Tabernacle Burns Victory Christian 68-12
GARDENDALE, AL – The Tabernacle Christian Torches lit up the scoreboard Friday night, securing a dominant 68-12 homecoming victory over the visiting Victory Christian Eagles from Columbus, MS. The win keeps the Torches undefeated at home for the 2025 season and marks a critical CFA conference win keeping Tabernacle’s playoff hopes alive with two games remaining.
From the opening whistle, the Torches’ offense established its authority. The game began with a spectacular 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Landn Irvin to Tucker Andrews on the very first play from scrimmage. Irvin followed up by running in the two-point conversion himself, putting Tabernacle ahead 8-0 just 20 seconds into the contest.
The offensive onslaught continued throughout the first half, demonstrating the power of the Tabernacle attack.
First Half Firepower
Following a quick defensive stop, the Torches’ offense went back to work. Irvin extended the lead with a rushing touchdown later in the first quarter. A successful two-point conversion pass from Irvin to Andrews pushed the score to 16-0. The Tabernacle defense proved relentless, forcing a three-and-out highlighted by back-to-back sacks, quickly returning possession to their high-powered offense.
Though a long scoring run by senior Braden Odom was negated by a penalty, the defense immediately created another scoring opportunity. Freshman standout Kobe Sharp intercepted an Eagles pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. Andrews caught another two-point conversion, widening the gap to 24-0 midway through the second quarter.
The Torches’ defense continued to stand tall. A sack by Austin Batson forced a fourth down, and a failed fake punt by the Eagles gave Tabernacle excellent field position at midfield. Sharp once again displayed his electric playmaking ability, breaking free for a 50-yard rushing touchdown to give the Torches a 30-0 advantage.
The Victory Christian Eagles found their first points late in the half, returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to make the score 30-6 with 3:23 remaining. However, Braden Odom answered immediately for Tabernacle, returning the next kickoff for a touchdown of his own. Aden Garrett secured the two-point conversion catch, pushing the lead to 38-12. The Eagles managed one more score before halftime, connecting on a long touchdown pass to narrow the lead to 38-12. The half concluded with a sack by Aiden Garrett, ending the Victory Christian threat.
Second Half Dominance
With a running clock implemented for the second half, the game progressed quickly. The Torches recovered an onside kick to start the third quarter. Long runs by Odom and Irvin, along with a significant reception by Andrews, set up another rushing touchdown for Irvin, the junior signal caller powered through an Eagle defender to cross the goal line. Irvin added the two-point conversion on the ground, making the score 54-12.
The defense forced another turnover on downs, and a long run by Kobe Sharp concluded the third quarter. The fourth quarter began with a 25-yard touchdown run from Irvin, extending the commanding lead to 60-12.
After another strong defensive stand, highlighted by a fourth-down sack from Odom and Andrews, the offense took the field one last time. The game concluded with a long touchdown run by Tucker Andrews, followed by a powerful two-point conversion run from Coleton Tidwell, who ran over an Eagles defender to put the game on ice at 68-12.
Looking Ahead
The decisive CFA conference win improves the Torches’ record to 2-4 on the season, 1-2 in conference play. The Eagles remain winless at 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
Head coach Josiah Davis’ Torches will have a bye week before hosting the defending state champion Jacksonville Christian Thunder on Monday, October 20th. Victory Christian will travel to Meridian, MS, to face the Russell Christian Warriors on October 17th.
