E.A. Sports Today

Prep football

Pleasant Valley clinches first home playoff game of regions era. Piedmont fights off scare at Weaver. Cherokee County, Hokes Bluff, Anniston, Donoho, Munford, Ohatchee and Coosa Christian victorious.

Cover photo: Piedmont’s Rollie Pinto breaks a 73-yard touchdown run that put Piedmont ahead in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs held off Weaver 26-21 on Friday, (Photo by Greg Warren/For East Alabama Sports Today)

This week’s area scores

FRIDAY, Oct. 18

Cherokee County 35, Alexandria 7, FINAL
Anniston 36, Oneonta 14, FINAL
Central-Clay 46, Beauregard 22, FINAL
Coosa Christian 62, West End-Walnut Grove 0, FINAL
Munford 50, Cleburne County 17, FINAL
Donoho 48, Victory Christian 34, FINAL
Ohatchee 46, Glencoe 21, FINAL
Handley 48, Talladega 21, FINAL
Hokes Bluff 56, Ashville 19, FINAL
St. Clair County 49, Lincoln 0, FINAL
Oxford 21, Clay-Chalkville 10, FINAL
Piedmont 26, Weaver 21, FINAL
Pleasant Valley 26, North Sand Mountain 20, FINAL
Loachapoka 49, Ranburne 14, FINAL
Randolph County 42, Childersburg 14, FINAL
Southside 30, Gadsden City 23, FINAL
Spring Garden 61, Ider 6, FINAL
Locust Fork 37, Wellborn 36, FINAL
J.B. Pennington 33, Westbrook Christian 30, FINAL
Etowah 28, White Plains 21, FINAL
Woodland 54, Fayetteville 0, FINAL
Open: Jacksonville, Jacksonville Christian, Saks, Wadley.

By East Alabama Sports Today

HIGDON — Jaden Sparks passed for 145 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, and Pleasant Valley made history Friday.

The Raiders beat North Sand Mountain 26-20 to clinch second place in Class 2A, Region 7 and the right to play host to a first-round playoff game.

Pleasant Valley (7-2, 4-1 region), riding a five-game winning streak, will play its first home playoff game since 1984 and first in the Alabama High School Athletic Associations regions era.

“I love how we set this goal last year and chased it down as a team,” Pleasant Valley coach Jonathan Nix said. “So proud of the players and coaches for all their hard work making this happen for our football program.”

Sparks also had eight tackles, with two tackles for loss.

Hunter Sparks had 115 yards receiving and two touchdown receptions. Cooper Dougal added 100 all-purpose yards.

Dougal and Hunter Sparks both had five tackles and four pass breakups.

Braxton Salster rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns and led the Raiders with 18 tackles.

Noah Johnson caught the conversion pass and had 14 tackles on the night. 

Brayden Pappa had 12 tackles, and Nic Acker added 11. Walker Roper had eight tackles, with three for loss.

PIEDMONT 26, WEAVER 21: Rollie Pinto’s 73-yard touchdown run with 11:26 to play proved to be the difference maker, and Piedmont survived a scare in Class 3A, Region 6 play.

The Bulldogs (8-0, 6-0 region) trailed 21-20 at halftime, thanks to Kaden Gooden’s 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and 42-yard touchdown run and Damerion Welch’s 26-yard touchdown run.  

Cole Wilson had a 1-yard touchdown run and threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Pinto. Hayes Gunn also had a one-yard touchdown run.

Pinto finished with eight catches for 124 yards and a touchdown and 98 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Gunn added 84 yards rushing and a touchdown.

CHEROKEE COUNTY 35, ALEXANDRIA 7: Adam Griffith hit on four of seven passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, and Cherokee County clinched the Class 4A, Region 6 title.

The Warriors improved to 7-1 overall, 6-0 region and will close out region play against Ashville at home next week.

Griffith hit on touchdown passes of 79 yards to 15 and 74 yards to 16.

Tristan Brown rushed for a team-best 67 yards and a touchdown, and Tae Diamond added 66 yards rushing and a touchdown. Keyshawn Woods rushed for 36 yards and a touchdown.

Alexandria got on the board on Cole Wheeler’s 1-yard keeper in the fourth quarter. He completed nine of 22 passes for 100 yards.

Alexandria fell to 5-3 overall, 4-2 region and in a three-way tie with Anniston and Hokes Bluff for second place. The Valley Cubs lost to Anniston but beat Hokes Bluff.

HOKES BLUFF 56, ASHVILLE 19; Blaine Barron rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles improved to 6-2 overall, 4-2 in Class 4A, Region 6.

Hokes Bluff stands in a three-way tie for second place in the region with Anniston and Alexandria. The Eagles beat Anniston but lost to Alexandria.

Barron’s touchdown runs covered three, three and 49 yards.

Hokes Bluff gained all 575 of its yards on the ground. Quarterback Bryce Whitaker rushed for 158 yards, including touchdown runs of 26 and 19 yards. Brenton Hale had 109 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown run.

ANNISTON 36, ONEONTA 14: D.J. Pope rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and Anniston improved to 4-4, 4-2 in Class 4A, Region 6.

Pope also completed five of eight passes, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jakorie Carr.

Jabari Williams rushed 13 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

OHATCHEE 46, GLENCOE 21: Nate Jones carried 26 times for 211 yards and two touchdowns, and Ohatchee improved to 5-4 overall, 3-2 in Class 3A, Region 6.

Jones also led the defense with 15 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and an interception.

Jayden Heard added 111 rushing yards and three touchdowns and caught four passes for 57 yards.

Quarterback Jake Roberson hit on 12 of 17 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, and Colby Hester caught eight passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

Hester added 13 tackles, and Ethan Jones had 11.

DONOHO 48, VICTORY CHRISTIAN 34: Ethan Bailey scored on touchdown runs of six, four and nine yards, and Donoho made it two wins in a row while improving to 3-5 overall, 2-2 in Class 1A, Region 6.

Kai Cleckler threw touchdown passes of 43 yards to Hayes Farrell and 36 yards to Bruce Downey. Farrell added an 80-yard touchdown run, and Downey kicked field goals of 29 and 42 yards.

MUNFORD 50, CLEBURNE COUNTY 17: Brayden Nichols hit on five of seven passes for 114 yards and rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Munford snapped out of a six-game losing streak.

The Lions upped to 2-6 overall, 1-5 in Class 4A, Region 3.

Tank Edmondson had 21 rushes for 131 yards and two touchdowns, and K.D. McCoy added 93 yards rushing and 91 yards on four pass receptions. All three of McCoy’s touchdowns came on rushes.

COOSA CHRISTIAN 62, WEST END 0: J’Alan Terry rushed 12 times for 129 yards and a touchdown, and Coosa Christian clinched the Class 2A, Region 6 title.

The Conquerors improved to 8-1 overall with their eighth consecutive win, and 6-0 in region play.

Quarterback J.D. Justus rushed for 41 yards and threw a touchdown pass apiece to Terry, Dylan Edwards, Kylen Johnson and D.J. Mackey.

Johnson had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Jorge Catellano made seven of eight extra points.

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