PREP RECAP (Week 7): Carver holds off Eufaula; Lee loses heartbreaker; Autauga tops Escambia in AISA
STAFF REPORT
G.W. Carver held off a late rally to hold on to a 20-12 victory over Eufaula, keeping their playoff hopes alive Friday at Cramton Bowl.
Carver is currently tied with Lee for third place in Class 6A, Region 2 heading into next week.
The Wolverines took advantage of a late first half turnover by Eufaula and turned a 6-0 deficit into a 7-6 lead before halftime. Jamar Green ran 5 yards for a score with 14 seconds left in the half. The TD was set up on an interception by Jaqueraius Thomas.
The Tigers took the 6-0 lead on two Brando Gonzalez Morales field goals of 29 and 22 yards in the first half.
Carver held on to the lead until Eufaula scored on a nine-play drive culminated by a quarterback sneak for a score by Jay Lewis with four minutes remaining. Eufaula went for two but the pass attempt failed leaving the Tigers two points short.
The Tigers drove back into Carver territory only to have an interception by Thomas end the threat. Thomas took the pickoff 55 yards for the score to extend the lead to 20-12.
Green finished with 104 yards passing on 6 of 10 attempts.
Carver (4-3, 3-2) faces arch-rival Sidney Lanier next Friday at Cramton Bowl.
Opelika 21, R.E. Lee 20 (OT)
OPELIKA - Jakel Williams’ pass attempt into the end zone for the winning two-point conversion was knocked away, giving the Opelika Bulldogs a one-point victory in overtime Friday at Bulldog Stadium.
In OT, the Generals tied the game on a Williams 1-yard plunge to pull within a point but was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty after the touchdown, forcing Lee to try the extra point from the 18 yard line.
Lee chose to go for two but Opelika’s Jarell Stinson knocked away the pass from Jonathan Reese to secure the win for Opelika.
Lee got a 35-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Dyuri Vandriver that tied the game in the first period and later took the lead on the first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter on Brian Thomas’ 2-yard run.
Opelika answered immediately with a 2-yard score from Shawn Jones to tie the game at 14-14.
The Bulldogs scored what became the winning touchdown on a halfback pass to Tony Powell.
Thomas finished with 197 yards on 29 carries.
Lee fell to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in Class 6A, Region 2. Opelika moved a step closer to a region title, improving to 5-3 overall and 5-0 in region play.
The Generals face Park Crossing next Thursday. Opelika plays Valley on Friday.
Central-Phenix City 42, Prattville 21
PHENIX CITY - The Lions were unable to keep up with the Red Devils high-flying offense in Class 7A, Region 2 play Friday.
Kameron Shanks had a 57-yard reception for a touchdown and a 47-yard grab for a score late in the game to lead Prattville.
Quarterback EJ Ousley finished wit 225 yards passing and two TDs on 14-of-29 attempts. Central finished with 523 yards of total offense led by quarterback Caleb Nix, who passed for 349 yards and five touchdowns.
Prattville (5-3, 3-2) is off next week before facing Jeff Davis on Oct. 22 at Cramton Bowl.
Wetumpka 21, Chilton County 7
CLANTON – The Indians picked up an important Class 6A, Region 3 victory on Friday, led by a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Imarious Roberts.
Nate Rogers rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown and passed for 100 yards for the Indians. Michael Dillard had 50 yards in receptions to lead the receivers.
Dylan Price led the defense with five tackles, one caused fumble, a sack and a pass break up.
With the win, the Indians improve to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in region play and keep the hopes alive for a playoff bid. They travel to Calera next Friday for another key region game.
Tallassee 34, Talladega 0
TALLADEGA – Tyler Ellis and Jalyn Daniels each scored rushing touchdowns and Ellis passed for another while the Tigers defense held the Talladega defense to just 159 total yards in a key Class 5A, Region 4 win on Friday.
Daniels scored on runs of 26 and 7 yards while Ellis added TD runs of 5 and 10 yards. Ellis hit Dontae Leonard for a 55-yard scoring strike late in the first half that gave Tallassee a 20-0 halftime lead.
Daniels finished with 109 yards rushing on 15 carries. Ellis finished with 59 yards rushing and 93 yards passing on 7-of-10 attempts.
The Tigers (4-2, 3-1) visits Holtville next week. Talladega (0-7, 0-4) faces Sylacauga.
Central Clay Co. 36, Holtville 0
LINEVILLE – The Bulldogs managed just 238 yards in total offense in a loss to the top team in Class 5A, Region 4.
Tanner Potts managed 107 yards passing with a long of 51 yards to John Williamson.
Michael Forney led the Holtville defense with six tackles.
Holtville dropped its first game in the region, falling to 3-1 and 5-2 overall. The Bulldogs face Tallassee next Friday in a key region contest.
Catholic 44, Childersburg 0
CHILDERSBURG -- Jeremiah Cobb rushed for 120 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries as the Knights remained unbeaten with a 44-0 win over Childersburg in a 3A Region 4 victory.
The state’s top-rated defense pitched its sixth shutout of the season -- the two touchdowns came on special teams and against the reserves -- as TJ Dudley had 10 tackles, including three for loss, Patrick Ryan had eight tackles, including two for loss, and Javen Augustus had eight tackles, including four for loss.
Caleb McCreary completed 6 of 9 passes for 106 yards and added 75 rushing yards and a touchdown on four carries.
Luke Harkless had four receptions for 75 yards.
Catholic (8-0) returns home to play Trinity (7-0) for the Region 4 championship next Friday at Catholic at 7 p.m.
Childersburg (2-5) remains in the playoff picture at 2-3 in region play with both remaining region games on the road, playing at Pike County next week and at Trinity in two weeks.
Pike Road 56, Headland 27
PIKE ROAD -- Iverson Hooks threw a touchdown pass and Quinshon Judkins rushed for a pair of scores, but the night belonged to freshman Anthony Rogers.
The reserve tailback had 137 yards and three touchdowns on six carries, including a 67-yard scoring run. He also had an 18-yard reception for a touchdown and added 45 yards in kickoff returns.
Hooks completed 3 of 7 passes for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one to Rogers and the other to Judkins on a 70-yard scoring play.
In addition to his scoring reception, Judkins rushed for 144 yards and a pair of touchdowns on nine carries.
DJ Tolliver added a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown and Houston Markham also had an interception.
Khurtiss Perry had eight tackles, including a sack, and blocked an extra point. LaCedric Foster had five tackles, including three for loss and a 10-yard sack.
Pike Road (7-0) improved to 5-0 in 5A Region 2 play and now has a week off before playing Greenville at home for the region championship.
Headland (2-6) dropped to 0-4 in region play and returns home to play Rehobeth in a Region 2 game next week.
St. James 45, Dale County 20
MIDLAND CITY -- Cosner Harrison rushed for 198 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries as the Trojans moved a step closer to the 4A Region 2 championship with a 45-20 win at Dale County on Friday.
St. James (6-1) improved to 5-0 in region play and has a one-game lead over Alabama Christian and a two-game lead over Dale County, Geneva and Straughn, owning the tiebreakers over every team except Geneva, who they face in two weeks.
Harrison scored on runs of 2 and 3 yards to put the Trojans in front 14-0 before Dale County answered with a touchdown. St. James answered with a 27-yard Jake Huff field goal and a 4-yard run by quarterback KJ Jackson for a 24-6 halftime lead.
The Warriors, who scored on an 82-yard pass from Alex Banks to Derrion Crossley, cut into the lead on Banks’ 54-yard pass to Preston Stevens to make it 24-12 but the Trojans responded with a 56-yard scoring toss from Jackson to Clint Houser and Harrison touchdown runs of 7 and 43 yards to put the game out of reach.
Jackson completed 7 of 10 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown.
St. James returns home to play Ashford in a region game at Carlisle Field next Friday before traveling to Geneva the following week.
Dale County (4-4) remains in the playoff picture with a region record of 3-2 and travels to Tuskegee to play Booker T. Washington next week.
Montgomery Academy 21, Greensboro 0
GREENSBORO -- Jashawn Cooper rushed for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Eagles eased by Greensboro 21-0 in a 3A Region 3 game on Friday night to earn their ninth consecutive trip to the state playoffs.
The Eagles (5-2) struggled to find any offensive rhythm but found enough to improve to 4-0 in Region 3 play, setting up a battle of unbeaten region rivals next week in Thomasville.
Thomas Woodward managed just 21 passing yards and 20 rushing yards, but his 2-yard run to cap a 93-yard drive gave Montgomery Academy a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.
Cooper added touchdown runs of 10 yards in the third quarter and 32 yards in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Chance Wilson led the Montgomery Academy defense with eight tackles and an interception. Hudson Whitt and Arch Lee each had six tackles.
Greensboro (2-5) is now 1-3 in region play and faces Hale County on the road next week in another region battle.
AISA
Autauga Academy 31, Escambia Academy 17
PRATTVILLE -- Autauga won the showdown between two of the best teams in the Alabama Independent School Association, defeating Escambia 31-17 in a Class AA Region 2 battle at Autauga on Friday night.
Autauga quarterback Robert Rose was 8 of 11 for 135 yards and three touchdowns in the win, while Karl Ligon rushed for 219 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
John Gabehart added a 42-yard field goal for the Generals, who improved to 7-0 and 2-0 in region play.
Joshua Palmer had three receptions for 39 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Jaylen Anderson had two receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, O’Ronde Henderson led the Generals with six tackles, including one sack for a 7-yard loss. Lake Barber had three tackles, including a sack for a 10-yard loss and Anderson had five tackles.
Autauga remains home for a region game with Southern next week, while Escambia (6-1, 2-1 in region play) is idle next week before playing host to Southern on Oct. 22.
Lowndes Academy 36, Lakeside School 6
EUFAULA -- Scott Stinson had three interceptions, including one returned 55 yards for a touchdown, as the Rebels forced five Lakeside turnovers and defeated the Chiefs 36-6 in a Class A Region 1 game.
Stinson’s interception return was part of a 22-point second quarter by Lowndes that helped the Rebels extend a 7-6 lead to a comfortable cushion at the half.
Lowndes quarterback Tyler Tyus rushed for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns on nine carries, including a 16-yard run that put the Rebels ahead 7-0.
Lakeside’s Tripp Swain hit Ileek Quinn with a 49-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to a point before the Rebels took command in the second quarter. Kasen Dismukes scored on a 14-yard run and Tyus connected with Parker Lee Harris on a 31-yard touchdown pass to give the Rebels a 29-6 lead.
Tyus added an 85-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to kill any thoughts of a Lakeside rally.
Dismukes had 85 yards on 17 carries for the Rebels, while Willis Jackson led Lakeside with 143 yards on 14 carries.
Defensively, Cooper Dansby had six tackles, including two for loss, and Trey Thomas had five tackles to lead the Rebels.
Lowndes (5-3) won its third consecutive game in the process and remained unbeaten in A Region 1 play at 3-0 with region rival Coosa Valley coming to Hayneville next week.
Lakeside (2-4 overall and 1-3 in region play) travels to Birmingham to play Banks Academy next week.
Chambers Academy 49, Edgewood Academy 7
LAFAYETTE -- Jeremy Conway caught a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another as the Rebels scored three times in the second quarter to break open a close game and rout Edgewood 49-7 in a Class AA Region 1 game.
Chambers (6-1) scored a pair of early touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead but the Wildcats cut the lead in half on a Austin Champion 8-yard pass to Trevor Rodie. The Rebels responded with three touchdowns in the second quarter to put the game out of reach.
Jordan Benbrook scored on a 35-yard run and Jo Jo Hendrix threw 33 yards to Conway for a 14-0 lead and the Rebels regained that margin with a 24-yard run by Conway in the second quarter. John White added a 15-yard scoring run and Hendrix connected with Conway again, this time from 47 yards out, for a 35-7 lead at the half.
Champion was 12 of 19 for 155 yards and a touchdown. His leading receiver was Gabe LeMaster, who had 82 yards on four receptions.
Hendrix was 7 of 9 for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns with Conway catching four of those passes for 117 yards. The difference in the game, however, was on the ground where Edgewood managed just 20 yards on 20 carries, while Chambers rolled up 315 rushing yards.
Bryson Boone led the Edgewood defense with seven tackles, followed by LeMaster with five.
Chambers travels to Cecil next week to face Macon East in a showdown for the AA Region 1 championship. Edgewood (4-3 overall and 1-2 in region play) returns home to play Springwood.
Morgan Academy 21, Bessemer Academy 20
SELMA -- Wade Mason booted the game-winning extra point with a little more than three minutes remaining to give the Senators a 21-20 win over the Rebels in a Class AAA Region 2 battle.
Mason’s kick was set up by a 2-yard run by quarterback Andrew Thomas on a fourth-and-two play to rally the Senators.
Bessemer (1-5) got the lead early on a fumble return by DJ Harris for a 6-0 lead, but Morgan answered with a 6-yard run by John Allen Ingram, a 7-yard pass from Thomas to T.B. Clements and a pair of Mason extra points for a 14-6 halftime lead.
Matt Masingill threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Trace Hendon in the third quarter, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving the Senators clinging to a 14-12 lead. Later in the third quarter, Sumad Muhammad ran 41 yards for a touchdown and Mason Johnson ran in the two-point conversion for a 20-14 lead, setting the stage for Morgan’s late rally.
After the Senators took the lead, Cink Minter intercepted a Masingill pass to help seal the win.
Morgan (4-3) improved to 2-1 in region play with a crucial region game at Tuscaloosa Academy next week.
Bessemer dropped to 1-2 in region play and returns home to play Fort Dale in a region game next week.
Macon East Academy 50, Banks Academy 22
CECIL --- Deonte Powell threw for four touchdowns as Macon East continued its hot streak at home with a win over Banks Academy in a Class AA Region 1 game on Thursday night.
The Knights (5-3) improved to 2-0 in region play and set up a battle for first place with Chambers Academy next Friday in Cecil. Macon East played its first five games on the road, going 2-3 while averaging 23.2 points per game. In the last three weeks, all at home, the Knights are 3-0 and averaging 42.3 points per game in beating Monroe, Jackson and Banks.
Powell completed 6 of 10 passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 12 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, scoring on a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
His touchdown passes covered 25 yards to Sanders Manning, 14 yards to Jacob Wilson, 54 yards to Gabe Spencer and 29 yards to Tyler Daniels. Manning finished with three receptions for 46 yards, while Daniels had two catches for 38 yards.
Spencer, in addition to his touchdown reception, also scored on an 80-yard run. He finished the night with 15 carries for 140 yards. Thaddeus McKinney added 26 yards on three carries, including a 21-yard touchdown run.
Defensively, Wade Desmarais led the Macon East defense with 11 tackles, a sack, a pair of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt. Teron Wright added nine tackles and forced a fumble, Hunter Timmerman had eight tackles and a fumble recovery, McKinney had eight tackles and a sack and Parker Strickland had seven tackles and a fumble recovery.
AISA SCOREBOARD
Lee-Scott Academy 16, Valiant Cross 0
Tuscaloosa Academy 42, Clarke Prep 14
Morgan Academy 21, Bessemer Academy 20
Chambers Academy 49, Edgewood Academy 7
Patrician Academy 56, Southern Academy 33
Autauga Academy 31, Escambia Academy 17
Lowndes Academy 36, Lakeside School 6
Sparta Academy 36, South Choctaw Academy 7
Snook Academy 24, Meadowview Christian 14
Jackson Academy 58, Pickens Academy 0
Macon East Academy 50, Banks Academy 22
Glenwood School 62, Hooper Academy 6