Prep football
- Updated: October 26, 2024
Jacksonville extends playoff streak to 12 years in winner-take-all game. Weaver wins thriller at Westbrook Christian. Piedmont stays unbeaten in dominating fashion. Ohatchee keeps playoff hopes alive. Pleasant Valley ties school record for wins. Donoho clinches region’s third playoff spot. Alexandria, Anniston, Hokes Bluff maintain three-way tie. Coosa Christian wins battle of ranked teams, and Handley rallies past BTW.
This week’s area scoreboard
THURSDAY, Oct. 24
Oxford 49, Huffman 0
FRIDAY, Oct. 25
Alexandria 42, Etowah 32, FINAL
Anniston 46, White Plains 14, FINAL
Central-Clay 41, Pell City 17, FINAL
Cherokee County 49, Ashviille 6, FINAL
Bullock County 35, Cleburne County 6, FINAL
Coosa Christian 35, Academy 21, FINAL
Donoho 31, Woodland 12, FINAL
Locust Fork 55, Glencoe 39, FINAL
Handley 44, Booker T. Washington 40, FINAL
Hokes Bluff 42, Oneonta 7, FINAL
Jacksonville 45, St. Clair County 21, FINAL
Jacksonville Christian 58, Cornerstone 26, FINAL
Moody 66, Lincoln 3, FINAL
St. James 42, Munford 24, FINAL
Ohatchee 49, Saks 14, FINAL
Piedmont 54, Wellborn 20, FINAL
Pleasant Valley 38, Section 0, FINAL
Lanett 48, Ranburne 14, FINAL
Randolph County 56, Beulah 27, FINAL
Southside 39, Hazel Green 14, FINAL
Tallassee 48, Talladega 7, FINAL
Wadley 52, Winterboro 12, FINAL
Weaver 37, Westbrook Christian 34, FINAL
By East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — Zae English and Tylen Ellis each rushed for more than 100 yards, and Jackson Bonner passes for 181 as Jacksonville beat Springville 45-21 Friday in a game to determine which team would earn the fourth and final playoff berth out of Class 5A, Region 6.
Jacksonville (5-4) has won its last three games, all in region play, and upped to 3–3 in region play. The Golden Eagles will close out the regular season with a non-region game at Anniston next week.
Jacksonville earned its 12th playoff berth in as many years and did it after moving up from Class 4A to 5A this season.
“I’m super proud,” 13th-year Jacksonville coach Clint Smith said. “I’m proud of the coaches and players. We had to run the table here at the end, and that’s what they did. I’m proud of the grit and determination to get back in the playoffs.
“We had a streak going and wanted to keep that alive.”
Jacksonville’s playoff opponent will be either Scottsboro or Guntersville. If Scottsboro beats Mars Hill Bible next week, the Golden Eagles will go to Scottsboro. If Scottsboro loses, Jacksonville will go to Guntersville.
Jacksonville rushed for more than 300 yards. English rushed for 150 and Ellis 140.
Bonner hit on 10 of 11 passes for 181 yards, and Jacksonville held St. Clair County to its lowest point total in six games.
WEAVER 37, WESTBROOK CHRISTIAN 34: Kaden Gooden’s 2-yard keeper for a touchdown on an untimed down gave Weaver a walk-off victory at Westbrook Christian.
Gooden, who announced his commitment to Jacksonville State on Thursday, scored after Westbrook Christian was called for pass interference on the play prior to his touchdown.
So ended a back-and-forth game between Class 3A, Region 6 opponents. Weaver (3-6), which nearly upset undefeated Piedmont last week, won for the third time in four games and improved to 3-4 in region play.
“Our kids don’t quit,” Weaver coach Ken Cofer said. “Down 27-17 at the end of the third quarter and 34-31 with 1:19 on the clock with no timeouts, they had three pass interferences, and KeShawn (Allen) made a huge catch at their 5-yard line with 19 seconds left.
“We threw a slant to the end zone, and they got pass interference on the goal line. One untimed down, and Kaden scored. Unreal.”
Gooden completed 11 of 21 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
Allen caught nine passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns.
Westbrook Christian quarterback Brody Blevins rushed 27 times for 170 yards and four touchdowns and connected on seven of eight passes for 100 yards. Brody Wood added 60 yards rushing.
The Warriors fell to 5-4, 3-4.
PIEDMONT 54, WELLBORN 20: Cole Wilson completed 14 of 18 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns, and Piedmont upped to 9-0, 7-0 in Class 3A, Region 6.
The Bulldogs have clinched the region title and will conclude the regular season with a region game next week at Glencoe. They will play host to Collinsville to open the playoffs on Nov. 8.
Wilson hit on touchdown passes of 73 and 43 yards to Rollie Pinto, 35 yards to Jaxon Howard, and 11 and 25 yards to Ishmael Bethel.
Howard also rushed one yard for a touchdown.
Wellborn (5-3, 4-3), which suffered its third consecutive loss, rushed for 216 yards. Quarterback Aziah Amberson had a 1-yard touchdown run. Nick Morrow had a 13-yard touchdown run, and Braden Horton had a 5-yard touchdown run.
OHATCHEE 44, SAKS 19: Jake Roberson hit on 20 of 30 passes for 433 yards and six touchdowns, and Ohatchee (6-4) finished the regular season with three consecutive wins and five wins in six games.
The Indians upped to 4-4 in Class 3A, Region 6. J.B. Pennington (4-3 region) closes out the regular season with a region game against Weaver next week, and Wellborn (4-3) closes out with a region game against Westbrook Christian.
Ohatchee lost to J.B. Pennington but began its winning streak with a victory over Wellborn.
“We’re hoping we’re not done yet, but I couldn’t be more proud of our guys and, especially, this senior group,” Ohatchee coach Chris Findley said. “They’ve shown it multiple times in their careers.
“It would’ve been easy to put our heads down and get ready for the next sport, but they never do that. We’ve gotten better and better each week. I think we’re playing our best football, by far, right now.”
Colby Hester caught 13 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the season.
Jayden Heard caught three passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Nate Jones led the Indians on the ground with 51 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown.
Ohatchee finished fifth in the nine-team Class 3A, Region 6, just out of the playoffs.
PLEASANT VALLEY 38, SECTION 0: Jaden Sparks hit on nine of 11 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 65 yards and a score, and Pleasant Valley (8-2) tied the school single-season record for wins.
The Raiders tied the 1984 team’s eight victories and can make it nine after an open date, when they play their first home playoff game since 1984. Pleasant Valley will play host to Sulligent on Nov. 8.
“I told our team to enjoy this win and regular season all weekend,” Pleasant Valley coach Jonathan Nix said. “They are only the second team to wear the PV helmet and win eight games in a regular season. That is a great memory they get to take with them forever.
“Starting next week, the focus needs to be on the new season, and all the records are reset.”
Sparks threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Sparks and added a 20-yard touchdown run.
Hunter Sparks caught three passes for 74 yards, and Cooper Dougal caught a team-high six passes for 95 yards.
Braxton Salster led all Raider rushers with 67 yards on eight carries, including touchdown runs of 32, two and four yards. Kayden Vick added 45 yards on 11 carries.
Salster and Noah Johnson paced Pleasant Valley’s defense with nine tackles apiece, and Salster had a pass breakup. Walker Roper added eight tackles, with four tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hurry and one fumble recovery. Nick Acker had eight tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
John Denham had five tackles, a tackle for loss and sack, forced a fumble and recovered two fumbles.
DONOHO 31, WOODLAND 12: Hayes Farrell scored three touchdowns, and Donoho (4-5) won its third consecutive game to clinch the third playoff seed in Class 1A, Region 6.
All three wins came in region play, and the Falcons upped to 3-2 in region play. Their playoff berth follows an 0-9 finish in 2023 and 1-5 start to this season.
“I’m so proud of my boys,” first-year Donoho coach Bill Smith said. “So much improvement from week zero to now.
“I have awesome kids. Donoho school is a special place, and it’s been an extremely rewarding season. Our players are not ready for it to end.”
Donoho will close out the regular season against Cedar Bluff at home next week and open the playoffs at Appalachian, the Class 1A, Region 8 runner up.
Against Woodland, Kai Cleckler threw touchdown passes of 41 and 29 yards to Farrell, and Farrell added a 1-yard touchdown run.
James Benkwith returned an interception for a touchdown on a Woodland fake punt attempt, and Bruce Downey hit a 37-yard field goal.
ALEXANDRIA 42, ETOWAH 32: Elijah Hunter rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns, and Alexandria kept its place in a three-way tie for second place in Class 4A, Region 6.
The Valley Cubs, 6-3 overall after going 1-9 in 2023, won four the fifth time in six games and improved to 5-2 in region play. Anniston and Hokes Bluff are also 5-2 in region play after Friday’s games.
Alexandria lost to Anniston but beat Hokes Bluff. Hokes Bluff beat Anniston.
All finish the regular season with non-region games next week. Alexandria plays host to Munford, Anniston plays host to Jacksonville and Hokes Bluff plays host to Randolph County.
The tiebreaker will come down to combined wins by defeated non-region opponents.
Hunter’s touchdown runs covered one, one and five yards. The last one put Alexandria up 42-32.
J.J. Beason added 125 yards rushing, including a 17-yard touchdown run.
Cole Wheeler completed nine of 13 passes for 159 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown pass to Quendavion McDowell, and rushed for a 1-yard touchdown.
HOKES BLUFF 42, ONEONTA 7: Quarterback Bryce Whitaker rushed for 251 yards and three touchdowns and completed six of nine passes for 83 yards and a touchdown as Hokes Bluff (7-2) improved to 5-2 while maintaining its place in the three-way tie for second place in Class 4A, Region 6.
Whitaker rushed for touchdowns of 63, one and 79 yards. He also threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Drew McCarver.
Blaine Barron added 56 rushing yards, including a 9-yard touchdown run, and Brenton Hale’s 47 yards rushing included an 11-yard touchdown run.
Hokes Bluff rushed for 363 yards.
ANNISTON 46, WHITE PLAINS 14: Anniston also maintained its place in the three-way tie for second place in Class 4A, Region 6, improving to 5-4 overall and 5-2 region.
Anniston gained 520 total yards, 445 on the ground. D.J. Pope ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, to Tariq Judkins. Jamorris Young and Brock Grant also had a touchdown run apiece.
P.J. Holloway had 60 of White Plains’ 129 rushing yards and a touchdown run. Crew Martin completed three of eight passes for 90 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Turner.
COOSA CHRISTIAN 35, TUSCALOOSA ACADEMY 21: Jalan Terry carried 26 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns, and Coosa Christian (9-1) won non-region showdown between ranked Class 2A teams,
Coosa Christian is ranked No. 3 in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll, and Tuscaloosa Academy (7-2) No. 7.
Kanon Wilson rushed 19 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback J.D. Justus added 41 yards rushing and a touchdown, and L.J. Mostella returned three kickoffs for 107 yards.
Coosa Christian has an open date next week and will open the playoffs Nov. 8 at home against an opponent to be determined.
HANDLEY 44, BOOKER T. WASHINGTON 40: Daquavion Slaughter rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns, and Handley finished the regular season 7-3 overall, 5-2 and in third place in Class 4A, Region 3.
The Tigers have an open date next week and will open the playoffs Nov. 8, at St. Michaels.
Slaughter’s touchdown runs covered 44, one and two yards.
Quarterback Cordan Patterson hit on five of 18 passes for 76 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown pass to Jamarcus Daniel, and rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. He rushed for 51 yards overall.
Daniel rushed for a 3-yard touchdown, and Elijah Stegall returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
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