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By Eric Montgomery, for the SNAP

After the heartbreaking loss to South Stanly two weeks ago, Albemarle senior Vincent Gregory dropped to his knees and pounded the turf with his fists in frustration.
That loss hurt the Bulldogs badly and was followed by another loss at Yadkin Valley Conference leader Mount Pleasant for a three-game losing streak.
Last Friday night Albemarle gutted out a 7-0 fourth quarter win at Union Academy to improve to 3-6, 1-3.
Gregory was the guy to score the only touchdown in the game, his sixth of the year.
With under three minutes left on the scoreboard clock, the 2023 All-YVC pick dove head-first into the endzone. Carlos Popoca added the point after.
“It’s definitely a memory I will not soon forget,” Gregory said. “I had a rough night, struggling to produce runs that would help our offense so scoring that touchdown felt incredibly rewarding. With my high school career nearing its end it meant a lot to be able to secure a vital touchdown in one of my final games.
“My line did a tremendous job. Freshmen Nate Poplin and Kenny Harper opened up a hole as big as a freeway, and it just allowed me to do my job. I’m deeply thankful to my coaches and teammates for believing in me after such a tough start.”
So what was that call that propelled the Bulldogs to a much-needed win over Union Academy (5-4, 1-3)?
“You know I can’t give away all our secrets,” Gregory added. “Whatever the call was, I was ready to do my part to help our team execute the play. I got excited when they called my number. We scored, so it was definitely a great play call that was well executed by the entire offense. Let’s just call it ‘Operation Score or Bust’ and I was thankful for the opportunity.”
After that score there was plenty of time on the clock and Union Academy drove down inside the Bulldog redzone with 50 seconds on the clock, but sophomore Shoddy Pergee, listed on the roster as “Athlete,” sealed the contest with an interception.
Despite not scoring for three quarters, Albemarle got some big plays. Kaine McLendon had a 59-yard run and Dre Davis hit Zyion Geiger with a 33-yard bomb to end the third quarter.
Gregory came into the game to fill in for an injured McLendon, who leads the locals with 12 sacks.
Davis, Pergee and McLendon all had big first downs to extend drives.
Both clubs had volleys of unsuccessful field goal attempts throughout the tilt.
Albemarle had some top-tier defensive stands in its first shutout of 2024.
Week 10 offers up a big rivalry game as North Stanly (5-4, 2-1) comes to Albemarle. The Comets fell to Mount Pleasant 49-27 in New London.
“This was a much needed win for our team,” Dre Davis said. “We broke a demoralizing losing streak with a team win and a defensive shutout. Morale going into the North week will be high.
“Naturally, with North Stanly being one of our biggest rivals, we were hoping for some positive momentum going into the game. This is our final regular season game, it’s a home game, and it’s senior night. All that is great, but the bottom line is, if we hope to secure a victory, we have to show up and execute in all aspects of the game. Last season, North Stanly’s away bleachers weren’t accessible, but our fans still showed up, cheered us on and it gave us a huge lift. We hope to see our fans show up in large numbers this year so we can feel that same energy again and get an added boost.”

Eric Montgomery is a freelance writer for The Stanly News & Press.