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          The Andalusia Bulldogs entered the 1977 season having not lost a regular season game since the 1972 season. They finished last year with a 13-0-1 record and shared the state championship with Athens after the two teams fought to a tie in the title game.



  Clarke County 6   0   0   0   6  
  Andalusia 7   6   6   12   31  

          The Bulldogs cruised past Grove Hill in the first week of the season 31-6 at home. Roy Ben Dorsey rushed for 112 yards on only four carries to lead the ground attack. The only Grove Hill score came following the Bulldog's inital score when they returned the kickoff for a touchdown. 

  Statistics Scoring    
  A- Dorsey 67 yard run
  Andy Grove Hill GH- Stabler 97 yard Kickoff return
First Downs 17 6 A- Dorsey 25 yard run
Rushing Yards 44-270 27-75 A- Henderson 4 yard run
Passing Yards 90 54 A- Odom- Anthony 13 yard run
Total Yards 360 129 A- Henderson 5 yard run
Completes 6-8-0 4-9-0        

Rushing
Dorsey - 4-112 yards



  W.S. Neal 0   0   0   0   0  
  Andalusia 0   14   14   6   34  

          The Bulldogs outmanned W.S. Neal in week two by a score of 34-0. After getting off to a slow start, Andalusia led 14-0 at the half on two scoring passes from Short to Van Starnes and 28-0 after three quarters. The defense limited the Eagles to just 94 yards of total offense in the game.

  Statistics Scoring    
  A- Short-Starnes 39 yard pass
  Andy W S Neal A- Short-Starnes 30 yard pass
First Downs 19 5 A- Henderson 11 yard run
Rushing Yards 42-224 28-55 A- Short-Starnes 28 yards
Passing Yards 144 39 A- Trent Taylor 2 yard run
Total Yards 388 94  
Completes 7-14-0 3-11-0        

Rushing
Ball - 84 yards



  Andalusia 8   27   0   7   42  
  Southside Selma 0   0   0   0   0  

          Andalusia had little trouble with Southside of Selma in week three. The Bulldogs scored 27 second quarter points on their way to a convincing 42-0 rout on the road. Short tossed a couple of touchdown passes in the second quarter to get the offense going.

  Statistics Scoring    
  A- Henderson 11 yard run
  Andy Southside A- Short-Starnes 27 yards
First Downs 20 6 A- Ball 46 yard run
Rushing Yards 47-254 62 A- Short-Anthony 5 yard pass
Passing Yards 192 42 A- Hattaway 1 yard run
Total Yards 463 104 A- B Smith 10 yard run
Completes 13-19-0 3-12-0        

Receiving
Enzor - 5-78 yards



  Andalusia 14   14   7   6   41  
  Chavala 0   0   0   6   6  

          Joe ball scored three touchdowns on runs of 54, 1 and 1 yard runs to pace the offense as once again the Bulldogs jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead. In the end, Andalusia routed Chavala 41-6 on the road. The defense was superb in holding Chavala to just 156 yards of offense, blocked two punts and registered three interceptions in the game.

          Ball finished the evening with 110 yards rushing on just ten carries.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Ball 54 yard run (Short run)
  Andy Chavala A- Short to Anthony 20 yard pass
First Downs 12 8 A- Ball 1 yard
Rushing Yards 36-235 69 A- B Smith 11 yard run
Passing Yards 61 87 A- Ball 1 yard run
Total Yards 296 156 C- Jones 5 yard run
Completes 4-7-0 6-20-3   A- Hattaway 3 yard run

Rushing
Ball - 11-110 yards
Henderson - 8-64 yards
B Smith - 6-44 yards
Defense
Vinson Blkd Punt
Grace, Dix, Moore -1 Int
Nall 10 T , 5 A
Landrum 8T, 4A
Vinson 5T,5A
Godwin -Blkd Punt



  Andalusia 7   6   14   7   34  
  Charles Henderson 0   0   0   8   8  

          Andalusia traveled to Troy the next week and returned home with a 34-8 win over Charles Henderson. Dorsey rushed for 152 yards on 13 carries and Ball added another 51 yards. Ball scored az couple of touchdowns on runs of 40 and 60 yards. The defense intercepted four Henderson passes.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Dorsey 40 yard run
  Andy Troy A- Henderson 1 yard run
First Downs 10 11 A- Starnes 29 yard run
Rushing Yards 46-256 75 A- Short-Starnes 75 yard pass
Passing Yards 115 103 A- Dorsey 60 yard run
Total Yards 371 178 T- Davis 1 yard run
Completes 4-7-0 8-22-4        

Rushing
Dorsey - 13-152 yards
Ball - 7-51 yards
Defense
Grace 2 ints
Foshee 2 ints



  Andalusia 7   7   0   13   27  
  Opp 0   6   0   0   6  

          The Opp Bobcats play the Bulldogs tough for a half, training 14-6, before succumbing to the pressure of playing a great team. In the second quarter with Andalusia leading 7-0, Opp recovered a Bulldog fumble in the end zone to pull within 7-6. It was short lived as Ball returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown.

          Henderson and Dorsey scored fourth quarter touchdowns to put the game out of reach for win number six on the season.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Dorsey 13 yard run (Ware kick)
  Andy Opp O- Stoudemire fumble rec in end zone
First Downs 12 10 A- Ball 91 yd kickoff return
Rushing Yards 46-209 29-84 A- Henderson 2 yard run
Passing Yards 20 72 A- Dorsey 4 yard run
Total Yards 229 156
Completes 3-4-0 6-16-0    

Rushing
Dorsey - 43 yards
Henderson -  41 yards
Ball - 17-96 yards
Defense
Vinson 2 fumble rec
Nall fumble rec
Landrum 7T
Blair 6T



  Ashford 0   3   0   0   3  
  Andalusia 0   13   15   13   41  

          Henderson scored twice and Ball returned another kickoff for a touchdown as the Bulldogs outscored Ashford 41-3 in week seven of the season. Ball ended the night with 119 yards rushing on 18 carries and Dorsey added another 90 years on the ground.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Henderson 2 yard run (Ware kick)
  Andy Ashford ASH- Tolar 22 yard Field goal
First Downs 20 6 A- Ball 91 yard kickoff return
Rushing Yards 56-335 34-60 A- Henderson 2 yard run (Henderson run)
Passing Yards 91 77 A- Dorsey 22 yard run Ware kick
Total Yards 426 137 A- Smith 2 yard run Ware kick
Completes 4-6-0 6-9-1   A- Dix 13 yard run

Rushing
Ball - 18-119 yards
Dorsey - 10-90 yards
Defense
Foshee - Int
Landrum - Fumble Rec



  Ozark 0   0   8   0   8  
  Andalusia 0   13   8   7   28  

          Carroll came to Andalusia n week eight and left on the short end of a 28-8 score. The ground game rolled up 277 yards rushing behind Dorsey with 86 yards rushing, Ball 108 yards and Henderson with 95 yards. Henderson scored three touchdowns on runs of 1, 2 and 10 yards while Ball added another score.

  Statistics Scoring    
  A- Henderson 1 yard run (Ware kick)
  Andy Ozark A- Henderson 2 yard run
First Downs 20 10 O- Williams-Harvas 8 yd pass (6 yd drive after blkd punt)
Rushing Yards 56-277 28-103 A- Henderson 10 yard run (Short-Anthony)
Passing Yards 42 80 A- Ball 8 yard run (Ware kick)
Total Yards 319 183  
Completes 5-10-0 6-20-2        

Rushing
Dorsey - 86 yards
Ball - 108 yards
Henderson - 95 yards
Defense
Odom Int
Vinson Fumble Rec, 9T, 3A, 3 sacks



  Elba 0   9   0   0   9  
  Andalusia 7   8   6   7   28  

          Andalusia rolled past Elba in week nine by a score of 28-9. Ball again led the ground attack with 101 yards rushing and Dorsey added 77 on the ground. Henderson scored twice on runs of 3 and one yards. The defense held Elba to just 53 yards on the ground and 112 total yards in the game.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Ball 4 yard run
  Andy Elba E- Martin 27 yard field goal
First Downs 19 8 E- Dyess 1 yard run
Rushing Yards 47-255 34-53 A- Henderson 3 yard run
Passing Yards 46 59 A- Henderson 1 yard run
Total Yards 301 112 A- Dorsey 9 yard run
Completes 4-9-0 3-9-0        

Rushing
Dorsey - 15-77 yards
Ball - 15-101 yards



  Andalusia 14   13   6   0   33  
  Geneva 0   16   0   0   16  

          The defense limited Geneva to minus nine yards rushing as the Bulldogs ended another regular season with a perfect 10-0 record. Andalusia jumped out to a 27-0 second quarter lead before Geneva got a couple of quick scoring passes just before halftime to cut the lead to 27-16. The defense shutdown Geneva in the second half for win number ten on the season.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Ball 24 yard run (Ball run)
  Andy Geneva A- Short-Anthony 61 yard pass
First Downs 19 9 A- Ball 55 yard run
Rushing Yards 23-278 -9 A - Brabham-Enzor 19 yard pass (Ware kick)
Passing Yards 159 161 G- Robinson - Menshaw 7 yard pass
Total Yards 437 152 G- Robinson - Thomas 48 yard pass
Completes 5-11-2 14-27-0   A - Nall 3 yard run

Rushing
Ball - 7-203 yards
Receiving
Anthony - 2-68 yards
Starnes - 2-66 yards
Def 
Landrum - 4 sacks
Vinson - 6 tackles



  Andalusia 14   14   13   7   48  
  Smiths Station 0   0   8   6   14  

          The Bulldogs opened the playoffs with a big 48-14 win over Smiths Station on the road. The game was never in doubt as Andalusia led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-0 by halftime. Ball got the first two scores on runs of 3 and 80 yards and finished the night with 121 yards rushing on ten carries.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A-Ball 3 yard run (kick failed)
  Andy Smiths Station A- Ball 80 yard run (Short Run)
First Downs 19 15 A- Short-Ware 8 yard td pass (Ware kick)
Rushing Yards 42-313 41-214 A- Dorsey 8 yard Run
Passing Yards 190 59 A- T Hattaway 2 yard run
Total Yards 503 273 A- Brabham 2 yard run (Hattaway Kick)
Completes 7-10-0 3-15-4 SS- Henderson 2 yard run
  A - Dix 43 yard run
        SS- Henderson 12 yard run

Rushing
Ball - 10-121 yards
Dix  - 5-74 yards
L Hattaway - 5-32 yards
Receiving 
Enzor - 3-77 yards
Defense 
Pierce 2 Int
Odom 1 int
Vinson - Fumble Rec



  Escambia County 0   0   0   0   0  
  Andalusia 7   6   6   0   19  

          Andalusia shutout Atmore in the second round of the playoffs to keep their title hopes alive. Dorsey ran for 121 yards on 13 attempts and Ball added another 67 yards as the offense rolled up 250 yards on the ground. Ricky Vinson led the defense with an interception and a fumble recovery.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Ball 1 yard run (Hattaway kick)
  Andy Atmore A- Dorsey 12 yard run
First Downs 17 3 A- Dorsey 10 yard run
Rushing Yards 54-250 66  
Passing Yards 55 33  
Total Yards 305 109  
Completes 5-14-1 3-13-0        

Rushing
Dorsey - 13-121 yards
Ball - 24-67 yards
Defense
Blair - 2 fumble recovery, int
Vinson - Blocked punt, fum rec, 6 tackles
Landrum - 10 tackles
Nall, Moore Interceptions



  Andalusia 0   0   6   3   9  
  Stanhope Elmore 0   0   0   0   0  

          Andalusia defeated Stanhope Elmore 9-0 in the semi-finals to earn the right to play for another state championship. The Bulldogs dominated the stats but had a little trouble finding the end zone in the game. They rolled up 325 yards rushing led by Ball's 151 yards and Dorsey's 137 yards but managed to score only a single touchdown in the third quarter.

          It was all they needed in a 9-0 shutout of the team from Elmore County. Hattaway added a fourth quarter field goal and the Bulldogs could celebrate another win.

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Henderson 4 yard run
  Andy Stanhope Elmore A- Hattaway 27 yard FG
First Downs 22 10  
Rushing Yards 56-325 33-108  
Passing Yards 19 33  
Total Yards 344 141  
Completes 2-4-1 2-6-0        

Rushing
Ball - 20-151 yards
Dorsey - 20-137 yards
Henderson - 10-34 yards
Defense
Vinson -  9 tackles
Nall - 7 tackles



  Andalusia 0   7   0   0   7  
  Walter Wellborn 0   0   0   0   0  

  Statistics Scoring  
  A- Henderson 4 yard run
  Andy Walter Wellborn  
First Downs 6 7  
Rushing Yards 38-136 153  
Passing Yards 0 4  
Total Yards 136 157  
Completes 0-2-1 2-13-1        

Rushing
Ball - 13-32 yards
Henderson - 17-65 yards
Dorsey - 4-16 yards
Short - 5-14 yards
Defense
Landrum 14 T, 4A
Vinson 5 T, 5A
Blair 6T, 3A
Nall 8T, 3A
Blackwell 5 T, 4A


         
Andalusia wrapped up the 1977 Class 3A state title by defeating Walter Wellborn 7-0. The Bulldogs have not lost a game since the 1975 finals against Athens some 28 games ago. Last year Andalusia tied Athens for the 3A crown. In a defensive struggle it was appropriate that the only score was set up by a big play on defense.

          Andalusia's Ricky Vinson broke free through the Wellborn line to block Barry Miller's punt attempt. The Bulldogs would move the football 44 yards in 10 plays for the winning score. Eddie Henderson would get the honors on a two yard run with 9:49 remaining in the second quarter.

          Eddie Henderson led the Bulldogs with 63 yards on 16 carries. Wellborn had their chances and drove to the Andalusia five yard line on their opening possession of the third quarter but two incomplete passes would turn the ball over on downs.

          Andalusia was content to keep the ball on the ground and work on the clock for most of the second half. This was the first title appearance for the Panthers of Wellborn as they lost in the second round last season.

          Named to the Birmingham News first team all-state squad were center Denny Merritt and guard Ricky Vinson. Junior Doug Collins was selected to the second team as a tackle.

          A special thanks to Brant Locklier for providing much of the information and the stats.




1977 Andalusia Bulldogs



Andalusia
1977

8/26 31 Clarke County . . . . . 6
9/2 34 W.S. Neal . . . . . . . . . 0
9/9 42 Southside Selma . . . . 0
9/16 41 Russell County . . . . . 6
9/23 34 Charles Henderson . . . 8
9/30 27 Opp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
10/7 41 Ashford . . . . . . . . . . . 3
10/14 28 Carroll . . . . . . . . . . . 8
10/28 28 Elba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
11/4 33 Geneva . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
11/11 48 Smiths Station * . . . 14
11/18 19 Escambia County * . . . 0
11/25 9 Stanhope Elmore * . . . 0
12/2 7 Walter Wellborn # . . . 0

422 14-0 76

* Playoff game
# State championship game



Season Statistics- 1977 Andalusia Bulldogs      
Rushing  Carries Yards Passing  com-att-int Yds  
Joe Ball  200 1423 Short 42-79-2 769  
Roy Dorsey 102 902 Brabham 19-30-2 342  
Eddie Henderson 127 632 Pierce 2-8-0 22  
Bobby Smith 21 152 Odom 3-6-0 57  
Leon Hattaway 10 55 Starnes 1-1-0 17  
Shannon Brabham 11 52 Grace 0-1-1 0  
Ronnie Dix 11 119  
Todd Hattaway 20 65 Receiving Atts Yds  
Lex Short 49 78 Starnes 25 490 5 td's
Tim Nall 11 53 Enzor 13 250 1 td
Trent Taylor 14 48 Anthony 17 238 4 td's
Van Starnes 3 39 Rostick 7 85  
Craig Copeland 9 38 Ware 6 94  
Gary Odom 7 22 Taylor 1 18  
Calvin Grace 3 8  
Butch Foshee 1 5          


Scoring Points
Eddie Henderson 92
Joe Ball  80
Roy Dorsey 68
Van Starnes 36
Bill Anthony  26
Leon Hattaway 19
Bobby Smith 18
Ronnie Dix 12
Todd Hattaway 12
Shannon Brabham 6
Lex Short 6
Tim Nall 6
Rhett Enzor 6
Dee McClelland 1

Team Stats Andy Opponents
First Downs 228 114
Rushing Yds 650-3515 1166
Passing Yds 1259 903
Return Yds 319  
Total Yds 5093 2069
Completes 68-125-5  
Fum-Lost 39-21  
Penalties 66-663  
Punts 40-1339  

Score By Quarters        
Andalusia  85 148 101 88 422
Opponents 6 34 14 20 74

All State Players  
Doug Collins T  
Denny Merritt-C  
CB Landrum-DE  
Ricky Vinson- NG  
Tim Nall- LB  
Joe Ball - RB HM
Leslie Little -T HM
Gary Odom- DB HM

All SAC PLAYERS
Denny Merritt
Calvin Grace
CB Landrum-DE
Ricky Vinson- NG
Tim Nall- LB
Joe Ball - RB
Leslie Little -T

Team Awards
Best Offensive Lineman Leslie Little
Best Blocking Back Trent Taylor
Best Defensive Lineman Ricky Vinson
Best Defensive Back Calvin Grace
Best Running Back Joe Ball
Most Dedicated Athlete Denny Merritt
Specialty Teams Capt Ronnie Blair
Most Improved Roy Ben Dorsey
Most Versatile  Van Starnes
Most Dependable Tim Nall
Scholastic Award Bert Pierce
Gladiator Award CB Landrum
MVP Joe Ball
Team Capt.   Tim Nall, Ricky Vinson,C B Landrum, Denny Merritt

Montgomery Adv Rankings
1. Andalusia 10-0
2. Athens 9-1
3. Stanhope Elmore 10-0
4. Walter Wellborn 10-0
5. Gardendale 9-1
6 Fairfield 8-2
7 Hanceville 9-0
8 Demopolis 9-1
9 Atmore 8-2
10. Fayette Co 9-1






Amazing Seasons, a series on the greatest seasons in high school football history


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