AISA RECAP: Hooper gets in win column; Macon East continues to impress

Kirkland Pugh passes over the defense in Macon East’s win over Lee-Scott Academy on Friday. (Leigh Ann Moore)

COMBINED REPORTS

Hooper Academy 34, Banks Academy 6

HOPE HULL – Paul Menefee rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns as the Colts snapped a two-game losing streak with a 34-6 win over the Jets at Davis-Henry Stadium on Friday.

Tamarcus Hardaway added 87 yards rushing and a touchdown on offense, while recording eight tackles on defense.

Porter Henry was 4 of 8 passing for 91 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jack Ratliff. 

Defensively, Dalton Hooper led the Colts with nine tackles. Chase Emerson and Riley Wood added eight. 

Hooper (2-2) remains home to face Lowndes next Friday, while Banks (1-4) plays host to Southern.

Clarke Prep 28, Autauga Academy 14

PRATTVILLE – Caden Henry returned the opening kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown, but the Generals’ offense struggled to reach the end zone for the remainder of the night, dropping their second consecutive game on Friday.

The loss marked the first time since 2015 – when the Generals lost to Lee-Scott, Monroe and Morgan in consecutive weeks – that Autauga has lost back-to-back games. It marked the first time since 2007 that a Bobby Carr-coached team had lost in consecutive weeks. 

Will Traywick completed 8 of 16 passes for 208 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown pass to Brittany Worrell, but was intercepted twice. Donte Henry led the Generals’ receivers with two receptions for 77 yards. The rushing attack, which struggled to find any rhythm all night, was led by Kaylen Griffin’s 47 yards on nine carries.

Defensively for Autauga, Tucker Cousins had 11 tackles and Caden Henry had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Autauga (1-2) plays its next two games on Thursday, traveling to Bessemer Academy next week before returning home to play Meadowview Christian on Oct. 2.

Clarke Prep (2-3) travels to Camden to play Wilcox Academy next weekend.

Chambers Academy 46, Valiant Cross 7

LAFAYETTE – Chambers rolled up more than 40 points for the fourth time in five games while holding first-year program Valiant Cross Academy in check in a 46-7 win on Friday.

Jacob Oliver led the Rebels’ defense with eight tackles, while Kross Colley and Dean Sheffield had six tackles each. John White had five tackles and an interception, Gavin Kight and Austin Brooks each had five tackles and a sack and Hayden Hurst had five tackles.

Chambers (5-0) remains home to play Pike Liberal Arts next week in a battle of undefeated teams. 

Valiant Cross scored its lone touchdown on a Corey Brown reception. Valiant Cross (1-4) travels to Florida to play Wewahitchka (2-1) next Friday.

Macon East Academy 41, Lee-Scott Academy 23

CECIL -- Carlos Carter rushed for 143 yards on 10 carries, scoring touchdowns on runs of 2, 67 and 41 yards, as Macon East closed out its five-game home stand in perfect fashion with a 41-23 win over the Warriors on Friday night.

Macon East improved to 5-0 for only the second time in the history of the program. In its fourth year, 1999, the Knights went 12-0 before losing in the finals to Pickens. 

Kirkland Pugh completed 11 of 15 passes for 228 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Eric Lawson, along with an interception. Lawson had two catches for 109 yards in the win, while Lane Goree had three receptions for 58 yards.

Defensively for the Knights, Parker Strickland had six tackles, Luke Noffsinger had five tackles and an interception, Stone Yarnell had five tackles and Garrett Harden and Jordan Hicks had four tackles each.

Macon East travels to Monroe Academy next Friday, while Lee-Scott (0-4) plays host to Springwood.

Lakeside 64, Meadowview 0

SELMA – Willis Jackson and Tyler Culpepper each scored a pair of touchdowns as the Chiefs ran away with a shutout of Meadowview Christian on Friday.

Jackson scored on runs of 50 and 5 yards, while Culpepper scored on both sides of the ball, reaching the end zone on a 44-yard run and returning an interceptions 65 yards for another score.

Darion Smith scored on a 49-yard run, Jeremiah Bowick scored on a 7-yard run, Jackson Edmondson scored on a 37-yard run, Rashun Upshaw scored on a 57-yard punt return and Lane Beasley added a 12-yard touchdown run to help Lakeside to its third consecutive win.

Lakeside (3-1) returns to Class A Region 1 action next week in Luverne against Crenshaw Christian. Meadowview (0-5) travels to Southern Prep Academy next week.

Morgan Academy 47, Southern Academy 26

SELMA – Andrews Thomas completed 9 of 13 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns as the Senators remained unbeaten with a 47-26 win over Southern on Friday.

Holt Utsey added 280 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 15 carries as Morgan improved to 4-0 with the win. Wade Mason added a 33-yard field goal for the Senators in the second quarter.

Morgan travels west to Butler to play Patrician Academy next week while Southern (1-3) travels to Birmingham to play Banks Academy on Friday.

Abbeville Christian 41, Pickens Academy 13

CARROLLTON – Lane Johnson and Deveren Wilkins scored touchdowns for the Pirates, but it wasn’t enough to keep Pickens from falling from the ranks of the unbeatens in a 41-13 loss to the Generals.

Pickens (4-1) had scored at least 40 points in each of their three gridiron battles – a fourth came from forfeit – but couldn’t find enough offense against the rugged Abbeville Christian defense.

Pickens has a week off before returning to action on Oct. 2 at Southern, while Abbeville (3-1) will travel to Cornerstone for a region matchup next Friday.