded with a methodical drive, working its way down inside Fort Payne’s 5-yard line where Logan Silva ran one into the end zone to cap things off. Aiden Wooten’s extra point tied the game at 7 with five minutes to play in the first half. A big return on the ensuing kickoff set up the Wildcats with great field position and it took them just two plays to find the end zone once again and retake a 14-7 lead. Arab turned the ball over on downs again on its next possession and Fort Payne took advantage of the short field, putting another touchdown on the board in the final two minutes of the second quarter to take a 21-7 lead into the locker room at the halftime break.
The Knights got the second half started by recovering an onside kick but couldn’t take advantage of the extra possession, turning the ball over on downs a few plays later. The Wildcats scored on the ground on their ensuing possession to stretch the lead to 28-7 but Arab answered with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Puccio to Dylan Kirkland on its next drive to cut the lead to 28-14 late in the third quarter. However, the Knights couldn’t add any more offensively and Fort Payne put 10 more points on the board in the fourth quarter to pull away with a 38-14 win.
Arab will be off the next week before hosting a big regional matchup against Boaz Oct. 13.
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