The Albemarle football team opened its 2024 season at home Friday night against another team with an “A” on their helmets, the Asheboro Blue Comets.

Albemarle went down early and rallied to get within a field goal, but a scoreless second half for the Bulldogs led to a 38-14 home loss.

Quincy Lee put the first points on the board Friday with an 11-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the game for the Blue Comets (1-0).

Asheboro made it 14-0 with Lee’s second TD run of the game, this one from 12 yards out, with 4:28 left in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Ja’Zyion Geiger returned the kick 93 yards down the visiting sideline for a touchdown. The extra point was no good, leaving the Bulldogs trailing in the first quarter 14-6.

Asheboro added a 31-yard field goal with 7:23 left in the first half to go up 17-6, but the Bulldogs had an answer later in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs forced and recovered a fumble at the Bulldogs’ 44-yard line. Several plays later, Kaine McLendon got free on the right side for a 51-yard run. Five plays later, Vince Gregory scored from three yards out, then quarterback Dre Davis found McLendon on a swing pass for the two-point conversion. With 32.9 seconds left, Albemarle trailed 17-14.

But the Blue Comets answered Albemarle’s score with a 44-yard touchdown pass from Logan Loughlin to Aiden Robinson with 6.6 seconds left in the first half, putting Asheboro up at halftime 24-14.

In the second half, Asheboro added two rushing touchdowns from D.J. Scott in the third and fourth quarters while keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard en route to the win.

McLendon finished with 113 yards on 18 carries and an 18-yard pass reception, while Gregory had 29 rushing yard and a touchdown. Geiger had 109 total yards for Albemarle an a touchdown.

Defensively, Skyler Potts had 11 tackles, including one for a loss, while McLendon and Nyzir Garner had seven tackles each.

Albemarle returns home Friday night to host Trinity (0-1), who lost at home to Starmount Friday 34-0.