FRIDAY NIGHT PREPS: Carver's big third quarter leads to romp over Vestavia; MA holds off Tallassee
TK Norman scores on one of three touchdown passes by TJ Russell in Carver’s win over Vestavia Hills on Friday at Cramton Bowl. (Courtesy AHSAA)
By GRAHAM DUNN and TIM GAYLE
G.W. Carver led by just one point late first half but scored late in the final minute and then took advantage of an early turnover with an interception and scored 13 unanswered points to start the second half on the way to a comfortable 41-19 win over Vestavia Hills in the AHSAA Kickoff Classic at Cramton Bowl on Friday.
Carver held a 13-12 lead before a TJ Russell touchdown pass to Anthony Rogers to take a 21-12 lead just before halftime.
The second half started with a Vestavia Hills fumble which led to Russell’s second touchdown pass of the night, a 48-yard strike to TK Norman with just 19 seconds gone in the second half.
A few minutes later, Russell threw his third touchdown pass of the night, finding Jacobi Freeman over the middle from 11 yards to increase the lead to 34-12 with just under 10 minutes left in the third.
Carver added its final score of the game in the fourth quarter on former Lanier standout Tre Berry’s 1-yard plunge to give the Wolverines an insurmountable lead.
Russell, in his first start for the Wolverines, passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-29 attempts. He added 29 yards rushing.
Berry had 73 yards on 23 carries and a score while Rogers caught nine passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Noah Maye led the Carver defense with nine tackles. Kendarious Reynolds had two interceptions.
The Rebels were held to 234 yards in total offense. Carver’s lone black mark was committing 15 penalties for 210 yards.
Carver (1-0) will face Percy Julian in a non region game next Friday at Cramton Bowl.
Montgomery Academy 22, Tallassee 16
Montgomery Academy took advantage of an error-prone Tallassee team, turning back the Tigers late to secure a 22-16 win at McLemore Field in the season opener for both teams on Friday.
The win spoiled the debut of LA O’Neal as the head coach of the Tigers.
Freshman Reid McBride, earning his first varsity start at quarterback, completed 10 of 16 passes for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns in helping the Eagles to a 22-0 lead before Tallassee rallied with a pair of touchdowns in the final 15 minutes.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard first with a 10-yard pass from McBride to Jarrett Friendly and a two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead. Montgomery Academy added another touchdown on a 28-yard Kingston Nelson run for a 14-0 halftime lead.
McBride added a touchdown pass to DJ Vinson and a two-point conversion for a 22-0 lead.
From there, the Eagles’ defense came up with the big plays, using a fourth-down stop by Graham Martin to turn back the Tigers before Tallassee came back with a touchdown and two-point conversion to trim the lead to 22-8 late in the third quarter.
Tallassee added another score two minutes into the fourth quarter and drove to a first and goal at the Montgomery Academy 5-yard line before Friendly came up with a third-down interception, one of five Tallassee turnovers, to seal the win.
Mac Benefield led the rushing attack with 125 yards on 23 carries, while Nelson added 50 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Vinson led the receivers with 83 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, while Braden Gordon had five catches for 64 yards.
Linebacker Knox Wingate led the defensive effort with nine tackles and two quarterback pressures, followed by Martin with seven tackles, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery and Gordon with seven tackles, a sack and a pass breakup. Friendly had five tackles and an interception and Vinson had five tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. Mikey Kirkland had four tackles and a forced fumble, while John Bennett Lester had four tackles and a sack.
Montgomery Academy (1-0) remains home to play St. James next Friday at McLemore Field. Tallassee (0-1) travels to Eclectic to play Elmore County.
Trinity 21, Holtville 10
HOLTVILLE -- The Wildcats managed just 128 yards in a defensive battle with the Class 5A Bulldogs, but got a defensive touchdown to turn back Holtville 21-10 in the season opener for both teams on Friday.
The Wildcats struck early on a 39-yard pass from Thompson McNees to Xavier Boswell to take a 14-7 lead into the second quarter. The Bulldogs scored in the first quarter but were held out of the end zone the remainder of the game.
Matthew Schroll added a 7-yard touchdown run for the Wildcats for a 14-7 halftime lead.
Chase Parker led the rushing game with 40 yards on 17 carries but the entire Trinity offense managed just 38 rushing yards.
McNees completed 11 of 20 passes for 90 yards. Boswell had three receptions for 40 yards, Parker had three receptions for 24 yards and Patto Mitchell had three receptions for 23 yards.
Boswell also had four tackles and a pair of interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, along with a pair of punt returns for 23 yards.
Fleming Hall, in his first start after taking off a year from football, led the Trinity defense with 10 tackles and three passes defensed. Schroll had eight tackles, followed by Luke Hall with five tackles, a sack and two quarterback pressures and Wilson Cherry with five tackles, including a tackle for loss.
Trinity (1-0) returns home for the 2024 home opener against Reeltown on Friday at Ragsdale-Boykin Field. Holtville (0-1) travels to Shelby County.
Elmore County 28, Dadeville 7
DADEVILLE -- Tyler Payton rushed for 141 yards on 11 carries, including the game’s final touchdown on a 48-yard run as the Panthers scored twice in the fourth quarter to put away Dadeville in the season opener for both teams.
It was the third straight season opening win for the Panthers (1-0), who play host to Tallassee next week.
Dadeville jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the second quarter when Ky Moss scooped up a Panther fumble and raced 57 yards for the game’s first score.
Elmore County shook off the stunning turn of events as Payton’s 54-yard run set up several runs by Parker Hobbs, including his 2-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 7-7.
Elmore County scored on an 8-yard run by Caleb Spivey in the third quarter to take a 14-7 lead, then scored twice in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Eli Thames scored on a 4-yard run, followed by Payton’s touchdown run.
Jackson Academy 38, Hooper Academy 34
HOPE HULL -- Christ McCoy accounted for 241 yards and four touchdowns for the Colts, but Jackson Academy rallied late with a long touchdown pass in the final four seconds to defeat Hooper 38-34 at Davis-Henry Field on Friday night.
The game was a late addition to the schedule by the Colts, which lost a pair of home dates when Lakeside and Macon East both elected to switch to 8-man football in early August.
McCoy made it exciting for the Colts, rushing for 164 yards and three touchdowns, adding 77 reception yards and a touchdown from quarterback Hunter Bowman and recording 10 tackles and an interception to lead the Colts on defense.
Ellis Fleming added 34 rushing yards and 32 receiving yards for Hooper, along with a two-point conversion reception from Bowman, while Sam Moss had 42 receiving yards.
Ryan Wynn had nine tackles and a pair of sacks for the Colts.
Hooper (0-1) will travel to Elmore to play Edgewood Academy next Friday.
Alabama Christian 30, Escambia County 26
Alabama Christian rallied from a 20-8 deficit with three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a pass from Christian Snipes to Bryant Swindle to complete the comeback in a 30-26 victory over the Class 5A Blue Devils at Faulkner’s John Mark Stallings Field on Friday night.
ACA jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter on a Snipes’ 4-yard run out of field goal formation but Escambia County scored in the final seconds of the first half and again in the third quarter to take a 12-8 lead. The Blue Devils appeared to put the game away 13 seconds into the fourth quarter on a long touchdown pass for a 20-8 lead.
Snipes scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 9:40 remaining to trim the deficit to 20-15, then the Eagles grabbed the lead as Jackson Burton blocked a punt and TJ Merritt scooped up the ball and returned it one yard for the touchdown and a 23-20 lead with 8:47 remaining.
The Blue Devils answered with a long run with just under six minutes remaining to regain the lead before the Eagles marched to the end zone on the game-winning drive as Snipes connected with Swindle on a 51-yard pass with 4:41 remaining.
Snipes finished the game with 65 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 16 carries and completed 8 of 13 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. David Ortiz-Ramirez added 62 yards on 15 carries.
AC Walters had four receptions for 24 yards, while Swindle had 63 yards and a touchdown on two catches.
Defensively, Mekhi Gardner led the Eagles with nine tackles, followed by freshman Levi Summers with seven tackles, Jaydon McElrath with six tackles and a pair of sacks, Jackson Burton with five tackles and a blocked punt and Micah Merritt with five tackles and a sack.
Alabama Christian (1-0) travels to Goshen next Friday.
Percy Julian 29, Paul Bryant 26
TUSCALOOSA - Quarterback Bryson McGrew led Percy Julian to a win over Paul Bryant, passing for 114 yards while adding in a rushing touchdown.
Senior running back Antwan Barnes added 86 rushing yards also adding a score.
Julian’s defense was outstanding and led by Christopher Johnson, who had six tackles and half of a sack. Linebacker George Hunter and senior Jabarron Tyus each had a team-high nine tackles.
The Phoenix (1-0) take on Carver on Friday at Cramton Bowl.