PREP FOOTBALL: Lowndes, Macon East advance to AISA title games; Brew Tech flag eliminated from playoff contention

COMBINED REPORTS

Lowndes Academy 35, Patrician Academy 18

HAYNEVILLE -- Bradyn Stokes threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as the Rebels won their 11th consecutive postseason victory with a 35-18 win over the Saints at Mac Champion Stadium on Thursday night.

Lowndes Academy (11-0) advances to the Class AA finals next Thursday at Cramton Bowl. The Rebels will play South Choctaw Academy (12-0), a 22-14 winner over Wilcox, for the Class AA championship at 3:30 p.m.

The Rebels, winners of the state’s longest winning streak at 30 games, will be aiming for their fourth consecutive state championship next week.

The Rebels struck for two quick scores and a 21-0 halftime lead before weathering a comeback by the Saints, who piled up 272 rushing yards. After two Patrician touchdowns trimmed the deficit to 28-18, Stokes capped another drive with a 2-yard run for his second rushing touchdown of the night.

Jeremy Hardy, who rushed for 125 yards on 12 carries, raced 56 yards for the game’s first touchdown and Stokes added a 2-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Stokes later connected with Watters Box on a 57-yard touchdown pass and Box added the third of five extra points for a 21-0 halftime lead.

After Patrician opened the second half with a touchdown drive, Stokes hit Box with another touchdown pass covering 43 yards for a 28-6 lead.

Stokes completed 8 of 13 passes for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns, throwing three passes to Box for 78 yards and two to Hardy for 35 yards. Stokes also rushed for 45 yards on eight carries.

Defensively, Crawford Dansby led the Rebels with 12 tackles. Hardy and Stokes added nine each.

Macon East 66, Springwood 36

LANETT -- Sam Wallace rushed for four touchdowns and threw for three more as Macon East Academy avenged a regular-season loss with a 66-36 rout of Springwood School in the semifinals of the Alabama Independent School Association Class A state playoffs on Thursday night.

The Knights (8-2) will play Cornerstone Christian (11-0), a 56-38 winner over Evangel, for the Class A state championship at Cramton Bowl next Thursday at noon. It is Macon East’s first season playing 8-man football, while Cornerstone defeated Springwood last year for the 8-man state championship.

Wallace had 34 carries for 220 yards and four touchdowns, while completing 8 of 11 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns, accounting for more than 400 yards of total offense.

Tailback Thad McKinney had 17 carries for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while adding a 30-yard scoring reception from Wallace.

Micah Andrews had four receptions for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Defensively, Carter Hopson had 10 tackles and a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter. Mathew Pugh had eight tackles and Cole Streetman had seven tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries.

The Knights held AISA’s top-rated scoring offense to only 266 total yards and 36 points. Springwood averaged 62.3 points per game this season and 83.3 points per game over the last month, including an 85-54 win over Macon East on Oct. 18.

FLAG FOOTBALL

BTW-Tuskegee 19, Brew Tech 6

Zykierria Williams scored on a 10-yard run with 23 seconds remaining, then sealed the victory with a 29-yard interception return on the next play from scrimmage to lift Booker T. Washington past Brew Tech 19-6 in the second round of the 1A-5A flag football playoffs at Cramton Bowl on Thursday night.

Booker T. Washington will return to Montgomery next week to play Catholic in the quarterfinals of the 1A-5A state playoffs after ending Brew Tech’s season.

Brew Tech would have several opportunities to take the lead after tying the game late in the first half, but the Rams struggled to find any offensive consistency as three of their five second-half possessions ended with interceptions.

The Golden Eagles scored on their first possession, using seven consecutive runs to set up Tylizea Sanders’ 15-yard pass in the corner of the end zone for Yasmine Holmes and a 6-0 lead.

Brew Tech, which ran the ball just twice in the first half and none in the second half, used an interception by Taliyah July to set up a short 27-yard drive to tie the game. Tessa Wilburn’s fourth-and-goal pass from the 4-yard line was snared by Kyra Wallace with 50 seconds remaining in the first half to make it 6-6.

In the second half, three consecutive possessions by the Rams either ended with an interception or turning the ball over on downs. Booker T. Washington then drove as deep as the Brew Tech 4-yard line before turning the ball over on downs.

After a Brew Tech punt gave the Golden Eagles the ball at their 35-yard line with 84 seconds remaining, BTW used a 23-yard run by Holmes and a 12-yard pass from Shemiera Williams to Dekhia Willis to set up Zykierria Williams’ game-winning run at left end.

Wilburn, taking over at the Brew Tech 14-yard line, threw over the middle for a receiver, but Zykierria Williams intercepted the ball and returned the ball for a touchdown to finish off the Rams.

Wilburn completed 11 of 29 passes for 110 yards, but was intercepted three times. Defensively, Mariana Green led the Rams with nine stops, followed by Reese Woody with seven.

Holmes led the Golden Eagles with 76 yards on eight carries. Zykierria Williams added 38 yards on seven carries. 

AHSAA Flag Football Quarterfinal schedule

Dates and times to be announced later

CLASS 6A-7A
Auburn (10-4) vs. Opelika (9-5)
Alma Bryant (12-0) vs. Central-Phenix City (16-0)
Spain Park (15-1-1) vs. Vestavia Hills (21-2)
Prattville (15-2) vs. Hewitt-Trussville (12-1)
CLASS 1A-5A
B.T. Washington-Tuskegee (11-2-1) at Catholic (14-4)
Marbury (7-5) at Tallassee
Moody (15-2) vs. Boaz (8-2-1)
John Carroll Catholic (13-4) vs. Wenonah (22-1)