By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal

With seven fumbles in one game, the ball was bouncing on the ground plenty between the Selma and Keith sidelines. More often than not, however, the ball was bouncing Selma’s way.

The class 6A, region 4 Selma Saints (3-3, 0-3) took an early fumble recovery for a touchdown and never looked back as they shutout the class 1A, region 4 Keith Bears (1-4, 1-2) 19-0 Friday night at Memorial Stadium. The Saints forced five turnovers on defense, giving them their first win since Aug. 29.

“When you can take the ball out of an explosive offense’s hands, it helps you,” said Selma head coach Leroy Miles.

The Keith defense did all it could to hold Selma out of the end zone in the first half. The Saints were marching down the field late in the first quarter, looking to put the first points on the board.

The Bears forced a fumble at the 7-yard line and Keith’s Morris Collins recovered it to keep the game scoreless through the first quarter.

Keith’s offense was unable to get into a rhythm. Constant pressure from Selma’s Aderick Moore and De’Vaughan Blackmon left Keith quarterback Brian Crum with not enough time to get rid of the ball.

“If we had capitalized and scored on that first drive, maybe the outcome would’ve been different, but they bucked up and they were up for the challenge,” said Keith head coach Harry Crum.

In addition, Selma’s defense held Keith running back Domonique Jones relatively in check. A week after bursting for 185 yards and four touchdowns, Jones was held to just 74 yards on the ground.

With 4:15 remaining in the second quarter, Selma was driving again and had reached Keith’s 8-yard line. The Bears forced a turnover on downs and took over deep in their own territory.

A play later, Keith’s Jeremiah Campbell fumbled the ball and Selma’s Quintez Blevins scooped it up and ran it 8 yards for the first touchdown of the game. The Saints took a 7-0 lead into halftime.

“That was huge. That was the difference in the game. The team that makes those crucial mistakes is going to hurt,” Miles said.

Selma’s defense forced a three-and-out during the first possession of the second half.

The Saints’ offense proceeded by putting together the only complete drive of the game for either team.

Selma’s Brandon Hatcher capped off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run with 8:05 remaining in the third quarter to take a 13-0 lead over Keith.

Late in the third quarter, Keith quarterback Brian Crum started passing the ball more. He ended up completing half as many passes to Selma defender Quentavious Davis as he did to his own receivers.

Davis picked off his first pass with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter after the ball bounced off the hands of Keith’s Marquez Hatcher. Davis intercepted his second pass of the game with 9:40 left in the fourth quarter.

“Those interceptions were huge,” Miles said. “It took the ball out of their hands.”

After a Hatcher sack to force a turnover on downs and a pair of lost fumbles from each team, Selma was given the ball with under a minute left to play just 1 yard from the end zone.

Moore ran in a 6-yard touchdown with 6.1 seconds left on the clock to put an exclamation mark on the shutout.

“We weren’t completely out of the game, but after halftime, we just couldn’t get anything going,” Crum said.

Keith is back home next Friday to host A.L. Johnson. Selma is at Brookwood.