Action Jackson
- Updated: December 6, 2024
QB Duckworth leads the way as top-ranked Jackson wins first state title since 2011 with 69-6 rout of Cherokee County. Tittle sees action in fourth quarter.
AHSAA SUPER 7 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL FINALS
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4
CLASS 1A-5A FINALS
Montgomery Catholic (17-4) 14, Moody (17-3) 7
CLASS 6A-7A FINALS
Central-Phenix City (19-0) 55, Spain Park (14-5-1) 7
BOYS’ STATE FOOTBALL FINALS
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4
CLASS 7A FINALS
Thompson (11-3) 21, Central-Phenix City (10-3) 7
THURSDAY, Dec. 5
CLASS 3A FINALS
Mars Hill Bible (14-1) 50, Houston Academy (13-2) 43
CLASS 1A FINALS
Wadley (13-0) 37, Maplesville (12-3) 7
CLASS 5A FINALS
Montgomery Catholic (14-0) 17, Moody (11-3) 14
FRIDAY, Dec. 6
CLASS 4A FINALS
Jackson (14-1) 69, Cherokee County (13-2) 6
CLASS 2A FINALS
Reeltown (14-1) 49, Tuscaloosa Academy (12-3) 13
CLASS 6A FINALS
Parker (14-1) 28, Saraland (13-1) 17
By Shannon Fagan
WEIS Sports Director
BIRMINGHAM – In most of their games this football season, the Cherokee County Warriors were the dictators.
They set the tone with their power running and just enough passing to keep defenses honest.
On Friday, in the Warriors’ third appearance in as many years in the Class 4A state championship game, they met more than their match. Top-ranked Jackson got the Warriors out of their game plan early and dominated, 69-6.
Jackson scored on six of its seven first-half possessions. Junior quarterback Landon Duckworth completed 14-of-17 pass attempts for 325 yards and five touchdowns.
The 69 points scored by the Aggies (14-1) were the most ever in a 4A state championship game. The 63-point margin of victory was also the most ever by a team in the Super 7.
Duckworth was named the game’s most valuable player. Chris Payne posted nine catches for 155 yards and two scores, and Keeyun Chapman caught four passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
“I know what he’s capable of. I’m glad to have him,” Jackson coach Cody Flournoy said. “He’s one of those guys. When plays break down, he still makes a big play. He’s a threat to run or pass. He just continues to do it each week.”
Cherokee County head coach Jacob Kelley tipped his hat to Duckworth.
“Overall, you can have everything defended and it still not go your way,” Cherokee County head coach Jacob Kelley said. “One (Duckworth) played a really good game. His mobility is there, but he was pretty accurate throwing the football.
“They were defended. They just caught it or got loose. Congratulations to them.”
The game got away from the Warriors (13-2) quickly. Jackson forced Cherokee County to punt on its opening possession. In just three plays, the Aggies scored on sophomore running back Ezavier Crowell’s 67-yard touchdown run.
Following another Warrior punt, Crowell scored on a 1-yard run to make it 14-0, Aggies, at the end of the first quarter.
Senior running back Gavin Jackson added a 3-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter for a 21-0 Aggie lead.
Jackson kept the foot on the throttle after its defense stuffed the Warriors on a fourth-down play, then Duckworth began to unleash the passing game. He connected with Chapman on an
18-yard touchdown pass.
The point after was no good, but Jackson held a 27-0 lead with 5:42 remaining in the first half.
Duckworth threw two more touchdown passes before halftime – a 31-yarder Payne and a 49-yarder to Chapman – both in the final minute.
Chapman’s score came on an acrobatic play as time expired in the first half, with the Aggies in front 42-6.
The only positives in the first half for the Warriors were an interception by senior defender Carson Chesnut to end another Aggie scoring threat and sophomore quarterback Adam Griffith’s 68-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Ben Frampton.
Griffith’s pass on the 2-point conversion fell incomplete.
“I feel like, early on, we needed more things to go our way to really give our guys the mental part of, we’re in this thing,” Kelley said. “We were able to score there, but we were down a lot.
A lot of stuff we did today we haven’t practiced in a while. We were in more spread sets instead of heavy. It gets to a certain point to give yourself a chance, you’ve got to have some more receivers and less linemen.”
Griffith led the Warriors by completing seven of 13 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown.
“We did some stuff that wasn’t necessarily typical of our offense,” Griffith said. “We’re very run heavy, which is good. It opens up our passing game.
We took a lot of the play action away and just spread it out more. I knew I would have to step up. We didn’t do as well as we would’ve liked, and the outcome we wanted, but to stay in that game, that was the only way that we could.”
Jackson continued pouring it on in the second half. Following a big return on the opening kickoff, Crowell scored on a 13-yard run to make the score 49-6.
Another Warrior punt yielded another Aggie score – a 28-yard touchdown toss from Duckworth to Jamarrion Gordon.
Duckworth delivered Jackson’s final offensive touchdown on a 32-yard connection with Payne with 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Keegan Chapman returned an interception 47 yards for a score with 5:42 remaining in the fourth for the final.
The game did have a late feel-good moment for the Warriors. Senior quarterback Carson Tittle, who suffered a knee injury early in the regular season that required surgery, entered the game on the Warriors’ final drive at the 5:32 mark of the fourth quarter.
Tittle completed a pass for five yards to Frampton on the drive.
“It was very, very tough for him to go out in Week 2 this year,” Kelley said. “He’s
been dying to come back. There late in the game, when he was able to get in, I was like, ‘Are you ready to go in one last time?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ He got loose and was able to get in there one more time.”
“We’re going to miss Carson just because he’s a high character kid. He’s tough as nails.”
Tittle is one of 18 seniors the Warriors had in 2024. He’s part of the all-time winningest class in Cherokee County High School football history with 45 victories and three finishes as 4A runners up.
“I’m real fortunate for that group and blessed,” Kelley said. “It’s tough because of today and the outcome, but I’m really, really proud of this group.
“What I’m proud of is the way the season started was with a loss (to Piedmont). They figured out we’ve got to do some things to change, and they went 13 straight (wins). They always embraced what I needed them to do in the weight room and at practice. They didn’t always like it, but I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys.”
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