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The Greatest Games

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          In 2004, the Foley Lions suffered through the only 0-10 season in the history of the school. The following year, Coach Todd Watson took over the helm at Foley and led the Lions back to the playoffs.

           On Oct. 27, 2005, the Lions traveled to Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile to take on the McGill-Toolen Yellow Jackets in the final game of the regular season for both teams. Foley was 8-1 while the Jackets were 5-4.

           Coach Watson had installed a spread offense upon his arrival and the offense had clicked all season behind quarterback Roosevelt Byrd and a cast of talented wide receivers including Julio Jones. This evening would be no different except they had to do it from behind most of the night.

           McGill built a big lead before the Lions came roaring back to capture the victory. McGill-Toolen grabbed an early 3-0 lead on a 48-yard field goal before Foley came back with Dexter Francis 4-yard run to take a 6-3 lead as the first quarter ended. The Foley score came about as a result of a 39-yard interception return by Cordarrell Bell to the McGill 41. Dexter scored four plays later.

           The Jackets scored on a 19-yard drive following a Foley fumble. Quarterback Austin Pugh got the touchdown on a 2-yard run. Pugh then hit a wide open Shedrick Lafayette for a 44-yard touchdown pass to put McGill up 17-6 with 3:01 remaining in the first half.

           The Lions answered with a 10-play drive ending in a 28-yard touchdown pass from Roosevelt Byrd to Julio Jones. Francis ran for the two-point conversion and Foley trailed 17-14 with seven seconds left in the half.

           The Yellow Jackets took the second half kick off and marched 73 yards in seven plays scoring on a 25-yard touchdown run by Daniel Kalifleh. Following an interception by Phelon Jones, McGill went 26 yards for their next score. It came on a 6-yard run by Kalifleh and gave the Jackets a 31-14 lead with 8:45 to play.

           It seemed McGill had the game in hand at that point. But Foley had other ideas. Byrd led the Lions back on an 80-yard drive in eight plays capping it with a 1-yard run with 6:20 left in the game.

           The Lions attempted an onside kick that worked to perfection as Eman Lymon grabbed the football on the run and reached the McGill 27-yard line before he was tackled. The play led to a Byrd to Julio Jones 25-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 31-28 with 5:05 remaining.

           McGill went three-and-out and following a short punt, Foley started on the 48-yard line of the Jackets. Byrd completed a couple of passes before Michael Davis booted a 32-yard field goal with 22 seconds left to tie the game at 31-31.

           In overtime, McGill started first on the ten-yard line but Dustin Schell intercepted a Pugh pass in the end zone on third down to give Foley a shot at winning on their possession. Davis kicked the game-winning field goal on fourth down with the football at the one-yard line making it an 18-yard kick.

            Foley had come back from a fourteen point deficit in the last nine minutes of the game to defeat McGill-Toolen in Mobile.

           Roosevelt Byrd completed 16 of 28 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 49 yards and a score. Julio Jones, the sophomore sensation, caught seven passes for 137 yards and the two scores.

Foley .........................................	6	8	0	17	3	-34
McGill-Toolen .........................	3	14	7	7	0	-31
McGill - 48 yd FG

Foley - Dexter Francis 4 yd run (PAT NG)
McGill - Austin Pugh 2 yd run (PAT) 4:49
McGill - Austin Pugh to Shedrick Lafayette 44 yd pass (PAT) 3:01
Foley - Roosevelt Byrd to Julio Jones 28 yd pass (2 PT Francis run) 0:07
McGill - Daniel Kalifleh 25 yd run (PAT)
McGill - Daniel Kalifleh 6 yd run (PAT) 9:54
Foley - Roosevelt Byrd 1 yd run(PAT) 6:20
Foley - Roosevelt Byrd 25-yard pass to Julio Jones (kick
Foley - Michael Davis 32 yd FG 0:22
Foley - Michael Davis field goal


Foley
2005

8/26	41	B.C. Rain . . . . . . . . .	27
9/9	30	Satsuma . . . . . . . . . . .	27
9/16	44	Baldwin County . . . . .	17
9/20	37	Robertsdale . . . . . . .	0
9/24	49	Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . .	14
9/30	38	Vigor . . . . . . . . . . . . .	6
10/7		OPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10/14	21	Daphne . . . . . . . . . . . .	31
10/21	37	Fairhope . . . . . . . . . .	0
10/28	34	McGill . . . . . . . . . . . .	31
11/4	56	Theodore * . . . . . . . .	63

	387	8-2	216
* Playoff game


McGill-Toolen
2005

8/27	35	Satsuma . . . . . . . . . . .	10
9/9	7	Murphy . . . . . . . . . . . .	31
9/16	2	Davidson . . . . . . . . . .	31
9/20	21	Theodore . . . . . . . . . .	37
9/24	31	Robertsdale . . . . . . .	8
9/29	42	Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16
10/7	3	Mary Montgomery . . . .	0
10/14	40	LeFlore . . . . . . . . . . .	15
10/21	38	Alma Bryant . . . . . . .	0
10/28	31	Foley . . . . . . . . . . . . .	34
11/4	9	Daphne * . . . . . . . . . .	24

	259	6-5	206
* Playoff 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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