Fumbles and an inability to defend the pass resulted in McAdams suffering a 34-8 loss to West Bolivar in a Region 1-1A game.
“We're able to do a good job stopping the run. We just can't stop the ball when it goes in the air. We have to continue to work hard to try to get better,”” said McAdams head coach Kenneth Nelson. “If you want to beat us. That's what you need to do. You need to throw the ball.”
Trey Davis was 16 for 22 passing for 217 and all five West Bolivar touchdowns.
McAdams tied the game at 8-8 in the first quarter when Jalen Perteet ran eight yards for a TD, then added a two-point conversion run. But after that the Bulldogs failed to score with three lost fumbles, falling behind 28-8 at the half.
“We gave away the ball three times,” Nelson said. “We get behind the chains and get behind the score, we have to do some things we are not accustomed to doing and that is throwing the ball. We're not that type of team.”
One of the lost fumbles came on a punt return. “You stop them on defense, then you turn the ball over on special teams,” Nelson lamented. “Usually we play pretty solid on special teams.”
Tromone Bailey led the McAdams offense, running for 63 yards.
McAdams fell to 3-5 and 2-2 in 1-1A. West Bolivar is 6-2.
The top four teams in the region qualify for the MHSAA 1A playoffs that begin Nov. 15. McAdams is currently fifth, trailing West Bolivar and Leflore County at 4-1 and West Tallahatchie and Simmons at 3-1.
McAdams has its homecoming game Friday against West Tallahatchie. Homecoming is one game you hate to lose, Nelson said. “I hope the guys will be ready to go.”
West Tallahatchie is 4-4, coming off an 18-8 victory over Shaw. “They're a gritty team,” Nelson said. “They play hard.”
Fortunately for McAdams, West Tallahatchie is a run-oriented team with more than 70 percent of its yardage coming on the ground.
