AISA RECAP: Autauga Academy takes OT win over Southern; Hooper tops Lee-Scott
Bobby Carr and the Autauga Academy Generals moved closer to a playoff spot with the overtime win over Southern Academy on Friday. (Tim Gayle)
STAFF REPORT
Autauga Academy 47, Southern Academy 40 (3OT)
GREENSBORO – In a season where positives have often been hard to find, Autauga’s Josh Palmer scored a pair of touchdowns in overtime and Jaquon Cohen sealed the win with an interception in the third overtime to keep alive the Generals’ playoff hopes with a region win over Southern.
With the win, Autauga (2-5) moved into a tie for third place in the region at 1-2 and can wrap up a playoff berth with a win next Friday at home against Wilcox or an Escambia win over Southern next week.
Will Traywick was 20 of 25 for 466 yards and five touchdown passes, including three in overtime. He completed a screen pass to Anden Hilyer in the first overtime period that Hilyer carried into the end zone for a 10-yard play; threw 10 yards to Palmer for a touchdown in the second overtime period; and threw seven yards to Palmer on second down in the third overtime period.
Shawn Pierce added the extra point after each touchdown as well as kicking two field goals in regulation.
Donte Henry led the receivers with 158 yards on four receptions, including a 99-yard touchdown reception from Traywick in regulation. Hilyer added 134 yards on six receptions, Britton Worrall had six receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown and Palmer had 61 yards on five catches.
Hilyer led the defensive effort with 15 tackles (11 solo and four assists), including a tackle for loss. Cohen had five solo tackles and an assist, a pass breakup and two interceptions, including the one that sealed the victory. Tucker Cousins added 14 tackles, including 10 solo and four assists.
Hooper Academy 35, Lee-Scott Academy 18
HOPE HULL – Porter Henry completed 9 of 15 passes for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Colts won their first region game and inched closer to a playoff berth with a 35-18 win over the Warriors at Davis Henry Field on Friday night.
Hooper (5-3) moved to third place in AAA Region 2 play at 1-2, a half-game ahead of Lee-Scott, but needs to win next week’s game with Valiant Cross on Saturday at Cramton Bowl to ensure a playoff spot. A loss to Valiant would throw the region race into a three-way tie for third, leading to tiebreakers.
Paul Menefee had 207 rushing yards and scored a pair of touchdowns for the Colts, while adding 24 receiving yards and another touchdown.
Preston Knepper had 109 receiving yards and a touchdown in the win.
Defensively, Dalton Hooper led the Colts with 13 tackles and a sack, while Winston Martin and Tate Myers each had eight tackles.
Edgewood Academy 35, Springwood School 19
LANETT -- Edgewood scored the game’s first three touchdowns and ground out 357 rushing yards to dispose of Springwood and take over first place in AA Region 1 play.
The Wildcats (6-2) wrapped up region play with a 3-1 record, a half-game ahead of Macon East, who plays Springwood at home next Friday, and Chambers, who plays Banks at home next Friday. Should the three teams finish tied, a tie-breaking formula based on the scores of the games against each other would resolve the top three seeds in the region.
Alex Johnson returned to play quarterback for the Wildcats and threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Carson Peevy and a 15-yard scoring pass to JT Brazell to help his team to a 21-0 lead.
Johnson rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while Bradley Boone rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and Mitchell Boyd rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Edgewood picked up 24 of its 28 first downs on the ground.
OJ Tolbert ran 3 yards for a touchdown to put Springwood (3-5) on the scoreboard and trim the halftime deficit to 21-6. After Johnson and Boone scored to give Edgewood a 35-6 lead, Kannon Key ran 6 yards for a touchdown and Will Craft added a 7-yard touchdown run with four seconds left.
Key finished with 158 yards on 21 carries.
Brazell and Joseph Benton each had nine tackles to lead Edgewood’s defensive effort.
Morgan Academy 30, Tuscaloosa Academy 13
SELMA – Holt Utsey rushed for 197 yards on 28 carries and scored on runs of 4, 14 and 16 yards to help the Senators hold off the Knights on Friday night.
Utsey’s first two runs, along with a Wade Mason extra point, gave Morgan a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter before the Knights answered with a 70-yard scoring reception by Bo Abston. The Senators responded with a little trickery as receiver Chris Gardner threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Andrew Thomas and Mason added the extra point for a 20-7 halftime lead.
Mason added a 32-yard field goal and an extra point following Utsey’s 16-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Tuscaloosa (3-6) scored its other touchdown on an 18-yard run by Jack Standeffer.
Morgan (6-2) wrapped up the AAA Region 2 second seed – and home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs – with the win. The Senators play host to Fort Dale next week.
Lowndes Academy 48, Coosa Valley 0
HARPERSVILLE – Drew Till rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown as the Rebels broke out of their scoring slump with a rout of Coosa Valley to pull into third place in Class A Region 1 with a shutout at winless Coosa Valley.
The Rebels (3-6) can wrap up the third seed in the region by winning at home next week against Cornerstone.
Jackson Self scored a touchdown, Jackson Floyd recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown, Clay Duncan had a pair of touchdowns and Colby Briggs threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the win.
Coosa Valley (0-9) is idle next week before closing out at home on Oct. 30 against Sparta.
Patrician Academy 48, Wilcox Academy 12
CAMDEN – Tate Boykin rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on just six carries while making a team-leading nine tackles on defense as the Saints rallied from a 12-6 deficit in the third quarter with four touchdowns to rout Wilcox 48-12.
Cooper Dixon completed 10 of 19 passes for 131 yards, including a 21-yard pass to Payne Smith to help Wilcox tie the game 6-6 at the half. Dixon also rushed for 81 yards on 12 carries, including a 33-yard touchdown run to put the home team on top 12-6 early in the third quarter.
Patrician (7-1) responded with a 55-yard scoring run by Boykin, a 2-yard run by Sammy Lewis and an interception return for a touchdown by Augustus Lewis to turn a tight ballgame into a comfortable lead at 32-12 by the end of the third quarter.
Augustus Lewis added a 20-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter.
The win wrapped up home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the Saints. Wilcox Academy (3-4) could earn the third seed with a win next week at Autauga.
Banks Academy 16, Lakeside School 12
EUFAULA – Kaemon Teasley caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jason Parker to seal the win as the Jets snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Chiefs on Friday night.
Banks (2-6) lost three straight, had a game with Southern postponed until Oct. 30 because of coronavirus concerns, then followed up a loss to Abbeville with a forfeit to Macon East because of COVID-related issues before bounding back into the win column on Friday.
Banks travels to Lafayette to play Chambers next week before returning home to close out its inaugural season with a game against Southern.
Lakeside (3-5) plays host to Abbeville Christian next week before traveling to Springwood on Oct. 29.
Pike Liberal Arts 41, Valiant Cross Academy 6
TROY – The Patriots set up a winner-take-all battle for the AAA Region 1 championship next week at home against Glenwood by beating Valiant Cross 41-6 at Delaney Kervin Stadium on Friday night.
The game was initially scheduled for Cramton Bowl on Saturday, but Pike Liberal Arts (6-1) got the game moved to their home field on Friday night, then improved to 3-0 in region play with the win.
Savion German’s touchdown pass to Corey Brown help Valiant Cross (1-8) avoid the shutout. Valiant Cross can still earn a berth in the state playoffs next Saturday at Cramton Bowl by beating Hooper Academy, forcing a three-way tie for third place in the region, and earning the third seed via tiebreakers. Valiant would have to post a 10-point win over the Colts to secure the third seed.
Chambers Academy 47, Macon East Academy 6
LAFAYETTE – Chambers rolled up 436 rushing yards and 559 total yards to crush Macon East, virtually assuring the Rebels of the AA Region 1 championship.
Only a loss next week at home to Banks Academy could spoil the Rebels’ title based on a tiebreaker formula with Macon East and Edgewood. Barring an upset, Chambers (7-1) will finish as the region’s top seed, followed by Macon East (6-3) and Edgewood (6-2).
Payton Allen completed 6 of 14 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown but the senior did most of the damage with his legs, rushing for 124 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries. Jordan Benbrook led the ground game with 178 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 carries and T.Y. Trammell added 88 yards on four carries.
Trammell also had 73 yards and a touchdown on two receptions.
Defensively, Jacob Oliver led Chambers with 12 tackles, followed by Kross Colley with 10. Dean Sheffield had eight tackles, Braydon Moncus had seven tackles and a fumble recovery, Cade Tarver had six tackles and a pair of sacks and Gavin Kight, Jarquez Banks and Allen had all six tackles each.
Macon East returns home to close out region play with Springwood. The Knights must defeat Springwood to finish as the second seed and earn a first-round playoff berth at home on Nov. 6.
AISA SCORES from OCT. 16
Hooper Academy 35, Lee-Scott Academy 18
Morgan Academy 30, Tuscaloosa Academy 13
Bessemer Academy 54, Fort Dale Academy 21
Edgewood Academy 35, Springwood School 19
Banks Academy 16, Lakeside School 12
Chambers Academy 47, Macon East Academy 6
Pike Liberal Arts 41, Valiant Cross Academy 6
Patrician Academy 48, Wilcox Academy 12
Autauga Academy 47, Southern Academy 40 (3OT)
Lowndes Academy 48, Coosa Valley Academy 0
Crenshaw Christian 36, Abbeville Christian 20
South Choctaw Academy 14, Pickens Academy 7
Jackson Academy 48, Meadowview Christian 12
Sparta Academy 1, Snook Academy 0, forfeit
Monroe Academy 34, Clarke Prep 15
Rocky Bayou at Cornerstone Christian, canceled