AISA RECAP: Valiant Cross earns first-ever playoff berth; Lowndes wins fifth straight
Valiant Cross quarterback N’King Patterson led the Warriors with two TDs in the win over Hooper Academy. (Dylan Hurst)
By DYLAN HURST/Staff Report
HOPE HULL - Last year, its first as a program, Valiant Cross Academy defeated Hooper but missed the postseason after tiebreakers put the Colts in the playoffs.
This year, the Warriors faced Hooper in a similar scenario, with the winner of Friday’s game at Davis Henry Field earning a playoff berth.
This time, Valiant Cross punched its ticket to the postseason with an easy 51-7 win over the Colts.
“(This win) really means a lot, especially since we just started this school about seven years ago,” Valiant Cross coach Fred Brock said. “It means a lot to (our seniors), being the first senior class for Valiant Cross, and I think they’ll always look back on this and remember it.”
Valiant Cross (3-4) is off next week before traveling to Tuscaloosa Academy for the first round of the AISA Class AAA playoffs, the first-ever postseason game for the Warriors.
“We’ve got a long way to go, a lot of work to do, and we still have to clean up a lot of mistakes,” Brock said. “Hopefully we can get some of that cleaned up and make a (playoff) run.”
Valiant Cross freshman quarterback N’king Patterson had a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown on the night. Senior wide receiver and defensive back Cory Brown scored three TDs on a reception, a rush and a kickoff return.
Senior running back and safety Isaac Harris along with senior wide receiver Alonza Arrington both scored touchdowns while freshman wide receiver and defensive back Xavier Dunn recorded two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.
Harris got the scoring started for the Warriors less than two minutes into the game with his lone rushing touchdown of the game to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead.
Hooper quarterback Ron McGinty would give the Colts their only score with a run less than three minutes into the second quarter to tie the game, 7-7.
On the next Warriors possession, Brown caught a touchdown pass from Patterson to give the Warriors a 14-7 lead.
Valiant Cross would then capitalize off of an interception by Dunn with a Brown touchdown run to extend their lead to 21-7 late in the second quarter.
The next score for the Warriors came off of a Patterson touchdown run with about seven and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter to give Valiant Cross a 28-7 lead.
On the ensuing Colts’ possession, McGinty’s pass was intercepted by Dunn who returned it for a touchdown to take their lead to 36-7 after a successful two-point conversion.
Arrington then scored his lone rushing touchdown of the game to give the Warriors a 43-7 lead.
The Colts muffed the ensuing kickoff and the Warriors were able to fall on the ball in the end zone for a safety to take the score 45-7, then Brown then ran the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown.
R.J. Coker led the Colts with 90 rushing yards, while Sean Murphy added 48 receiving yards. Coker led the Hooper defense with seven tackles, followed by Xavier Boswell with six and Lucas Spellman with five tackles and a sack.
Hooper (2-7) closes out the season next week at home against Cornerstone Christian.
With so many seniors on this year’s team, Brock is looking ahead to next year and how important it is to start fostering leaders now to lead the team next season.
“As with anything, leadership is important,” said Brock. “We’re going to lose a lot of seniors next year, and we have to get a lot of our younger guys ready to play, so we’ll keep trying to make leaders for next year.”
Lowndes Academy 49, Cornerstone Christian 0
COLUMBIANA -- Kasen Dismukes and Jackson Self each ran for a pair of touchdowns as Lowndes Academy pounded Cornerstone 49-0 for its fifth consecutive win on Friday night.
The Rebels (7-3) finished Class A Region 1 play with a 5-0 record and will play host to Fort Dale next Friday before hosting Pickens Academy in the first round of the Class A playoffs on Nov. 5.
Lowndes scored three times in the first quarter and three more times in the second quarter to open up a 41-0 lead at the half. Dismukes scored on runs of 56 and 9 yards and Self scored on runs of 18 and 12 yards as the Rebels jumped out to a four-touchdown lead early in the second quarter. Tyler Tyus ran 41 yards for a touchdown and threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Clayton Hussey to close out the scoring in the first half.
Scott Stinson ran 15 yards for the only points in the second half.
Dismukes finished with 63 yards on three carries and Self added 38 yards on four carries as part of a 402-yard night for the Rebels.
Cornerstone (2-7) was held to one first down and minus 11 total yards in the game. Trey Thomas led the Lowndes defense with six tackles. Cooper Dansby added five.
Macon East Academy 49, Springwood School 0
LANETT -- Gabe Spencer ran for a pair of touchdowns and Parker Strickland scored a touchdown on each side of the ball as the Knights shut out Springwood 49-0 on Friday night.
Macon East (6-4) host Abbeville Christian next week in its final regular season game, then play host to third-seeded Patrician in the first round of the AISA AA state playoffs on Nov. 5.
Spencer scored on runs of 24 and 3 yards and finished with 48 yards on six carries. Quarterback Deonte Powell added a 10-yard touchdown run and Thaddeus McKinney had 46 yards on three carries.
Powell completed one of his two pass attempts for 26 yards while his backup, Dalton Nickles, completed his only attempt with a 52-yard touchdown pass to Strickland.
Strickland had four tackles and also returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown.
Tyler Daniels added a 66-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Defensively, Wade Desmairis and Teron Wright each had six tackles to lead the Knights, followed by Strickland, McKinney and Daniels with four each. Two of McKinney’s stops were for loss, while two of Daniels’ tackles were sacks.
Crenshaw Christian 38, Edgewood Academy 33
LUVERNE -- The Wildcats staged a furious fourth-quarter rally, cutting Crenshaw Christian’s lead to three points midway through the period, but a late touchdown by the Cougars gave the defending Class A state champions a 38-33 win on Friday night.
Austin Champion completed 17 of 30 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns, including a 30-yard touchdown pass to JB Collier with 5:26 remaining to pull the Wildcats within 30-27. But Crenshaw Christian answered with a scoring drive of its own, scoring with 1:38 left to extend the lead to 11 points.
Champion countered with a 8-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Rodie 35 seconds later, but the Wildcats ran out of time.
Champion also connected with Tyler Wynn on a 14-yard scoring toss for Edgewood’s first touchdown early in the second quarter to tie the game at 6-6. Champion, who rushed for 73 yards on 17 carries, added a 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game again, this time at 14-14, but the Cougars scored twice to take a 30-14 lead into the final period.
Gabe LeMaster scored the first of three fourth-quarter touchdowns by Edgewood on a 3-yard run.
Rodie led the Wildcats in receiving with 127 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.
Bryson Boone led Edgewood on defense with seven tackles. Champion added six.
Edgewood (5-4) closes out the regular season at home next week against Wilcox, then travels to Escambia Academy for the first round of the AISA Class AA state playoffs on Nov. 5.
Crenshaw Christian (6-2) travels to Chambers next week, then returns home to host South Choctaw Academy in the first round of the AISA Class A playoffs on Nov. 5.
Autauga Academy 35, Wilcox Academy 7
CAMDEN -- Robert Rose completed 13 of 19 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns as the Generals cruised to a 28-point win over Wilcox.
Autauga (9-0) travels to Glenwood next week to close out the regular season before playing host to fourth-seeded Banks Academy in the first round of the AISA AA playoffs on Nov. 5.
James Wright had four receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown for the Generals, while Joshua Palmer had four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown and Anden Hilyer had four receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Karl Ligon rushed for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns on nine carries. His backup, Landen Henry, had 38 yards on three carries.
Defensively, Henry had nine tackles, including one for a 5-yard loss, along with a pair of interceptions. O’Ronde Henderson added four tackles and Pharrell Banks had three tackles, including one for a 3-yard loss, along with a pair of pass breakups.
AISA SCOREBOARD
Pike Liberal Arts 49, Glenwood School 13
Valiant Cross 51, Hooper Academy 7
Morgan Academy 53, Fort Dale Academy 28
Bessemer Academy 39, Clark Prep 32
Crenshaw Christian 38, Edgewood Academy 33
Chambers Academy 42, Banks Academy 8
Macon East Academy 49, Springwood School 0
Escambia Academy 41, Southern Academy 15
Autauga Academy 35, Wilcox Academy 7
Lakeside School 26, Abbeville Christian 14
Lowndes Academy 49, Cornerstone Christian 0
Jackson Academy 34, Sparta Academy 16
Tuscaloosa Academy 42, Monroe Academy 0, Thursday
Pickens Academy 38, Meadowview Christian 6, Thursday
AISA PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
First Round on Nov. 5
CLASS AAA
Clarke Prep at Pike Liberal Arts
Bessemer Academy at Lee-Scott Academy
Glenwood School at Morgan Academy
Valiant Cross at Tuscaloosa Academy
CLASS AA
Wilcox Academy at Chambers Academy
Patrician Academy at Macon East Academy
Edgewood Academy at Escambia Academy
Banks Academy at Autauga Academy
CLASS A
Pickens Academy at Lowndes Academy
South Choctaw Academy at Crenshaw Christian
Coosa Valley Academy at Sparta Academy
Lakeside School at Jackson Academy