FRIDAY NIGHT RECAP (Week 7): Pike Road, Tallassee, Elmore County earn important region wins
COMBINED REPORTS
Pike Road 35, Stanhope Elmore 17
MILLBROOK -- Pike Road used a pair of big plays to break open a tight game in the second quarter, then pulled away in the third quarter on the way to a 35-17 win over the Mustangs at Foshee-Henderson Stadium on Friday night.
The win kept Pike Road (5-3) atop 6A Region 2 with a 5-0 record, a half game ahead of Russell County (4-0). The two teams meet next Friday in Pike Road to decide the region championship.
The Mustangs chewed up nearly all of the first-quarter time before scoring, but in the final seconds of the first quarter the Patriots were able to tie the score at 7-7 on a 57-yard pass from Levi Kelly to Omari Smith.
After holding the Mustangs on their initial possession of the second quarter, the Patriots took the lead on a 55-yard touchdown run by Ja’Michael Jones. After another Stanhope Elmore three and out, Jordan Holmes scored on a 36-yard run and added a two-point conversion run to give Pike Road a 21-7 halftime lead.
The Patriots put the game out of reach in the opening moments of the second half. Gunner Gibbs connected with Omari Smith on a 39-yard touchdown pass, then scored another touchdown with the help of a blocked punt.
Rufus Boone came up with the block and Ethan Holloway recovered the ball inside the Stanhope Elmore 20-yard line to set up Holmes’ 19-yard scoring toss to Elias Holtzclaw for a 35-7 lead.
Holmes finished the night with one pass for 19 yards and a touchdown and one reception for 33 yards and a touchdown. Gibbs completed 3 of 4 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, while Kelly completed his only attempt for 57 yards and a touchdown. Smith had three receptions for 105 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown reception, and Holtzclaw added a 19-yard scoring reception.
Jones had eight carries for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Holmes had three carries for 44 yards and a touchdown. Quinton Robinson had three carries for 7 yards and Patrick Carter had two carries for 1 yard.
Defensively, Holloway had a fumble recovery and 11 tackles to lead the Patriots. Boone had nine tackles and a blocked punt, Braylon Outlaw had 14 tackles, Corey Tims had 11 tackles including a sack, while Jhaylon Smith and Gavan Rogers had 10 tackles each.
Central-Phenix City 31, G.W. Carver 26
PHENIX CITY -- The Red Devils held off Carver down the stretch, dealing the Wolverines a critical blow to their playoff hopes with a 31-26 win on Friday night.
Carver (5-2) dropped to 3-2 in region play, remaining in fourth place in the region standings, but fifth-place Enterprise and second-place Central both hold the head-to-head tiebreakers with the Wolverines. Carver’s last two games are at home, facing Auburn next week and Opelika the following Thursday at Cramton Bowl.
Auburn is in first place in the region at 5-0, followed by Opelika and Central at 4-1. Enterprise (2-3) is in fifth place following the Wildcats’ loss to Opelika on Friday, but its remaining region schedule includes JAG and Smiths Station, the two teams at the bottom of the region standings.
Carver quarterback TJ Russell completed 20 of 37 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Anthony Rogers and one to TK Norman. Tre Berry added a 5-yard touchdown run.
Rogers had nine carries for 24 yards and three receptions for 72 yards. Norman had five catches for 59 yards, while Niking Patterson had seven receptions for 144 yards.
Berry had 81 yards on 18 carries.
Montgomery Academy 50, Slocomb 12
SLOCOMB -- Montgomery Academy answered an early touchdown from the Red Tops with 43 unanswered points in the first half, leading to a running clock and a 50-12 region victory on Friday night.
The Eagles’ win left three teams atop 3A Region 2 with 4-1 records -- Montgomery Academy, Trinity and Houston Academy -- with two games left in region play.
Reid McBride completed 11 of 14 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns, including two to DJ Vinson. McBride also had four carries for 35 yards.
Vinson had five receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns, moving up to 14th place all time for career receiving yardage in Alabama High School Athletic Association play. Vinson now has 166 receptions for 3,320 yards and 30 touchdowns, passing Hewitt-Trussville’s Ja’Varrius Johnson (2018), Foley’s Julio Jones (2007) and Saraland’s Ryan Williams (2023) on Friday night.
Fellow receiver Braden Gordon had five receptions for 68 yards, four carries for 19 yards and a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Jarrett Friendly had one receptions for a 44-yard touchdown.
David Whisenhunt had nine carries for 50 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Mitch Corley had three carries for 19 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, linebacker Knox Wingate had five tackles, John Bennett Lester had four tackles, Kingston Nelson had three tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, Vinson had three tackles and an interception, Friendly had three tackles and Rob Ashworth had a tackle and an interception.
Montgomery Academy (7-1) remains on the road the next two weeks, traveling to Prattville Christian on Friday and Alabama Christian on Oct. 25 to close out the region schedule.
St. James 55, Cleburne County 35
Chase Perry accounted for six touchdowns -- four passing and two rushing -- as the Trojans crushed Cleburne County 55-35 on Friday night at Carlisle Field to maintain their lead in 4A Region 3.
The Trojans (5-3) improved to 5-0 in region play and can clinch a school-record fourth consecutive region championship with a win next Friday in Tallassee. St. James’ win over Cleburne County extended their region winning streak to 28 dating back to 2020.
Cleburne County (1-6 and 1-4 in region play) was eliminated from playoff consideration with the loss.
Perry completed 13 of 20 passes for 246 yards and four touchdowns, throwing three to Tabor Offord and one to Brayden Corley. Perry also scored on runs of 7 and 5 yards.
Offord caught eight passes for 177 yards, including touchdown receptions of 20, 27 and 42 yards. Corley caught four passes for 59 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown reception from Perry.
Grant Phillips had 16 carries for 120 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown run. Ford Bass had five carries for 53 yards.
Backup quarterback Will Blackwell added a 1-yard scoring run.
Dylan Hines converted 7 of 8 extra-point attempts, missing his first attempt of the season on a block by a Cleburne County defender.
Catholic 63, Headland 0
Catholic’s Giovanni Hayner had three touchdowns leading Catholic to the easy win on Friday.
JJ Williams added two touchdowns while BJ Bedgood, Brody Hudson, Josh Harriell and Kayden Harris had one each.
Catholic (7-0 and 4-0 in region play) inched closer to its sixth consecutive region title with road games remaining at Greenville next week and Andalusia on Oct. 25.
The win was Catholic’s 38th consecutive region victory. Its last loss in region play came in a 2018 loss at Headland. Friday’s win also marked the Knights’ 22nd consecutive win and 41st consecutive regular season win dating back to a 2020 loss to Montgomery Academy.
Tallassee 31, Handley 22
HANDLEY - The Tigers scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a lead they would never relinquish in a key Class 4A, Region 3 win over homestanding Handley on Friday.
Trent Morris ran for a score and passed for two more in the quarter to give Tallassee a 28-14 halftime lead. Handley cut the lead to 28-22 in the third quarter before the Tigers got a 33-yard field goal from Yuren Rodriguez in the final period.
Morris passed for three touchdowns, including one each to Kevin Mason and Chase Chumley.
The win sets up a battle for first place next Friday when St. James travels to Tallassee (4-2, 4-1).
Central-Clay County 40, Holtville 3
LINEVILLE -- Central moved a step closer to clinching the region championship with a 40-3 win over Holtville on Friday night.
Central (8-0) improved to 5-0 in region play and will decide the 5A Region 4 title next week at Beauregard.
Jacob Burgess led Holtville in passing with 77 yards, while Hunter Chavis led the Bulldogs with 60 rushing yards. Cedrick Croskey was the favorite receiving target, adding 59 yards on receptions.
Defensively, Tyler Hackett led the Bulldogs with eight tackles.
Holtville (2-5) dropped to 1-3 in region play and returns home to play Valley in a region game next Friday.
Elmore County 21, Valley 14 (OT)
VALLEY -- The Panthers scored with just over two minutes remaining to force overtime, then stunned the Rams with a touchdown in overtime as Elmore County defeated Valley 21-14 on Friday night.
Elmore County scored on the game’s first possession on a 1-yard run by Caleb Spivey for a 7-0 lead, but the Rams quickly responded with a 16-yard touchdown run by Kaden Cole.
Cole added another touchdown on a 2-yard run with 4:03 remaining in the game, seemingly to put the Panthers away, but Elmore County responded with a touchdown drive of its own, tying the game on a Tate McNeely extra point with 2:12 remaining after McNeely pulled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Gage Davis.
In overtime, Valley was penalized for offsides, giving the Panthers a first and goal at the Valley 5-yard line. Spivey ran for 3 yards, then the final 2 yards to give the Panthers the win.
Eli Thames led the Panthers in rushing, gaining 76 yards on 13 carries.
Elmore County (4-2) and Valley (3-4) are now tied for third place in 5A Region 4 at 2-2 with the Panthers owning the tiebreaker. Elmore County closes out region play against the bottom two teams in the region, playing host to Marbury next week and at Sylacauga on Oct. 25.
Maplesville 57, Billingsley 14
BILLINGSLEY -- Landon Jones completed 15 of 22 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ 57-15 loss to Maplesville at Mims Field on Friday.
Kaden Cotton scored Billingsley’s other touchdown, picking up 114 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Kyle Boice had eight receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Jones led the Bears’ defense as well with 12 tackles. Tanner Truesdale had 10 tackles for Billingsley, while Caleb Massey had eight.
Billingsley (3-5) dropped to 2-3 in 1A Region 4 and must win its remaining region games at Notasulga next week and Keith on Oct. 25 to earn a playoff berth.
Lowndes Academy 48, Abbeville Christian 6
ABBEVILLE -- Jeremy Hardy scored three touchdowns on offense and registered seven tackles on defense to lead the Rebels to a 48-6 region victory over the Generals on Friday.
Hardy scored on a 3-yard run in the first quarter, added a 2-yard run in the second quarter, then tacked on another score in a three-touchdown flurry in the third quarter as Lowndes surged to a 48-0 lead late in the third quarter.
Watters Box kicked field goals of 37 and 47 yards and Crawford Dansby caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bradyn Stokes and ran 5 yards for another touchdown in the win.
Stokes completed 10 of 16 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown, while Hardy rushed for 58 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Dansby added 93 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
Defensively, Dansby had eight tackles, while Zack Azar had seven, including four for loss.
Lowndes (6-0) improved to 3-0 in AA Region 1 play and can clinch the region title next Friday with a win over Crenshaw Christian in Luverne.
Abbeville (1-5) travels to Hope Hull to play Hooper Academy next Friday.