Too many turnovers and too few players added up to a 53-6 McAdams loss against Hamilton, dropping the Bulldogs to 0-2.
McAdams turned the ball over seven times, five fumbles and two interceptions. The Bulldogs started the game with 15 players and ended it with 14 after Chad Lee suffered a broken ankle that will likely end his season.
Despite the score, first-year coach Roy Rigsby noted improvement from the season opener, a 40-0 loss to Sebastopol. “The score might be worse but there was some improvement,” he said, but added. “As a coach you want to see major improvement, but there was only minor improvement.”
Jay Harmon scored the Bulldogs' touchdown on a quarterback run in the fourth quarter. Rigsby said Harmon and outside linebacker Chris Harmon played well for the Bulldogs.
Offensively, Hamilton did most of the damage on the ground. Eight Lions carried 32 times for 281 yards and all eight TDs. Kyzer Verner was the leading ball carrier with 12 runs for 74 yards and three TDs. Evan Pounders was five of six passing for 71 yards.
Hamilton is 2-0, outscoring opponents 94-12.
McAdams has a road game with Ethel Friday. The Bulldogs and the Tigers are no longer in the same region, but it's still a rivalry game between two Attala County schools.
“You're always excited about playing a rivalry game. I just hope we are tuned in and get better focus on the field when the lights go on,” Rigsby said.
He described Ethel as a well-coached, powerful team with a strong running game. “It's going to be a battle.”
The Tigers are 1-1 with a 42-14 win over Enterprise-Lincoln and a 35-0 loss to Clarkdale.
McAdams and Ethel did not play last year because McAdams was quarantined.. In 2020, Ethel pulled out a 23-20 victory, ending a 13-game losing streak. Prior to that, McAdams had won four in a row in the series
