Story by Parker Cassidy
Abingdon-Avon football suffered yet another heartbreaking loss last Friday night at the hands of perennial LincolnLand Small School Division power, Princeville. The Tornadoes found themselves in an early hole, trailing 14-0, but answered with a touchdown of their own before the end of the first quarter to cut it to 14-7. Their defense held strong in the second quarter, holding the Princes scoreless, while the offense hit paydirt for another score to tie the game at 14 heading into halftime.
Points were scarce in the second half. Abingdon-Avon took a 20-14 lead after scoring in the third quarter but missed the extra point. That proved costly, as Princeville marched down the field and scored a touchdown with just four minutes left in the contest to take a 21-20 lead. The Tornadoes were unable to put together a final drive and fell to the Princes by one point. This marks the third loss of the season for Abingdon-Avon decided by a combined four points, as they now sit at (1-4) overall. Tornado head coach Rick Quinn says that despite the record, all of their preseason goals are still within reach, but the team has to keep moving in the right direction.
It’s Homecoming Week for Abingdon-Avon as the Tornadoes look to put together a four-game winning streak they’ll need to have a chance at a postseason berth. They’ll begin that final stretch at home, hosting South Fulton on Friday night at Abingdon-Avon High School. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For the full interview with Coach Quinn, go to the SPORTS PODCAST section.
