3A BATTLE: Montgomery Academy repeats playoff win over Trinity

MA’s Jamal Cooper races past Jack Patty in the Eagles’ win over Trinity on Friday. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

It was an interesting contrast of offensive styles on display in a second-round playoff matchup between Trinity and Montgomery Academy at McLemore Field on Friday night.

Like last year, the Wildcats relied on a stingy defense and relied on big plays from its offense. Like last year, Montgomery Academy relied on a steady defensive effort aided by a time-consuming, grind-it-out offensive style.

Like last year, Montgomery Academy won. 

For the second consecutive season, a physical offensive style highlighted by fullback Jashawn Cooper handed Trinity a heartbreaking postseason defeat, but this year’s 21-17 win by the Eagles kept fans on the edge of their seats right up until the final seconds.

“I was worried,” Montgomery Academy coach Robert Johnson said, reflecting on Trinity’s final drive that started at the Trinity 28 with 3:16 remaining. “I was trying to think, ‘What plays do we have that can score in 30 seconds?’ We got them to fourth down and they still converted. The next time we got them to fourth down, we were able to stop them.”

Coleman Stanley’s fourth-down pass skipped off the hands of Luke Pittman along the Montgomery Academy sideline with 47.4 seconds remaining, touching off a wild celebration among the Eagles.

“It definitely took a lot of heart because we were down at half,” Montgomery Academy senior Jamal Cooper said. “It’s win or go home, so I told all the seniors we’ve got to lock in, we can’t go home. Everybody bought in and played physical. And we came out with a win.”

There were two things that aided the Eagles in rallying from a 10-7 halftime deficit. One was a relentless ground attack that consumed nearly 33 minutes in a 48-minute game, limiting the touches by the Trinity offense while the Wildcat defense fought to keep its competitive edge. 

The second was a pair of huge runs by Jamal Cooper on consecutive scoring drives that allowed the Eagles to gain control of the game. 

“Our offensive line played great,” Johnson said. “They (Trinity) are huge up front defensively and are so well coached. Their defense is coached as well as anybody I’ve ever coached against. Their team played so hard. But Jashawn just put the team on his back and Jamal made some big-time runs. Moving Jamal to quarterback, now people have to defend the fullback game even more because of his running threat.”

Montgomery Academy’s second possession lasted 17 plays and more than 10 minutes before Jashawn Cooper scored for a 7-3 lead. Minutes later, the Eagles took over again and threatened to take control of the game, but a timely penalty and a key stand by the Wildcats stopped the drive.

“Hats off to them,” Johnson said. “Their defensive line punched through and stopped us.”

Trinity scored in six plays with a Coleman Stanley quarterback sneak giving the Wildcats a 10-7 halftime lead. When two MA drives put the Eagles ahead 21-10, Trinity struck back quickly, scoring in three plays on a 19-yard pass from Stanley to Mac McClinton. 

“Our offense played well at times,” Trinity coach Granger Shook said. “We were just too inconsistent.”

MA would take control with those two possessions preceding the last Trinity touchdown, 11- and 13-play drives that each consumed nearly six minutes, each sparked by Jamal Cooper end runs of 27 and 19 yards, respectively, that led to Jashawn Cooper touchdown runs.

“I was talking in the huddle to my coach,” Cooper said. “The defensive end was getting up the field quick so I had to cut up. I asked, ‘Coach, can we get an adjustment to help him get pinned down so I can get on the outside?’ He got pinned, we executed that, so I was able to get on the outside and get more yards.”

Jamal Cooper finished with 85 yards on 17 carries, while Jashawn Cooper had 131 yards on 29 carries. 

“We didn’t win the line of scrimmage,” Shook said. “We just didn’t make the plays when we needed to. I thought our kids played hard, our kids played with a lot of heart but there were just some things where we didn’t run the right route or we just weren’t lined up right on defense.

“It’s a big-time game. No. 6 (Jashawn Cooper) and No. 3 (Jamal Cooper) for them took over the game. We just weren’t able to make the play when we needed to.”

Montgomery Academy (9-3) avenged an 18-15 loss to the Wildcats in late August when a fumbled punt return helped break a 15-15 tie late in the game. 

“In the first game, our special teams did not play well,” Johnson said. “Tonight, I don’t know if our special teams beat their special teams (unit), but we sure enough played great.”

The Eagles advance to the 3A quarterfinals for the second consecutive year and will play host to T.R. Miller (10-2) next Friday at McLemore Field.

Trinity ends the season at 9-3, losing to Catholic, St. James and Montgomery Academy.

“I’m really proud of this senior group, winning nine games,” Shook said. “It’s not what we wanted, it’s disappointing, but I’m proud of how they handled the season.” 

Defensively for the Eagles, Judson Lindsey and Arch Lee each had eight tackles, followed by Jashawn Cooper with seven tackles and Nigel Walker and Hudson Whitt with six each. 

Defensively for the Wildcats, Webber McClinton had 11 tackles, while Chapman Pouncey had 11 tackles, including one for loss. Carson Brown and Seawell McKee each had seven tackles, followed by Mac McClinton with six.