The Christian County Outlaws minor league football team opened its season at home, but it was not the home-friendly outcome the team hoped for, falling to division rival Rocket City Titans 13-6.

That game was the only action in the Gridiron Developmental Football League’s Central South Division, as the Tennessee Central Xpress’s game at the Clarksville Wolfpack was postponed to June 1 due to rain.

The Titans — based in Huntsville, Ala. — got on the scoreboard quickly. On the second play of the team’s second drive, quarterback Garry Guilford found Cam Clay deep on the left side of the field, hitting him on a 59-yard strike with 8:41 left in the first quarter. J.T. McGrady’s extra-point kick gave the Titans (1-0) a 7-0 lead.

Both teams battled it out back and forth for much of the game. Christian County pushed as far as the Rocket City 6-yard line with 7:45 left in the second quarter, but fumbled the ball away.

On their next drive, the Outlaws (0-1) got to the Titans’ 12 just before halftime, but a field-goal attempt fell short.

On the first play of the second half, Christian County’s Dominique Thomas ran like a shot up the middle, taking the ball 60 yards for a touchdown. On the extra-point kick attempts, the Titans were flagged for offsides, placing the ball on the 2. The Outlaws then tried a two-point conversion run, but were stopped in the backfield, settling for a 7-6 deficit with 14:27 left in the third quarter.

Again, both teams battled evenly through the second half. The Outlaws ended the third quarter with an impressive drive, starting on their own 45 and pushing down to the Titans’ 24, but were stopped again and forced to punt on fourth-and 12.

The Titans began the fourth quarter on their own 14, but opened their next drive with a 15-yard run by LaQuince Love. Rocket City pushed the ball forward, using a nine-yard pass from Guilford to Mike Terry and a 25-yard run by Love to get to the Christian County 25.

After two tackles for loss, Guilford again found Clay, this time on a 35-yard TD pass with 9:30 remaining. The extra-point kick attempt was blocked down by the Outlaws, but the Titans had a 13-6 lead.

Christian County began its next drive on its own 16-yard line with 2:03 left in the game and began to push upfield in earnest. A five-yard pass from backup quarterback Steven Jackson to Neil Norfleet was followed by a 16-yard run by Jackson, but he was tackled from behind and dislocated his right knee. Coaches did not know the severity of the injury, but thought he would be out for at least four to six weeks, perhaps for the season.

Now at their own 37, the Outlaws were stopped cold. A six-yard run by quarterback Jonathan Ashworth was not enough, as three incomplete passes sealed the game.

“We’re not sneaking up on anybody this year,” said Outlaws head coach Darell Keith. “We’ve got to expand our offense. We’ve got to be able to throw the ball (Christian County was 2-for-9 through the air), and that’s something we had problems with last year, but we were just so much more powerful that everybody, we were able to get away with it.

“(Rocket City) had a good defense. I thought they had more heart than they had size. I’m not going to say they wanted it more than we did, but they made fewer mistakes than we did.”

The temperatures in the mid-40s with intermittent rain was more fashioned for a late-fall football game than a game in May.

“I expected the first game to be sloppy, but it didn’t help that we were in the rain as well,” Keith said. “The little speed that we did acquire, the field nullified our speed.”

“(Christian County) was a really good team; they’re big,” said Titans head coach Scott Peavey. “They’re physical, and with a wet field, it was a tough-fought game. We had to go to the ground most of the time on both sides of the ball because of the tough field conditions, and it was a very, very physical game.

“(Guilford) is a hard-working kid. It’s fun to be around him because he’s such a good leader, and he’s really worked hard. He’s developed his game — he didn’t have that arm — and he’s gotten better and better, so we’re excited. He did a good job.”

Christian County plays its next two games on the road, visiting preseason No. 3 Indianapolis, the only team to beat the Outlaws in the regular season last year, on Saturday. Christian County was ranked No. 10 in this year’s preseason GDFL poll.

David Snow is the editor of The Eagle Post. Reach David at 270-887-3295 or dsnow@theeaglepost.us.

The team and coaching staff have put forth a great effort and are looking forward to their home opener this Saturday, May 11th, against the Tennessee Central Xpress.  Game time is 7:30 pm at the Discovery Middle School in Madison.  Come out and tailgate with us beginning at 5:30 pm.  Thanks and GO TITANS!!!

Tryouts will also be held for the 2013 Titan Dolls squad on the same day and time at the gymnasium on the campus of Holy Spirit Regional Catholic School.  Register here.

Contact us if you have any questions.

“Our theme this upcoming season is to leave “No Doubt” about the GDFL being the top league in the nation as far as pro development is concerned. We want to set the standard that others are measured by. We want teams and franchises to understand this is not just a league but they are apart of building a legacy”, said GDFL commissioner Charles Thompson .

The previous GDFL champions are the Carolina Warriors (now known as the South Carolina Venom) in 2010, Chambersburg Cardinals in 2011 and the Central Penn Piranha in 2012. Memphis, TN, Jonesboro, GA and Chambersburg, PA have hosted the previous three GDFL championship games.

“Our focus this year is solely on pro development and building a solid foundation within our organizations including all aspects from business to on the filed performance”, Thompson stated.

The Titans will be looking for the best of the best. If you have the heart, and the athletic ability then bring it and your A – game to the 2013 Titan Trials.

Armchair quarterbacks and wannabees keep your ass at home on the sofa. Remember, we’re going to go pro, and ONLY want the best.

We’re not going to pay you to be a backyard hero. We will be competing on a national level and expect our players and team to be the best.