FRIDAY NIGHT RECAP (Week 3): Stanhope picks up first region win; Carver continues to roll; MA falls for first time
COMBINED REPORTS
Stanhope Elmore 31, Park Crossing 12
The Mustangs picked up their first region win of the season on Friday at Cramton Bowl.
Running back Arthur McQueen scored three times including on runs of 62 and 74 yards to lead Stanhope Elmore. He finished with 221 yards on 17 carries.
The Mustangs also scored on a punt block and return by Demarion Thomas that gave them a 24-0 lead in the second quarter. Colby Beyer opened the scoring in the first period with a 30-yard field goal.
Stanhope quarterback Zac Holcombe added 75 yards rushing.
The Thunderbirds got two touchdown passes from Marcus Smith with the first one coming in the third period to Christopher Mayo. He added his second TD pass in the fourth period to Maure Gill for 62 yards. Smith finished with 240 yards passing on 14-of-29 attempts and an interception.
The Mustangs (2-2, 1-1 6A Region2) are open next week before going to Smiths Station on Sept. 27. Park Crossing (0-3, 0-1) visits Russell County next week.
Carver 26, Smiths Station 7
SMITHS STATION -- The Wolverines, playing their first game away from Cramton Bowl, struggled to find their offense at times, but got three rushing touchdowns from quarterback TJ Russell to earn a 26-7 win at Smiths Station on Friday night.
Carver (4-0) improved to 2-0 in 7A Region 2 play and will play Dothan in Rip Hewes Stadium next Friday. Smiths Station (0-4) dropped to 0-2 in region play and will face Opelika in Bulldog Stadium next Friday.
Russell completed 10 of 25 passes for 75 yards, but did the most damage with his feet, scoring on runs of 50, 48 and 7 yards. The senior finished with 98 yards on 14 carries.
Tre Berry added 89 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while catching three passes for 14 yards. Anthony Rogers rushed for 52 yards on six carries, while catching four passes for 22 yards. TK Norman added a 21-yard reception for the Wolverines.
Defensively, Donjavian Brown had four tackles and an assist along with a fumble recovery and Camarre Jackson had five tackles to lead the Wolverines. Corey McMeans had two tackles along with a 50-yard interception return, Rashad Walker had four tackles, including two for loss, and Jamares Harris had four tackles, a pass deflection, a fumble recovery and a sack for seven yards.
Elmore County 28, Holtville 9
ECLECTIC -- The Panthers got rushing touchdowns from Parker Hobbs, Tyler Payton and Eli Thames and held the Bulldogs’ offense in check for a big 5A Region 4 victory on Friday night.
Holtville struck first by driving deep into Panther territory, but the Elmore County defense stiffened and forced a 22-yard field goal by Nathan Phelps and a 3-0 Holtville lead.
The Panthers answered with a touchdown pass as Gage Davis found Seth McGhee for a 28-yard touchdown play, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving Elmore County clinging to a 6-3 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Hobbs scored on a 1-yard run and added the conversion run, followed by Payton’s 30-yard touchdown run and Tate McNeely’s extra point for a 21-3 lead.
Cole Parrish returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to help the Bulldogs trim the deficit to 21-9. The two-point converson attempt failed.
Elmore County added another touchdown in the fourth quarter on Thames’ 17-yard run and McNeely’s extra point.
Davis completed 6 of 9 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. Payton rushed nine times for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Thames had 71 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and Hobbs had 44 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. McNeely added 70 yards on four receptions.
Elmore County (3-0) improved to 1-0 in region play and will travel to Beauregard next week for a region game.
Holtville (1-3, 1-1) will take off next week, resuming play on Sept. 27 at home against 1A Maplesville.
Wicksburg 27, Montgomery Academy 22
NEWTON -- The Panthers scored on their first possession and again late in the first half for a 14-0 lead, then held off Montgomery Academy the remainder of the game to hand the Eagles their first loss of the season in a 27-22 win in 4A Region 2 play on Friday night.
Wicksburg (3-1) is tied for the lead in 3A Region 2 play with Trinity at 2-0. Montgomery Academy (3-1) dropped into a four-way tie at 1-1.
Reid McBride completed 19 of 29 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. DJ Vinson had 12 receptions for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Braden Gordon added four receptions for 66 yards, while Jarrett Friendly had two catches for 54 yards.
Defensively, linebacker Knox Wingate led the Eagles with 10 tackles, followed by defensive end Graham Martin with eight tackles, including four for loss and a pair of sacks. Fellow defensive end Gordon had six tackles, including three for loss and a pair of sacks. Vinson had four tackles and a pass breakup.
Montgomery Academy returns home to play host to winless Northside Methodist for homecoming next Friday at McLemore Field.
Catholic 28, Pensacola Catholic 14
The Knights jumped out to.a 14-0 lead and never looked back on Friday.
JJ Williams passed for 126 yards rushed for 27 yards and scored all four touchdowns for the Knights, who stayed perfect on the season.
Jo Pierce led the Catholic defense with eight tackles, two interceptions and a pass breakup. Rickie Williams addeds seven tackles.
The Knights (4-0) return to region play next week against Charles Henderson.
St. James 21, Handley 18
St. James extended its school record of region wins to 25 and improved to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in 4A Region 3 play with a 21-18 defeat of Handley at Carlisle Field on Friday night.
Chase Perry threw 45 yards to Tabor Offord, who had raced by defenders, to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead in just over two minutes into the game.
Grant Phillips extended the Trojans’ lead with a 33-yard Pick-6 that gave the Trojans a 14-6 lead.
After Handley cut the lead to two points, the Trojans drove 95 yards to start the fourth quarter with Perry scoring from 41 yards out to give St. James a 21-12 lead.
Handley added a late touchdown but the ensuing onside kick failed to clinch a Trojan win.
Perry had 83 yards passing to lead St. James.
The Trojans travel to Talladega next week.
Booker T. Washington 26, Tallassee 21
TUSKEGEE -- Booker T. Washington scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to wipe out Tallassee’s 14-point lead and defeat the Tigers 26-21 on Friday night.
The Tigers had grabbed a 14-0 lead on a pair of touchdown passes from Trent Morris to Jordan King covering 34 and 36 yards. BTW scored to cut into the lead but Tallassee responded with a touchdown drive capped by Tiny Green’s 3-yard run for a 21-7 halftime lead.
The Golden Eagles started their fourth-quarter rally with a 12-yard Quez Daniel reception from Brandon Smith, then made it 21-19 on Javis Floyd’s 7-yard touchdown run. BTW came back on the next possession with a 35-yard touchdown run by Floyd to cap the comeback.
Green led the Tallassee offense with 67 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Morris completed 7 of 16 passes for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns but was intercepted twice. King had four receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
Booker T. Washington (3-0) joins St. James as the only remaining unbeaten teams in 4A Region 3 play and will play host to Cleburne County in a region game next Friday.
Tallassee (1-2) is one of four 1-1 teams in Region 3 play and will return home to play Bullock County at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium next Friday.
Verbena 40, Billingsley 32
BILLINGSLEY -- Billingsley quarterback Landon Jones threw for 302 yards and Bear tailback Kaden Cotton rushed for 201 more, but the Bears fell to Verbena 40-32 in a region matchup at Mims Field on Friday night.
Jones completed 14 of 22 passes for 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while rushing for 82 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. He was intercepted once.
His favorite target, as usual, was Kyle Boice, who had seven receptions for 163 yards and both touchdowns.
Cotton rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, while adding 99 more yards on four catches.
Defensively, Jones had 11 tackles to lead the Bears, followed by defensive end Caleb Massey with 10 tackles, defensive lineman Jake Rawlinson with nine, defensive end Danny Boice with eight and Kyle Boice with eight.
The Bears (1-3) dropped to 0-2 in region play and face a crucial region game next Friday at Autaugaville.
Lowndes Academy 49, Hooper Academy 7
HOPE HULL -- The Rebels got three touchdown runs from Jeremy Hardy to roll up a 49-point lead in the first half for a comfortable 49-7 win over the Colts at Davis Henry Field on Friday night.
Huston Hampton got the Rebels on the scoreboard first with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown. Watters Box added the first of nine extra points for a 7-0 lead.
Hardy scored on an 18-yard run and Crawford Dansby added a 42-yard run as Lowndes built a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.
The second quarter was more of the same as the Rebels scored touchdowns on a 35-yard Hardy run, a 47-yard interception return by Ford Walker, a 19-yard run by Hardy and a 46-yard run by Will Brasell.
Hardy finished with 73 yards and three touchdowns on just four carries, while Brasell added 66 yards and a touchdown on four carries. Bradyn Stokes had 58 yards on five carries.
Defensively, Ashton Yelder led the Rebels with nine tackles, including four for loss. Dansby had seven stops.
Lowndes (2-0) improved to 1-0 in AA Region 1 play and will return home for a region game with Sparta next Friday at Mac Champion Field.
Hooper (0-4) dropped to 0-2 in AA Region 1 play and will travel to Luverne to play Crenshaw Christian in a region game next Friday.
Chambers Academy 37, Edgewood Academy 7
LAFAYETTE -- Chambers won its third consecutive game and improved to 2-0 in region play with a 37-7 win over the Wildcats on Friday night.
Edgewood quarterback Brock Whitt was 4 of 13 passing for 42 yards and a touchdown, throwing 23 yards to Colton Lashley for the Wildcats’ only touchdown.
Lashley also had an interception on defense.
Chambers (3-1) will travel to Bessemer for a region game next week, while Edgewood (1-1) suffered its first loss in AAA Region 1 play and will return home to play Valiant Cross next Friday.