Tuscaloosa Trounces Tabernacle 46-8 in Homecoming Matchup

By Jackson Hillis

GARDENDALE, AL – The Tuscaloosa Christian Warriors traveled to Gardendale’s Bill Noble Park to face the Tabernacle Torches in a homecoming night affair for the latter team. The game marked the final region bout for the Torches, who are out of playoff contention with the loss.

Tuscaloosa proved dominant from start to finish, completely controlling the line of scrimmage on offense while touting a stifling pass defense. The Warriors accrued nearly 250 yards of total offense, with all but 26 of those coming from runs. Sophomore back Aiden Smitherman tallied 100 rushing yards on only 4 attempts, including a 90-yard marathon of a touchdown run in the second half. Defensively, Tuscaloosa picked off Torches quarterback Landn Ervin thrice, with two of those interceptions returned for six.

Tabernacle did manage to establish its own ground offense intermittently throughout the game, accounting for 89 yards and their only touchdown. This, paired with a handful of completions from Ervin, made up the Torches’ 150 total offensive yards in the matchup. Senior lineman Alex Tank had his number called on the aforementioned score, snagging the handoff from Ervin inside the 5 and carrying it in for a touchdown.

The Torches move to 1-6 with the loss, wrapping up their season in their upcoming home matchup against Trinity Christian. Tuscaloosa looks to face Victory Christian Academy in their final game before moving on to the ensuing CFA playoffs, which will take place later this month.