Johnathan Williams throws a pass before he gets attacked by Alabama A&M Bulldog defense.
Head coach James Spady, coaching staff, and players of the Alabama A&M football team undoubtedly had the idea that picking a school they assumed they could beat would make their Homecoming memorable- which they did, but not in the way they wanted to remember.
Grambling State quarterback Johnathan Williams, linebacker Aaron Breed and defensive back Martez Carter, along with the G-Men, were triumphant again, winning their third consecutive conference win, allowing them to remain in first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings. The final score of the game was 38-28.
While the first quarter began slowly, the G-Men didn’t waste any time scoring first, with the touchdown going to running back Jestin Kelly. With an attempt to match Coach Broderick Fobb’s team, the Bulldogs were successful scoring a 40-yard field goal by Cesar Diaz-Ramon, making the score 7-3.
The second quarter of the game showed more teamwork and determination from both the Tigers and Bulldogs. Both teams struggled to not only score but prevent their opponents from scoring as well. With a pass to running back Brandon Eldemire, the Bulldogs scored their first touchdown, but were unsuccessful in gaining the extra point by Diaz-Ramon.
In the last five minutes of the first half, the Tigers and Bulldogs alternated scoring touchdowns, two from each team to be exact. With only 40 seconds remaining, wide receiver Chester Rogers accepted a pass in the end zone from Williams, giving the G-Men a lead of 24-16 at halftime.
The second half of the game had everyone on the edge of the ir seats. Although the G-Men had the lead, missed passes, penalties and a few careless mistakes nearly gave the Bulldogs the opportunity to become victorious.
Nevertheless, the G-Men remained true to their obligation and each other, proving why they deserved to win. With 12 minutes remaining in the game, Carter received a 92-yard kickoff return and was truly unstoppable. The Monroe native caught the ball with ease and ran swiftly toward the end zone, barely being touched by the defense. After such an impressive move like that, it was no question that the G-Men everyone loved were back.
While it was apparent the win would belong to the Tigers, the Bulldogs were still prosperous, scoring two more touchdowns but were unable to secure the extra point and failed in a two-point conversion.
“I thought, energy-wise, we came out with a little bit of juice,” said Fobbs. “But we got to do a better job of sustaining that throughout four quarters.”
News of the G-Men’s win spread fast over social media, as fans and supporters began to acknowledge Coach Fobbs and his team, using the hashtag #Gramfam. The infamous tag was used so many times via Twitter it began trending.
Now that the Tigers have proven their skills away from their home field, they will have the opportunity to secure their first win in Robinson Stadium against Alcorn University. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Saturday.