After Landrum’s 29-3 defeat at the hands of visiting Blue Ridge on Friday night, Aug. 26, Cardinals’ head coach Jason Farmer rejected any suggestion of pointing fingers at his starting quarterback Dalton Kuykendall.

“It wasn’t him, I promise you that,” Farmer emphasized vigorously. “He never quit. He worked his tail off.”

It was the Cardinals’ first game of the season, a non-region contest.

Poor execution, Farmer said, hurt his team. “We’ve got to execute the game plan, and play better,” he reflected.

While Farmer was not pleased with his team’s execution, he liked the Cardinals’ effort.

Subtracting the Blue Ridge touchdowns (two) coming on pass interceptions (Landrum receivers were less often open downfield as those of Blue Ridge), it was evident that the Cardinal defense held off the Fighting Tigers well enough to keep Landrum in the game.

Landrum won the pre-game coin toss, and elected to kick off.

Than decision did not look good when Blue Ridge advanced to the Landrum 33 on a 26-yard pass completion, but moments later, still in the first quarter, the Cardinals’ Seth Walker picked off a Tiger pass, and dashed to the visitors’ 16.

Though unable to cover those 16 yards, Landrum scored first, on a field goal by Jesus Alviar.

Blue Ridge erased that deficit with an interception and touchdown run, with 5:42 left in the first quarter. The extra-point attempt was low and short.

Blue Ridge found Landrum’s end zone once more in the first quarter, on a touchdown pass to Sonny Stevens. Stevens also ran for considerable yardage, but did not break the game open. After this score, the Fighting Tigers made the two-point conversion to lead, 14-3.

Though the game was never technically out of reach for the Cardinals until late in the fourth quarter, Blue Ridge widened its lead late in the first half, when Andy Tate grabbed a Landrum pass, and ran for a TD. Jason Sammons caught one in the Landrum end zone for two points and a 22-3 Tiger lead.

Less than 20 seconds into the third quarter, Blue Ridge’s Tate struck again, grabbing a Cardinal pass, and running it back for a touchdown. The Tigers’ PAT kick was good, and the scoring ended at 29-3.

For the Cardinals, Kuykendall gained considerable rushing yardage when his receivers were not open.

Late in the game, teammate Austin Hutchins took over as QB. Hutchins executed a run to the Blue Ridge 41, good for a first down.  After he threw an eight-yard completion, Kuykendall took the ball on a fourth and short, and ran for a first down to the Tiger 30.

Soon, it was Kuykendall at QB again, after the Cardinals turned the ball over on downs. The clock ran out with Blue Ridge holding the ball.

The Tigers’ execution was also far from perfect. On a first-down play at the Cardinal 37, Blue Ridge recovered a loose ball for a five-yard loss. Next play, Landrum’s Johnny Martinez and Tallon McAbee combined to sack the Tigers’ quarterback, to bring up a fourth and 31 for Blue Ridge.

This Friday evening, Sept. 2, the Cardinals travel to Broome, another non-region opponent. Game time is 7:30.