PREP RECAP (Week 3): UPDATED: Wetumpka falls in wacky finish; Lee shuts out Lanier; JD falls in Saturday tilt
STAFF REPORTS
WETUMPKA – The Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa Patriots pulled off a miraculous play in the final seconds to shock the Wetumpka Indians, 34-30, in non-region action at Hohenburg Field on Friday.
The Indians had taken a 30-28 lead with just 14 seconds remaining in the game on an 18-yard field goal from Alex Londell.
In the final 13 seconds, the Patriots drove the field from their own 20 yard line with the final 41 yards coming on a pass play that included nine laterals and two fumbles with the final 45 yards run out by Ethan Crawford.
The Indians had driven 65 yards in two minutes to set up what would have been the wining field goal, including a fourth down conversion at the Hillcrest 19 yard line. Quarterback Robert Rose set up the score with a 14 yard run inside the Hillcrest 3-yard line with 45 seconds remaining.
Wetumpka led 13-7 at halftime with Rose scoring on a 54-yard run and Stone Minnifield rambling for 11 yards for a score.
The game see-sawed back and forth in the second half. After Hillcrest had taken a 21-13 lead in the third quarter, Justin Crumbaugh scored on a 20-yard run followed by a 9-yard touchdown run by Minnifield in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
Hillcrest took the lead with just over 7:45 left, setting up the fireworks in the final minutes of the game.
The game also included a lengthy delay at the halftime break due to lightning.
Minnifield led the Indians with 132 yards and two touchdowns on 21 rushing attempts. He added 25 yards in receiving.
Rose finished with 111 yards rushing and a touchdown on 13 carries and 64 yards passing with a score on 8 of 14 attempts.
Wetumpka (2-2, 1-0) travels to Benjamin Russell next week.
R.E. Lee 21, Sidney Lanier 0
Running back Reggie Davis continued his impressive senior season but it was the Lee defense that proved to be the star in a shutout of crosstown rival Lanier on Friday at Cramton Bowl.
Davis finished with 190 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, which ended a streak of 300-yard performances the last two weeks. He scored on runs of 46 and 61 yards, the latter coming in the final minute of the first half that gave Lee a 14-0 lead at halftime.
The Generals tacked on a third TD when Brian Thomas scored on a 5-yard run for the final margin.
Lee’s defense was aided by a steady downpour of rain in the second half that all but took away the Poets’ passing game. Lanier attempted five passes in the second half, all incomplete.
Lanier managed just 111 total yards of offense in the game.
Thomas added 97 yards and a score on nine carries for Lee.
The Generals (3-1, 2-0 6A/Region 2) returns to Cramton Bowl next Thursday to face Russell County. Lanier (1-2, 0-2) is at Valley next Friday.
Central-Phenix City 37, Jeff Davis 6 (Saturday)
Zion Morris returned the opening kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown and the Red Devils never looked back in a win over Jeff Davis in a rare Saturday game at Cramton Bowl.
The Volunteers managed just 141 yards in total offense with 34 yards passing against the stingy Central defense. Five different Red Devils scored in the game with quarterback Caleb Nix (brother of Auburn’s Bo) throwing for one touchdown while Morris added a second score in the first quarter.
JD’s lone score came on a quarterback sneak by Chase Ford with 4:36 remaining in the third quarter.
JD (0-3, 0-1 7A/Region 2) travels to Auburn next week while Central (2-2, 2-0) faces Enterprise at home.
Beauregard 12, Holtville 9
HOLTVILLE - Trent Jones threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to KJ Maloy with 1:42 remaining to lift Beauregard to a 12-9 victory over previously unbeaten Holtville in Class 5A, Region 4 action Friday at Boykin-Chapman Field.
Shawn Brackett had the lone touchdown for the Bulldogs while Braxton Potts was credited with a tackle in the end zone for a safety.
Braxton Buck finished with 94 yards passing while Drew Pickett had 111 yards rushing in a losing effort. Copelin Gillian led the defense with eight tackles while Cade Law added an interception.
Holtville (3-1, 1-1 5A/Region 4) will travel to Talladega next Friday.
Central-Clay County 55, Elmore County 6
LINEVILLE – The Panthers managed just 118 yards of total offense in the loss to the two-time defending champions Friday at Volunteer Stadium.
Sean Darnell had the lone touchdown for the Panthers, a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Brody Ward led the defense with three tackles and an interception.
Elmore County (1-3, 0-2 5A/Region 4) returns home to face Tallassee next Friday.
Pelham 35, Stanhope Elmore 25
PELHAM – The Mustangs fell behind early and was unable to make up the difference in a Class 6A, Region 4 loss to the Panthers on Friday at Ned Bearden Stadium.
Teddy Harris scored all four touchdowns for the Mustangs with three scores coming on passes from quarterback Trey Killingsworth.
Antonio Trone had 122 yards rushing to lead the SE offense. Killingsworth had 173 yards passing on 7-of-16 passing.
Stanhope Elmore (2-2, 1-1) faces Chilton County next Friday.
Alabama Christian 35, Booker T. Washington 6
Jalen Clark ran for three touchdowns and Corey Landers added two more as Alabama Christian rebounded from an unexpected week off with a 35-6 win over BTW in the 4A Region 2 opener for the Eagles.
Booker T. Washington (0-3, 0-2 in region play) opened the season with a 1-0 forfeit loss because of coronavirus, but ACA avoided the same fate by moving last week’s game with St. James to Sept. 25.
Resuming play after an open date, the Eagles for a 6-yard scoring run by Landers and a 3-yard run by Clark for a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, then added a 3-yard Landers’ touchdown run and a 4-yard scoring run by Clark for a 28-0 lead at the half.
Clark, who finished with 62 yards on eight carries, added a 51-yard run in the third quarter to make it 35-0. Landers finished with 54 yards on six carries and added a reception for 45 yards.
Defensively, Miller McCarthy led the way with seven tackles, followed by Kyle Jackson with five tackles and a sack, Khalil Jackson with five tackles and Jackson Thomas with five tackles. Avery Stuart added a blocked punt for the Eagles, 2-1 and 1-0 in region play.
ACA travels to Midland City for a region game with Dale County next Friday. BTW travels to Union Springs for a region game with Bullock County.
Catholic 35, Reeltown 20
REELTOWN – Caleb McCreary threw for a pair of touchdowns and Jeremiah Cobb ran for two more as Catholic pulled away from Reeltown in a 3A Region 4 game at Nix-Webster-O’Neal Stadium on Friday.
McCreary was 14 of 21 for 252 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown pass to DJ Carter four minutes into the game to help the Knights rally from a 6-0 deficit. The Knights added three more scores in the second quarter, scoring on a TJ Dudley 4-yard run out of Wildcat formation, a 20-yard run by Cobb and a 34-yard touchdown pass from McCreary to Myles Butler to give Catholic a 28-6 lead at the half.
Cobb, who finished with 134 yards on 13 carries, added a 1-yard run midway through the third quarter after the Rebels had scored to cut into the lead.
“I’m really proud of how our group continues to play tough football,” Catholic coach Aubrey Blackwell said. “It was a physical game tonight and we had adversity to overcome all around us. Caleb McCreary did a great job of getting the ball to Myles and DJ with some big plays in the second quarter. Jeremiah Cobb helped us control the clock with some relentless effort in the second half.”
Carter finished with 94 yards on three receptions and 73 more on three returns. Butler had 79 yards on five catches.
Defensively, Dudley had 11 tackles, followed by Pat Ryan with nine.
“(Reeltown) Coach Matt Johnson does a great job and his guys played their hearts out tonight for him and never quit,” Blackwell said. “I’m proud that our guys went on the road for the third time in four games and played great defense and didn’t allow the noise and distractions take us off task. Our defense made some big stops at critical times and played tough football tonight.”
Catholic (3-1, 2-0 in region play) returns home next Friday for a region game with Beulah. Reeltown (2-2, 1-1) travels to Goshen next Friday.
Trinity 50, Beulah 7
BEULAH – Trinity spotted Beulah an early touchdown, then scored 50 unanswered points to improve to 2-0 in region play heading into next week’s region matchup at home with Pike County.
A 13-yard scoop and score by Coleman Ellis on a Beulah fumble broke a 7-7 tie and the Wildcats added four more touchdowns in the first half to take a 43-7 lead into the locker room at the half.
Coleman Stanley scored on a quarterback keeper, John David Bonner threw a touchdown pass to Jake Hufham and Chase Letner added a touchdown run with 4:16 remaining in the first half as Trinity took a 43-7 lead.
John David Bonner, for the second consecutive week, completed every pass he threw, going 8 for 8 on Friday for 160 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Hufham had 96 yards and a touchdown on four receptions and William Roberson added a 16-yard scoring reception on his only catch of the night.
Mac McClinton led the rushing attack with 51 yards and a touchdown on six carries, followed by Letner with 36 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Maplesville 51, Billingsley 14
BILLINGSLEY – For a half, Billingsley looked up to the task of taking on the Red Devils.
Levi Arington threw a touchdown pass to Devin Blackmon and ran for another score as the Bears trailed their arch rivals by just five points, 19-14, at the half.
The second half was all Maplesville as the visitors scored 32 unanswered points to record their 15th consecutive victory in the series.
Billingsley (2-2, 0-2 in region play) travels to Notasulga for a region game next week.
Montgomery Academy 1, Southside-Selma 0
The Eagles remain unbeaten at 4-0 and undefeated in 3A Region 3 play after Southside forfeited their game, citing coronavirus issues.
Montgomery Academy will play host to Prattville Christian in a region game next Friday.
Sylacauga 41, Tallassee 21
TALLASSEE – Maleek Pope rushed for 194 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries as the Aggies kept Tallassee winless with a strong third-quarter performance at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium on Friday night.
Tallassee rolled up 336 yards in the loss, including 198 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns from Jalyn Daniels as Tallassee (0-3, 0-1 in region play) dropped to 0-3 for the first time since 2011.
Pope started the scoring with a 12-yard run midway through the first quarter, but Daniels answered seconds later with a 55-yard run to tie the game at 6-6. Pope added another 12-yard scoring run in the second quarter as the Aggies took a 21-14 lead into the locker room at the half, then pulled away in the third quarter.
Caleb Burns had a 69-yard interception return for a touchdown and on the final play of the third quarter Pope ran 62 yards for a touchdown and a 41-14 lead.
Tallassee will travel to Eclectic for a region contest next Friday.
Hale County 43, Prattville Christian 20
PRATTVILLE -- Kenny Gunn had 100 yards on 24 carries, but the Panthers couldn’t keep Hale County out of the end zone in a 43-20 defeat on Friday night.
Matthew Lisle added 21 yards rushing, including a 14-yard touchdown run for PCA. James Chancey and Tanner Byrd added rushing touchdowns as well. Byrd completed 3 of 8 passes for 41 yards, including a two-point conversion pass to Lisle. Stillman Davis led the Panthers with 32 yards receiving.
Jake Davis and Joseph King led the defensive effort with six tackles each. Trey Barkley and Lisle each added five tackles and Stillman Davis and Grant Scott followed with four tackles each. Chancey had three tackles and Jackson Reed recovered a fumble.
Prattville Christian (1-3, 0-2 in region play) will travel to Montgomery Academy next Friday.