Oxford routs Southside
- Updated: September 12, 2020
Higgins, Yellow Jackets have their way with another region opponent, pound Panthers for third straight win
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
SOUTHSIDE – Trey Higgins continued his assault on overmatched defenses Friday night and Oxford continued to pound on its region opponents as the Yellow Jackets had their way with previously unbeaten Southside 56-0 in front of a huge masked-up crowd at Barney Hood Stadium.
The Jackets (3-1, 2-0) were scoring at will in the first half. They scored four quick touchdowns and added two more in the second quarter to open a 42-0 halftime lead.
It was Oxford’s third straight win. Since losing to 7A Thompson in their season opener, they have outscored their opponents 127-42. And since falling behind Thompson 21-0 in the first quarter, they have outscored their opponents 161-77.
Oxford quarterback Trey Higgins threw four more first-half touchdowns and is 19-of-26 for 494 yards and eight touchdowns in the last two weeks in the combined first halves. He also rushed for two first-half touchdowns this week and one last week.
The Panthers (3-1, 1-1) had no answer for Roc Taylor. Taylor caught three passes for 79 yards in the first half.
Trequon Fegans had a 98-yard interception return (shortened to 77 due to a block-in-the back penalty) and punt returns of 53 and 15 yards as he shredded the Panthers.
His two returns set up two short Oxford touchdown drives as Higgins scored from 3 yards out and then connected with Shannon Morris on a 10-yard scoring pass. Taylor and Warren Britt added touchdown receptions in the opening quarter.
Higgins ran one score in from 38 yards, dancing around several Southside defenders on his way to the end zone, and connected with Bakari Dailey on a touchdown pass in the second quarter.
“I was just trying to get to the end zone,” Higgins said. “I am using more receivers this year. When they double Roc, the other guys are doing a great job of getting open. If they do not double Roc, I just throw it deep and he will get it.”
Quarterback Sam Robertson came in and directed two nice scoring drives in the second half and ended up with 72 yards rushing.
“We got to play some young guys, but we need to start getting our guys in for a full game, so we will be ready to play four quarters against the tough teams,” Oxford head coach Keith Etheredge said.
Defensive back Rod Elston, an all-state running back at Donoho last year, is playing mostly defensive back with the Jackets and led a strong defensive effort Friday night. The Jackets held Southside to just 36 yards of offense in the first half and 117 yards total.
“It was a big adjustment coming from 1A to playing these type of teams,” said Elston. “The speed of the game and how fast the players are caught me by surprise and I have had to play faster and keep working on my coverages and not easing up any.”
The Jackets will be at Pell City next week for their third region game in a row. Southside will be in the road against Arab.
“We are a little banged up, but getting pretty healthy overall,” Etheredge said. “Next week will be fun. The people in Pell City are great people and we are going over there to win one.”
OXFORD 56, SOUTHSIDE 0
Oxford 28 14 7 7 – 56
Southside 0 0 0 0 – 0
O – Trey Higgins 3 run (Joell Garcia Kick), 10:55 1Q
O – Roc Taylor 35 pass from Trey Higgins (Joell Garcia kick), 9:12 1Q
O – Shannon Morris 10 pass from Trey Higgins, (Joell Garcia kick), 6:31 1Q
O – Warren Britt 6 pass from Trey Higgins, (Joell Garcia kick), 4:13 1Q
O – Trey Higgins 38 run (Joell Garcia kick), 7:13 2Q
O – Bakari Dailey18 pass from Trey Higgins (Joell Garcia kick), 2:38 2Q
O – Sam Robertson 2 run (Joell Garcia kick), 7:46 3Q
O – Sam Robertson 35 run (Joell Garcia kick), 5:01 4Q
| Oxf (56) | Sou (0) | |
| 19 | 1D | 8 |
| 12-167 | Rush | 29-12 |
| 16-22-0 | C-A-I | 7-22-1 |
| 221 | Pass | 105 |
| 0-0 | F-L | 0-0 |
| 3-32.7 | Punt | 4-45.8 |
| 6-65 | Pen | 6-60 |
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