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Cyrus Smith scored two touchdowns in overtime and Pat Davidson added the winning extra point to give Greenville its first ever state championship with a 21-20 win over previously undefeated Russellville. The two teams entered overtime tied at 7-7 before the fireworks began.           Pat Davidson booted his third extra point of the evening in the second overtime to lift the Tigers to the 1987 Class 5A state championship. The game was billed as a matchup of great defenses and it lived up to expectations as both defenses shut down the opponents' offense.           Russellville scored their only points during regulation following a Greenville fumble. After Greg West recovered the ball at the Greenville 38-yard line, back-up quarterback Shane Terrell threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Armand White to put the Golden Tigers up 7-0 late in the third quarter.           The lead did not last long as Curtis Peterson fielded the ensuing kickoff at the goal line and proceeded to race 100 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. Peterson made a couple of good moves and outraced the remaining defenders.           Russellville had two more opportunities late in the game but neither team was able to score. The Golden Tigers missed two field goals in the final stanza. The first was from 31 yards and the last, with just 13 seconds remaining, was wide right from 37 yards.           Greenville scored on its first possession in overtime when Cyrus Smith went in from one-yard out. Russellville pulled even on a Chucky Mullins 6-yard touchdown from Shane Terrell and the ensuing extra point by Gary Gunderman. During the second overtime Russellville took the lead after another 7-yard pass from Terrell to Mullins but Gunderman's attempt for the extra point was wide. Greenville then laid claim to their first title on Smith's 7-yard run and the extra point by Davidson.           Greenville outgained Russellville 258-191 but four fumbles kept the game close. It was the first lose for Russellville in a championship game after winning back to back titles in 1967-68. Over the next twenty-two seasons, the Golden Tigers lost six more championship games without winning a single one. Greenville ................................   0   0   7   0   7   7 -21 Russellville ..............................   0   0   7   0   7   6 -20   Russellville: Armand White 30 yard pass from Shane Terrell (Gary Gunderman PAT) Greenville: Curtis Peterson 100 yard kickoff return (Pat Davidson PAT) Greenville: Cyrus Smith 1 yard run (PAT) Overtime Russellville: Chucky Mullins 6 yard pass from Shane Terrell (Gary Gunderman PAT) Overtime Russellville: Chucky Mullins 7 yard pass from Shane Terrell (Gary Gunderman PAT wide) Overtime Greenville: Cyrus Smith 7 yard run (Pat Davidson PAT) Overtime
Greenville 1987 8/28 7 Fairhope . . . . . . . . . . 31 9/4 70 Eutaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 9/11 7 Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . 19 9/18 21 Escambia County . . . . 10 9/25 7 Stanhope Elmore . . . . 0 10/2 28 Opp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 10/9 49 Central Hayneville . . 0 10/16 24 Andalusia . . . . . . . . . 0 10/23 33 Northview . . . . . . . . . 23 10/30 35 Charles Henderson . . . 7 11/6 38 Eufaula * . . . . . . . . . 15 11/13 13 McAdory * . . . . . . . . . 6 11/20 24 Chilton County * . . . 0 11/27 21 Sylacauga * . . . . . . . 7 12/4 21 Russellville # . . . . . 20 398 13-2 144 * Playoff game # State championship game	Russellville 1987 8/28 31 Muscle Shoals . . . . . 7 9/4 16 Colbert County . . . . . 10 9/11 26 Sheffield . . . . . . . . . 0 9/18 27 Phil Campbell . . . . . 0 9/25 48 Haleyville . . . . . . . . 7 10/2 34 Bradshaw . . . . . . . . . . 0 10/9 38 Curry . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 10/16 7 Cullman . . . . . . . . . . . 0 10/23 35 Fayette County . . . . . 7 10/30 20 Hamilton . . . . . . . . . . 7 11/6 32 Muscle Shoals * . . . . 14 11/13 40 Dora * . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 11/20 7 Pell City * . . . . . . . 0 11/27 17 Colbert County * . . . 0 12/4 20 Greenville # . . . . . . 21 398 14-1 87 * Playoff game # State championship game

  The Memorable Games, a series on the important and memorable games in high school football history

David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org

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