In a sophisticated offense, like the spread option run by Demopolis High School, players must be quite familiar with the system or turnovers occur. And turnovers have occurred this season as the Tigers have worked through their first-year-in-a-scheme growing pains.

In their win last week over Chilton County High School, Demopolis put the ball on the ground four times and lost it every time. But the key to the game proved not Demopolis&8217; fumbles, but those recovered by the Demopolis defense from Chilton County.

Hosting Chilton County put the ball on the gridiron for grabs five times during the game, and they, too, lost it four times. And of those four Chilton County fumbles, all but one was recovered by junior defensive back Justin Hardy.

Hardy&8217;s nose for the ball arguable correlated to a Demopolis victory and unarguably offset the majority of turnovers on the other side of the ball for Demopolis. In fact, it was fumble picked up by Hardy and ran back 33 yards for a touchdown with 1:38 to go in the half that gave his team its first lead of the game &8212; a lead the group didn&8217;t relinquish afterwards as it headed to the 27-13 region win on the road.

&8212; Brandon Glover