PREP RECAP (Week 5): Hoover too much for Prattville; Lanier wins easy; Stanhope Elmore wins in last seconds
COMBINED REPORTS
PRATTVILLE -- Hoover remained unbeaten on Friday, using an interception return for a touchdown by Paul Thompson to swing the momentum to the visitors in a 35-16 win over Prattville at Stanley-Jensen Stadium.
The two teams were tied 7-7 and Prattville was deep in the red zone when an E.J. Ousley pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Thompson. The interception marked a key momentum shift in the game as the Lions’ offense struggled to score the remainder of the game.
“All the momentum definitely swung their way after that big pick-six play,” said Lions head coach JB Wallace. “After that, we never could get the momentum back, and you can’t make mistakes against teams like Hoover.”
Hoover (6-0) remained unbeaten in one of the biggest non-region matchups in the state and Buccaneers coach Josh Niblett was proud of the way his team handled early adversity against the Lions heading into next week’s 7A Region 3 battle with Hewitt-Trussville.
“This week’s game was a great matchup and a way for us to see where we’re at,” Niblett said. “But next week, that’s the real deal, and we have to play disciplined in that game.”
The Lions got the scoring started late in the first quarter after junior wide receiver Kameron Shanks caught a touchdown pass from Ousley to take a 7-0 lead. Hoover answered on their ensuing possession when junior running back Ahamari Williams scored a TD to tie the game, 7-7.
Thompson’s interception ignited the Hoover offense, which scored twice in the second quarter to take a 28-7 lead on Bennett Meredith passes to junior Lamarion McCammon and junior tight end Jabari Gaines.
The Lions answered with a pair of field goals to take the score to 28-13 at the end of the first half.
Halfway into the third quarter, the Lions kicked another field goal to make it 28-16.
The Buccaneers didn’t score again until a minute left as sophomore tight end Sky Niblett caught a touchdown pass from Meredith.
Wallace was really proud of the way his defense kept Prattville in the game and played very well all night.
“It was huge, and our defense came out and played a great second half,” said Wallace. “You take away a couple mistakes from the first half, and they played great in that half too, and I was proud of the way they answered the challenge in this game.”
Niblett liked his offense’s efficiency, but also expressed disappointment in the team’s lack of ability to keep up momentum and score late points.
“We have a tendency to score in bunches at the start of our games, but our biggest thing is that we’ve got to maintain that momentum,” said Niblett. “When we get to that point, we’ve got to finish it.”
Coach Wallace was also concerned about his team’s ability to score while deep in the red zone after the Lions made four trips inside the 20 yard-line without scoring a touchdown.
“We’ve got to hone in on the red zone, and we have to find a formation that we feel comfortable with that can get us into the end zone,” he said.
Next week, the Lions (4-2) return to Region 2 play with a game against Enterprise.
Sidney Lanier 33, Bessemer City 0
Tacaris Bozeman’s 62-yard run on the first play from scrimmage set the tone for the Sidney Lanier Poets in their 33-0 victory over Bessemer City on Friday at Cramton Bowl.
Bozeman broke free for the first of two touchdowns on the night. He finished the scoring in the final minutes of the game with a 70-yard punt return.
Lanier also got punt return for a score, a 53-yard run from Cory Haigler in the first quarter while Cordez Arrington had a 25-yard touchdown pass to Zariah Marks in the second quarter.
Jamarcus Hamilton added a 1-yard score in the third quarter.
The Lanier defense held Bessemer City to minus-7 yards in the first half.
Bozeman had 128 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Lanier (4-1, 2-1) returns to Class 6A, Region 2 action next week against Park Crossing.
Wetumpka 28, Greenville 8
WETUMPKA – Stone Minnifield rushed for two touchdowns to lead Wetumpka to a non-region win over Greenville on Friday.
Quarterback Nate Rogers passed for one score to Malik Owens for 20 yards while Justin Crumbaugh added a touchdown run for the Indians.
Tre Seabon and Lamarius Jackson each had interceptions as the Indians improved to 3-3 for the season.
Wetumpka returns to Class 6A Region 3 action next at Pelham.
Stanhope Elmore 24, Eufaula 20
MILLBROOK- Jacob Bryant’s 57-yard pass to Jackson Thomas with 20 seconds remaining lifted the Mustangs to a come-from-behind win over Eufaula on Friday at Foshee-Henderson Stadium.
Eufaula had taken its first lead of the game on a 17-yard field goal by Brando Morales with 52 seconds left in the game. The Mustangs scored five plays later.
Stanhope Elmore improved to 4-2 and will return to Class 6A, Region 3 action against Calera next Friday.
Holtville 31, Marbury 17
MARBURY - Shawn Brackett rushed for three touchdowns to lead Holtville to its fifth win of the season on Friday.
Quarterback Tanner Potts passed for a touchdown and 109 yards. John Williamson caught a 52-yard pass for a score. Cooper Mann led the defense with three sacks and a fumble recovery. Michael Forney added eight tackles. Williamson also had an interception.
White Plains 41, Elmore County 26
The Panthers held an early first-quarter lead but White Plains would take the lead for good in the second quarter on the way to its second win of the season Friday at Robertson Field.
CJ Wilkes gave Elmore County an early lead with a 4-yard run and later Payton Stephenson would tie the game at 14-14 with a touchdown pass to Jabari Murphy just before the half.
The Wildcats would take a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter but Elmore County answered with Wilkes second touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run. The Panthers missed the two-point try and trailed by a point with 6:40 left in the quarter.
White Pains would score 18 unanswered points to take a 41-20 lead into the fourth quarter before Stephenson would score the Panthers final points of the game on a 13-yard scamper with 6:27 left.
Stephenson would finish with 148 yards passing and 79 yards rushing to lead the Panthers, who are still looking for their first victory of the season (0-6).
Elmore County will be home next week to face Sylacauga.
Macon East Academy 49, Monroe Academy 7
CECIL -- Gabe Spencer rushed for 207 yards on 19 carries and scored on runs of 59, 7 and 1 yards to lead the Knights to a convincing win over the Volunteers in their 2021 home opener on Friday night.
After playing five games on the road this season, Macon East returned home and got a strong performance on both sides of the ball for their most convincing win ever against Monroe, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Volunteers in the process.
In addition to Spencer, Thaddeus McKinney rushed for 71 yards on seven carries, including a 15-yard scoring run, while making three tackles and recovering a fumble on defense.
Deonte Powell was 8 of 12 for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns, throwing 21 yards to Parker Strickland and 53 yards to Jacob Wilson.
Teron Wright led the Macon East defense with 13 tackles, followed by Zach Brown with 10 tackles and a sack and Dalton Nickles with seven tackles.
The four-game home stand for Macon East (3-3) continues next week with Jackson Academy. Monroe Academy (2-3) returns home to face Glenwood School next Friday.
Lowndes Academy 32, Hooper Academy 6
HAYNEVILLE -- Jackson Self rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, recorded six tackles on defense and added an interception to lead the Rebels to a 32-6 win over the Colts at Rebel Field on Friday.
The win was the eighth in the last 10 meetings for Lowndes (3-3), which rallied from an early 6-0 deficit with 32 unanswered points against Hooper (2-3).
The Colts took an early lead on Ryan Shelton’s 4-yard run before Self went to work, scoring the next three touchdowns in the game. Self scored on runs of 12, 47 and 2 yards to give Lowndes a 19-6 lead in the third quarter. Tyler Tyus added a 4-yard run, then threw a 71-yard pass to Clayton Hussey for the game’s final points.
R.J. Coker led Hooper in rushing with 78 yards, while Shelton added 73 passing yards.
Tyus completed 5 of 10 passes for 128 yards.
Defensively for the Colts, Coker had 12 tackles, including one for loss, and a fumble recovery, while Ryan McGinty had 13 tackles, Cameron Smith had seven tackles and a sack and Jake Whynott had eight tackles.
Defensively for the Rebels, Cooper Dansby had seven tackles, followed by Zig Cannon and Self with six tackles each and Parker Harris and Hussey with five tackles each.
Lowndes travels to Luverne next Friday to play Crenshaw in a Class A Region 1 game, while Hooper travels to Greenville to play Fort Dale next Friday.
AISA SCOREBOARD
Pike Liberal Arts 21, Chambers Academy 18
Valiant Cross vs. Wewahitchka (Fla.), canceled
Lee-Scott Academy 43, Springwood School 0
Patrician Academy 33, Morgan Academy 14
Escambia Academy 21, Tuscaloosa Academy 6
Wilcox Academy 21, Clarke Prep School 10
Autauga Academy 45, Bessemer Academy 8
Banks Academy 34, Southern Academy 19
Macon East Academy 49, Monroe Academy 7
Southern Prep 61, Meadowview Christian 0
St. Patrick 49, Snook Academy 20
Sparta Academy 57, Fort Dale Academy 35
Jackson Academy 28, Coosa Valley Academy 0
Crenshaw Christian 57, Lakeside School 18
Abbeville Christian 37, Cornerstone Christian 14
Lowndes Academy 33, Hooper Academy 6