GAME STORY: Anderson 50, Southside 21 - Southside Strikes First, Anderson Takes Over

Cardinals come out swinging

Anderson came in averaging a school-record 43.6 points a game, and most people expected it to get out of hand fast. Southside had other ideas. About 15 minutes in, junior Oscar Sanchez (#4) carried it in for the game's first touchdown, and the two-point conversion was good. Southside 8, Anderson 0, and the home crowd was on its feet.

Anderson answered with a long touchdown catch by Kyler Sharp (#15) from Covert Darbyshire (#7). Gage Willis (#6) added the two-point conversion. With 2:57 left in the first quarter, it was Southside 8, Anderson 8.

Anderson took its first lead before the quarter ended. Sharp caught his second touchdown and the extra point was good, making it Anderson 15, Southside 8 with 0:50 left in the first.

The second quarter gets away

Southside answered right away. Sanchez scored his second touchdown early in the second quarter, but the extra point was no good. Anderson 15, Southside 14 with 11:50 left in the half.

That was as close as it got. Thirty-four seconds later, Darbyshire hit Willis for a touchdown and the kick was good. Anderson 22, Southside 14 at 11:16.

Jay Fullmer (#21) caught a touchdown pass at 8:14 to make it Anderson 29, Southside 14. Then Nick Briggs (#1) broke off a 26-yard touchdown run with 2:38 left, and the extra point made it Anderson 36, Southside 14.

Southside's last pass of the half nearly became an interception. The Anderson defender caught it but came down out of bounds. The Cardinals went into the locker room down 36-14.

Anderson keeps rolling

The second half was mostly Anderson. Kam'ron Hornsby (#4) ran it in with 9:09 left in the third, and the extra point made it Anderson 43, Southside 14.

Early in the fourth, Brady Foster (#3) caught a touchdown pass. The kick was good: Anderson 50, Southside 14 with 11:24 to play.

Southside didn't quit. The Cardinals scored one more touchdown late and hit the extra point to make the final Anderson 50, Southside 21.

What I saw

This was Covert Darbyshire's night. The Brown commit threw for 434 yards and 5 touchdowns with 1 interception, completed 75.9% of his passes, and ran for 33 yards (MaxPreps). It was his fourth straight game with at least four touchdown passes.

Kyler Sharp was his favorite target, with 161 receiving yards and two scores.

Kicker Alister Bagshaw (#32) went 6-for-6 on extra points, and the defense did its part too. Linebacker Wyatt Griffin (#0) had 13 tackles, and Bennett Wright (#99) added 10 tackles with 3 tackles for loss (MaxPreps box score).

For Southside, the story was the first quarter and change. The Cardinals scored first, led 8-0, and were still within a point early in the second. The home side was loud, and for a while it looked like we had a real ballgame. Then Anderson's passing game showed up, and that was that. Southside's season ends at 5-5, with a home playoff game to show for it.