Courtesy of Fort Payne Times-Journal
Matthew Collins’ two kickoff returns for touchdowns propelled Ider to a 37-14 victory over visiting West End in high school football on Friday.
Collins’ first return, of 70 yards, came on the opening kickoff, while his second, a 75-yarder, came in the final minute.
The Patriots (0-2, 0-1) scratched on a drive that ended on Levi Weems’ 9-yard touchdown pass to Christopher Lister.
Ider blocked the PAT attempt, and the Hornets’ lead held at 14-6 with 8:49 before halftime.
Ider got a score right before intermission on Landry Gaddis’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Simpson. The PAT made it 21-6 just 32.5 seconds before halftime.
The teams’ defenses held in the third quarter before the Ider offense put the game away.
Caleb Higdon broke off a 52-yard run with 8:37 to play in the fourth quarter. The PAT was wide right.
Simpson made up for it with a 25-yard field goal at the 1:26 mark.
Chase Blanton escaped for a 50-yard touchdown run on the Patriots’ next drive, and a Blanton two-point run made it 30-14 with 49.1 seconds to play.
West End hosts fifth-ranked Fyffe next week.