PREP RECAP (Week 4): Lanier, Carver get crucial region wins; Pike Road beats Eufaula in OT; Valiant Cross wins first
COMBINED REPORTS
Sidney Lanier 28, Park Crossing 12
Tacaris Bozeman rushed for four touchdowns including a crucial score in the final minutes to lead the Poets to a Class 6A, Region 2 victory at Cramton Bowl on Friday.
Bozeman had scoring runs of 2, 3, 7 and 15 yards and finished with 159 yards on 18 carries.
Park Crossing scored both touchdowns on passes with the first coming in the opening minutes of the game on a Cameron Haynesworth catch from Anicolas Hardy that gave the Thunderbirds a brief lead.
Park Crossing pulled within a touchdown with 6:14 left in the game on Chase Ford’s pass to Amarion Duster. But Bozeman’s final score of the night pushed the lead back to 16 points. He also added the 2-point conversion.
Ford led the Thunderbirds with 69 yards in total offense. Lanier had seven different backs record a carry.
Lanier (2-2, 1-1) travels to Satsuma next Friday while Park Crossing (0-4, 0-3) goes to Selma.
G.W. Carver 46, Stanhope Elmore 44
MILLBROOK - Antonio Trone scored what would be the decisive touchdown in the final minute and Carver held on with a last-second two-point conversion stop to defeat the Mustangs at Foshee-Henderson Stadium on Friday.
The Wolverines scored with just over a minute to go on Trone’s 5-yard run but missed the two-point conversion. Stanhope Elmore would drive the length of the field and scored on a pass from Jacob Bryant to Josiah Scott to pull the Mustangs within two. But Stanhope was unable to convert the two-point conversion giving Carver the win.
With the victory, Carver stays perfect on the season at 4-0, 3-0 in region play. Stanhope Elmore falls to 1-3 and 1-1.
The Wolverines face R.E. Lee next Friday while Stanhope Elmore plays host to Prattville.
Prattville 24, Opelika 21 (OT)
PRATTVILLE - Reid Montgomery’s 22-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Lions to a key Class 7A, Region 2 win over Opelika at Stanley-Jensen Stadium on Friday.
The winning kick was set up when the Prattville defense denied the Bulldogs on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Running back Jakori Thornton was denied the end zone by the Prattville defense.
Prattville earned its first region win, improving to 2-2 and 1-2 while Opelike falls to 4-1, 3-1.
The Lions travel to Millbrook to face Stanhope Elmore next week. Opelika plays Theodore.
Pike Road 16, Eufaula 10 (OT)
EUFAULA -- Kaleb Foster scored on a quarterback sneak in overtime and the Pike Road defense held Eufaula scoreless in the overtime period to escape with a 16-10 win over the Tigers in a big non-region contest on Friday night.
Eufaula (3-1) lost for the first time this season after dropping from 6A to 5A prior to the 2022 season to emerge as one of the state’s top 5A programs.
Pike Road (3-2) is the defending 5A state champion and is competing in 6A for the first time in school history under first-year coach Ed Rigby, who spent the previous four years at Eufaula.
For a while, the Tigers made Rigby’s homecoming uncomfortable. The Patriots struck for the game’s only first-half points on a 65-yard scoring run by Anthony Rogers, but a Eufaula field goal trimmed the lead to 7-3 heading into the final quarter.
After a Eufaula touchdown, Brennan Tormey answered with a 28-yard field goal by the Patriots to force the overtime period. Tormey missed the extra-point attempt following Foster’s touchdown, but the Patriot defense answered the challenge by stuffing the Eufaula offense on four plays to secure the win.
Rogers finished with 110 yards on 22 carries, including a crucial 38-yard catch late in regulation to keep the game-tying drive alive.
Defensively, the Patriots held Eufaula to 93 rushing yards. Jaylan Jarrett had six tackles, including a crucial sack, while Malik Blocton had eight tackles and a sack and Cody Markham had nine tackles.
Pike Road is idle next week before returning to action on Sept. 30 with a region game at home against winless Park Crossing.
Marbury 22, Tallassee 20
TALLASSEE - The Bulldogs broke a 13-13 tie with just over two minutes left in the third quarter on a Carsyn Cobb 10-yard run to lift Marbury to a non-region win over Tallassee at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium.
Tallassee had fought back from a 13-0 deficit on a 1-yard run by Tyler Ellis and a 31-yard scamper by DJ Leonard midway through the third period before Marbury scored nine unanswered points. Following Cobb’s touchdown, Baylor Cannon kicked a 21-yard field goal with nine minutes left in the game.
Tallassee pulled within two points on another Ellis TD run of 15 yards and Alec Carswell’s PAT.
But the Tigers were unable to get any closer as the Bulldogs ran out the final minutes.
Marbury quarterback Wyatt Fowler passed for 135 yards and a touchdown plus added 35 yards and a score on the ground. Ellis led Tallassee with 135 yards rushing while Leonard had 81 yards rushing. Edwards had 81 yards in receptions for Marbury.
Marbury (2-3) continues non-region play next week with a home game against Trinity Presbyterian. Tallassee (2-3) travels to Clanton to face Chilton County.
Central-Phenix City 49, Jeff Davis 16 (Saturday)
Donald Harris, Jr. and Johnny McCall had the scores for the Vols in a losing effort on Saturday at Cramton Bowl.
Harris finished with 96 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Wendell Powell added 74 yards rushing for the Vols.
JD (1-4, 0-3) has an open week while Central (4-1, 3-1) faces IMG Academy.
St. James 56, Southside-Selma 14
KJ Jackson threw four touchdown passes and Cosner Harrison ran for three more as the Trojans celebrated homecoming with a 56-14 win over the Panthers at Carlisle Field on Friday night.
Six of those touchdowns were in the first half (three in each quarter) to build a 42 - 6 halftime lead.
Jackson was 8 for 11 for 174 yards and four touchdowns, increasing his touchdown total to 17 this season and 62 in his career. He has not thrown an interception this season.
Ziggy Holloway caught two passes for 33 and 25 yards, scoring on both receptions. Ethan Beard caught one pass for 36 yards and a touchdown and Harrison caught two passes for 38 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown reception.
Harrison also rushed 10 times for 65 yards, scoring on runs of 11, 3 and 1 yards, the final touchdown scoring the program’s 11,000th point.
Harrison’s final touchdown run was his ninth rushing touchdown of the year and 57th of his career.
The Trojans’ eighth touchdown came on a 69-yard interception return by Beard.
The Trojan reserves lost a fumble in the fourth quarter, the team’s first turnover all year.
Jake Huff, in his first action as placekicker this season, converted all eight of his extra point attempts, tying a single-game school record with four other kickers.
Huff, Jin Kim (2017 against Trinity) and Graham Sutter (2005 against Monroe County) made all eight attempts. Two other kickers made eight of nine attempts.
The 56 points scored by the Trojans tied a school record for most points in a regular-season game by a Jimmy Perry-coached team. The Trojans also scored 56 points against Bullock County and Trinity, both in 2017. Before that, one would have to go back to a game with Monroe County in 2005 to find a Trojan team that had scored at least 56 points.
St. James (4-1) improved to 3-0 in 3A Region 3 play and will travel on Thursday to Veterans Stadium in Troy to face Charles Henderson. Southside (1-3) will travel to Keith next week.
Alabama Christian 62, Sumter Central 14
Hayes Hunt threw five touchdown passes and Otasowie Dion scored three times as Alabama Christian scored the game’s first 35 points on the way to a 48-point 3A Region 3 victory over Sumter Central at Faulkner’s John Mark Stallings Field on Friday night.
The 62 points represent the most ever scored in a region game in school history and tied the most ever in a home game after a 62-0 win over Landmark Christian in 1981. The 48-point margin of victory is the most since a 52-0 win over Weaver in 2019.
Hunt threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Dion, ran 8 yards for another score and threw 23 yards to Dion for a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. David Ortiz-Ramirez ran 40 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter and Dion scored on a 5-yard run for a 35-0 lead before Sumter Central finally got on the scoreboard.
Hunt countered with his third and fourth touchdown passes of the night, throwing 37 yards to Avery Stuart and 8 yards to Preston Hicks for a 49-6 halftime lead.
Ortiz-Ramirez caught a 3 yard touchdown pass from Hunt with 10 minutes left in the third quarter for a 56-6 lead that finished the night for the starters Jordan Frazier added a 21-yard scoring run with 4:30 left in the third quarter for a 62-6 lead.
Hunt completed 11 of 14 passes for 133 yards and five touchdowns, while Dion had five receptions for 55 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Stuart had two catches for 44 yards and a touchdown and Hicks had two receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Corey Landers led the rushing attack with 157 yards on eight carries. Frazier had 10 carries for 72 yards, Dion had four carries for 67 yards and Ortiz-Ramirez had three carries for 65 yards.
Defensively, Blake Shaw, Gerrod Green and AC Walters each had four tackles to lead the Eagles.
Sumter Central (0-4), which has been outscored 201-98 this season, will travel to Choctaw County next Friday, while Alabama Christian (2-2) will remain home to play Montgomery Academy.
Trinity 38, Sylacauga 7
Walker McClinton completed 13 of 16 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats won their third consecutive game with a 38-7 victory over winless Sylacauga at Ragsdale-Boykin Field on Friday night.
Michael Wilson scored the game’s first points with a field goal and AJ Glover followed with a 21-yard run for a 10-0 lead. JaMichael Jones added two rushing touchdowns, Webber McClinton caught a 40-yard touchdown pass for a 24-0 lead in the third quarter and DM Lieux had two receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Defensively, Harrison Johnson led the Wildcats with 10 tackles, followed by Seawell McKee with nine tackles, including one for loss. Coleman Till had eight tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a pass breakup and Fleming Hall had an interception.
Trinity (4-1) travels to Marbury for another non-region game next week, while Sylacauga (0-5) returns home to face Leeds.
Catholic 62, Geneva 0
Catholic posted its third largest margin of victory in school history and its second consecutive shutout, cruising past Geneva 62-0 in a 4A Region 2 game at Catholic on Friday.
Jeremiah Cobb rushed for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 10 carries to lead the Knights to their 19th consecutive regular-season win dating back to 2020.
Caleb McCreary completed 11 of 15 passes for 202 yards and rushed for 33 yards on three carries, accounting for five touchdowns in the process.
Luke Harkless touched the ball just three times but scored each time, catching two passes for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns and returning a punt 65 yards for another score.
Josh Palmer had three receptions for 58 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while EJ Babies rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Defensively, Jaden Jones led the Knights with nine tackles, including one for loss, while Zay Rudolph had six tackles and a pair of sacks and KJ Washington had six tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.
Catholic (5-0) improved to 3-0 in region play with the win and will step out of region play next week, traveling to Troy to play Pike Liberal Arts.
Lowndes Academy 34, Edgewood Academy 7
HAYNEVILLE -- Luke Lovell scored a pair of touchdowns, returning the opening kickoff 71 yards for a touchdown to set the tone in the Rebels’ 34-7 win over Edgewood at Mac Champion Stadium.
Lovell added a 12-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter to give Lowndes a 21-0 lead and finished his night with 64 yards on two carries.
Cooper Dansby, Kasen Dismukes and Scott Stinson all added touchdown runs for the defending Class A champs, who held the Wildcats to 136 total yards as Edgewood struggled to produce any offense with starting quarterback Austin Champion sidelined.
Bradley Boone, taking over at quarterback, completed 6 of 14 passes for 98 yards and rushed for 20 yards on 18 carries. The Wildcats scored their only touchdown late in the first half on a 30-yard punt return by Gabe LeMaster.
LeMaster led the Wildcats in receiving with 54 yards on three receptions and had six tackles on defense.
Parker Shaw led Edgewood with seven tackles, followed by Brock Whitt and Boone with six each.
Dansby led the Rebels’ rushing attack with 84 yards and a touchdown on four carries. Dismukes added 80 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Defensively, Dismukes led Lowndes with nine tackles, followed by Clayton Hussey with eight tackles and an interception and Dansby with seven tackles.
Lowndes (3-1) will travel to Abbeville Christian next Friday, while Edgewood (1-3) will play host to Fort Dale.
Hooper Academy 68, Snook Christian 40
HOPE HULL -- R.J. Coker and Zach Rusley each scored a pair of touchdowns as the Colts raced past Snook Christian 68-40 for a homecoming victory on Friday at Davis Henry Field.
Coker rushed for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Rusley rushed for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Hooper set a school record for points scored in a game. Slade Russell added 44 rushing yards and a touchdown, Ron McGinty had 15 rushing yards and a touchdown and Kadyn Lumley had a 55-yard return for a touchdown.
Lucas Spellman had 82 receiving yards and a touchdown and Slade Russell had 84 receiving yards and a two-point conversion reception in the win.
Defensively, Ty Jones led the Colts with nine tackles and an interception. Coker had seven tackles and a fumble recovery and Ransom Evans had seven tackles, including a sack, to hand the Eagles (0-5) their seventh consecutive loss and 15th loss in the last 16 games.
Hooper (1-3) travels to Luverne for Crenshaw Christian Academy’s homecoming next week.
Morgan Academy 55, Fort Dale Academy 20
GREENVILLE -- T.B. Clements completed 11 of 14 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another touchdown as the Senators bounced back with a Class AAA victory over Fort Dale on Friday night.
Clements completed all but one pass to receivers Rhyne Williams and C.J. Crocker, who combined for 264 receiving yards. Williams had five catches for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Crocker had five receptions for 114 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
John Allen Ingram rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries as Morgan built a 48-7 lead at the half. Allen Michael Creech ran in another touchdown and Milton Hand recorded a safety by blocking a punt out of the back of the end zone.
Garrett Simmons, who rushed for 31 yards on nine carries, had Fort Dale’s only touchdown of the first half on a 2-yard run after Morgan had built a 40-0 lead. Simmons added another touchdown on a 3-yard run and Everette Black, who rushed for 95 yards on 16 carries, scored the game’s final touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
Morgan, 2-2 overall and 2-1 in AAA play, steps out of region play next week, traveling to Camden to play Wilcox Academy.
Fort Dale, 1-3 overall and 0-3 in AAA play, will also take a break from region play next week, traveling to Elmore to play Edgewood Academy.
Patrician Academy 41, Sparta Academy 0
BUTLER -- Cecil Perry had just two carries, scoring on runs of 71 and 21 yards, to help the Saints to a 41-0 win over Sparta on Friday.
Carson Coody scored on an 8-yard run and Tate Boykin connected with Jay Lindsey on a 50-yard touchdown pass before Perry’s long run put the Saints up 20-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Augustus Lewis scored on a 2-yard run before Perry struck again, this time from 21 yards, to give Patrician a 34-0 lead at the half. Remington Faile added a 38-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Patrician (4-0) will travel to Monroe Academy next week, while Sparta (0-4) travels to Clarke Prep.
Valiant Cross Academy 27, Autauga Academy 6
PRATTVILLE -- Xavier Dunn ran for a touchdown, recovered a fumble to set up Ni’King Patterson’s touchdown run and intercepted a pass to set up Jaquincy Scott’s touchdown run as the Warriors overcame a rash of penalties and several turnovers to hand Autauga Academy its first loss of the season in a 27-6 win on Friday.
Jordan Davis recovered a fumble in the end zone for the Warriors’ other score to give head coach Larry Ware his first win as the team’s head coach.
Autauga, 3-1 overall and 2-1 in AAA play, will take a week off before resuming region play in Auburn at Lee-Scott Academy.
Valiant Cross, 1-2 overall and 1-2 in AAA play, will travel to Canoe to play Escambia Academy next Friday in search of the first back-to-back wins in the three-year history of the program.
AISA SCOREBOARD
Valiant Cross 27, Autauga Academy 6
Bessemer Academy 31, Monroe Academy 20
Morgan Academy 55, Fort Dale Academy 20
Lee-Scott Academy 35, Glenwood School 16
Chambers Academy 42, Banks Academy 0
Clarke Prep 27, South Choctaw Academy 13
Jackson Academy 48, Escambia Academy 12
Patrician Academy 41, Sparta Academy 0
Pickens Academy 26, Coosa Valley 0
Lowndes Academy 34, Edgewood Academy 7
Hooper Academy 68, Snook Christian 40
Crenshaw Chistian 54, Wilcox Academy 3