PREP RECAP (Week 2): Wetumpka holds off Helena; Holtville storms back to beat Elmore County

COMBINED REPORTS

WETUMPKA – Stone Minnifield rushed for 132 yards and quarterback Robert Rose passed for three scores as the Indians held off Helena, 28-22 win, in the opener for both in Class 6A, Region 3 action at Hohenburg Field.

The Indians built as much as a 28-3 lead before the Huskies climbed back into the game in the final quarter.

Rose finished with 88 yards passing and threw TD passes to Rudarious Anthony for 3 yards, Brandon Bowman for 16 yards and Jackson Ray for 6 yards. Rose also added a run for a score.

The Indians (2-1, 1-0) stays home next week to face Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.

Stanhope Elmore 41, Benjamin Russell 9

MILLBROOK – Quarterback Trey Killingsworth passed for 261 yards and four touchdowns in the Mustangs first win in Class 6A, Region 3 action at Foshee-Henderson Stadium on Friday.

D.J. McGhee hauled in two TD passes while Chase Eddings and Jackson Thomas also had catches for scores.

Stanhope Elmore (2-1, 1-0) will travel to Pelham next week while the Wildcats (0-3, 0-1) is home against Helena.

Auburn 22, Prattville 0

AUBURN – The Lions looked impressive in wins over 6A opponents Wetumpka and Stanhope Elmore to open the season, but not as much in their 7A Region 2 opener as Auburn took advantage of Prattville mistakes for their seventh consecutive victory in the series.

A Prattville fumble led to the Tigers’ first points on a field goal and a botched punt led to an Auburn touchdown and a 10-0 lead at the half.

Prattville (2-1, 0-1) remains on the road next week with a region game at Smiths Station.

G.W. Carver 34, Valley 21

VALLEY - Marquarius Moore passed for 164 yards and Juwon Gaston returned a kickoff 60 yards for a score in the Wolverines first win of the season and hand Valley its first loss (2-1, 0-1).

Moore was 11 of 18 with three touchdown passes.

Karl Ligon added a 32-yard run for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. As a team, Carver totaled 332 yards in offense while holding Valley to just 236 yards. The Carver defense forced four turnovers including three fumbles.

The Wolverines (1-1, 1-0 6A/Region 2) plays their first home game Thursday against Park Crossing.

Opelika 42, Lanier 6 

OPELIKA – Eric Watts scored four touchdowns to help Opelika to a 28-0 lead in the second quarter and the Bulldogs ran away with a convincing 42-6 win at Bulldog Stadium on Friday in a 6A Region 2 matchup.

Anthony Shackelford had a touchdown reception in the second quarter for the Poets’ only points before Watts scored his third and fourth touchdowns in the third quarter.

Lanier (1-1, 0-1) returns home to play Robert E. Lee in a region battle at Cramton Bowl on Friday. 

Holtville 35, Elmore County 21

ECLECTIC – The Bulldogs trailed by a touchdown heading into the fourth quarter but would score 21 unanswered points to earn their first win in Class 5A, Region 4 play Friday at Burt-Haynie Field.

Trailing 21-14, Drew Pickett tied the game with an 85-yard run in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs took the lead on Shawn Brackett’s 5-yard run with just over five minutes remaining. They added to their lead in the final minute with Brackett’s second score of the quarter, an 18-yard run.

The Panthers took the lead by returning the second-half kickoff for a score. Reece Baker ran 97 yards to give ECHS a 21-14 advantage.

Pickett finished with 268 yards rushing on 26 carries. He had three touchdowns including runs of 7 and 4 yards. He also had two receptions for 36 yards. Brackett added 68 yards and two scores. Michael Forney led the defense with seven tackles and an interception for the Bulldogs. Kell Webb had two sacks.

Payton Stephenson passed for a touchdown and ran for another to lead the Panthers. Garrett Allen caught three passes for 39 yards and a score. Sean Darnell added four receptions for 57 yards. Reece Baker led the defense with six tackles including one for a loss.

Holtville improved to 3-0 and 1-0 in region play. It is the Bulldogs’ first 3-0 start since 2002. They face Beauregard next week.

Elmore County (1-2, 0-1) goes to Central-Clay County next week. 

Pike Road 60, Carroll 7

PIKE ROAD – Quinshon Judkins ran for three touchdowns and Iverson Hooks passed for three more as Pike Road cruised to a 60-7 win over Carroll in the home opener for the Patriots.

Pike Road (3-0) was scheduled to host Calhoun for the home opener a week ago, but the Tigers pulled out due to coronavirus concerns. The Patriots showed no ill effect of being off a week, nearly matching their first-game scoring total to coast past the Eagles in their 5A Region 2 opener.

Judkins rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries, adding another 52 yards on a pair of receptions from Hooks. Hooks was 8 of 17 for 272 yards and three touchdowns, adding another score on a 28-yard run. 

Trey Wallace had 194 yards and three touchdowns on five receptions and added another score on a 66-yard interception return for a touchdown. Blake Durham added 62 yards on two receptions.

Shamar Powell also had an interception return for a touchdown covering 18 yards.

Defensively, LJ McCloud had four tackles and three quarterback pressures, Jaylan Jarrett had 11 tackles and a sack and Logan Shores had seven tackles, including two for loss.

The win was the first-ever victory for Pike Road in 5A region competition.

The Patriots (3-0, 1-0) return to Region 2 action next week at Andalusia.

Montgomery Academy 40, Hale County 14

MOUNDVILLE – Jamal Cooper ran for a pair of touchdowns and Britton Kohn threw for a pair as the Eagles pulled away late in the second quarter for a 40-14 win over Hale County in the 3A Region 3 opener for both teams on Friday night.

Jashawn Cooper scored on a 7-yard run and two-point conversion for an early lead, but Hale County tied it up early in the second quarter. A pair of Jamal Cooper touchdown runs covering 8 and 4 yards, along with an extra point by Alex Kohn and a two-point conversion run by Jashawn Cooper, put the Eagles up 23-8. 

With just 45 seconds remaining in the first half, Britton Kohn threw a 28-yard pass to Alex Kohn and Alex Kohn added the extra point for a 30-8 halftime lead.

Britton Kohn added another touchdown pass, this one to Judson Lindsey for 20 yards, for a 37-8 lead and Alex Kohn completed the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard field goal. 

Montgomery Academy (3-0. 1-0) remains on the road next week with a region game in Selma against Southside.  

Thomasville 44, Prattville Christian 0

THOMASVILLE – Quez Jackson ran for a pair of first-quarter touchdowns and a couple of miscues on the Prattville Christian Academy punt team led to nine points as Thomasville cruised to a 44-0 victory over the Panthers on Friday night in the 3A Region 3 opener for both teams.

After Jackson’s touchdown on the Tigers’ opening drive, Javien Johnson returned a PCA punt for a touchdown. A snap over the punter’s head and a low snap that resulted in a fumble and a Roderick Moore recovery in the end zone for a touchdown helped Thomasville to a 37-0 lead at the half.      

James Chancey led the Panthers with 26 yards rushing on two carries. Kenny Gunn added 15 yards rushing on 11 carries. Tanner Byrd was 3 of 10 passing for 35 yards, with 28 of those yards on receptions by Jackson Reed.

Gunn led the defensive effort with seven tackles. Joseph King added four tackles. Jake Davis, Chancey, Stillman Davis and Grant Scott each recorded three tackles for PCA (1-2, 0-1), which returns home to play Hale County in a region game next week.

Thomasville (2-0, 1-0) travels to Monroe County for a region game next Friday. 

Loachapoka 24, Billingsley 16

LOACHAPOKA – Tyler Harris threw for a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another as Loachapoka won a key 1A Region 4 battle with Billingsley on Friday.

Harris’ touchdowns put Loachapoka up 24-8 late before the Bears scored the game’s final touchdown.

Billingsley (2-1, 0-1) returns home to play Maplesville in a region battle next week.