PREP RECAP (Week 8): MA, ACA clinch region titles; Lee, Wetumpka earn playoff spots

COMBINED REPORTS

Montgomery Academy used an impressive nine-minute drive to set up Alex Kohn’s 22-yard field goal for the game-winning points as the Eagles defeated Thomasville in a battle of unbeatens to win the 3A Region 3 championship at McLemore Field on Friday night.

Quez Jackson scored on a 6-yard run at left end on the first play of the fourth quarter and the Tigers added the two-point conversion to tie the game at 17-17, but the visitors would never see the ball on offense for the remainder of the night. 

The Eagles then chewed up the clock with a methodical march down the field for Kohn’s second field goal of the night with 3:09 remaining. Judson Lindsey jarred the ball loose from the Thomasville return specialist on the ensuing kickoff and the Eagles ran out the clock to improve to 8-0 and 5-0 in the region.

Montgomery Academy got on the scoreboard first with a 70-yard run by Carter Wallis and Kohn’s extra point for a 7-0 lead with 7:47 remaining in the first quarter, but Thomasville answered with three field goals by Jacob Horner to give the Tigers a 9-7 lead at the half.

The Eagles scored on their first possession of the second half, using a 26-yard pass from Britton Kohn to tight end Jackson Kelly for a 14-9 lead with 10:24 left in the third quarter. Kohn added a 29-yard field goal for an eight-point lead before the Tigers tied the game seconds into the final quarter.

MA used big plays to win a game dominated by defense. Britton Kohn picked up 26 of his 49 passing yards on the pass to Kelly and added another 22 yards on the ground, while Wallis got 70 of his 80 rushing yards on one play. Jashawn Cooper led MA with 72 rushing yards and his older brother Jamal added 28 yards on the ground. 

Defensively, Lindsey had a team-high 10 tackles and an interception along with his forced fumble. Arch Lee added seven tackles, followed by Kelly, Thomas Kirkham and Jashawn Cooper, all with five tackles each.

Montgomery Academy closes out the regular season at Monroe County next Friday and at Alabama Christian Academy on Oct. 29 before returning home on Nov. 6 to host Providence Christian in the first round of the 3A state playoffs.

Thomasville (7-1) returns home to host Southside-Selma next Friday before closing out the regular season on Oct. 29 at Clarke County.

Alabama Christian Academy 49, Straughn 7

Jalen Clark ran for three touchdowns and passed for three more as the Eagles wrapped up the first region championship in school history with a 49-7 win over Straughn on Friday night.

ACA (7-1) improved to 6-0 in 4A Region 2 with only a region game remaining at Bullock County next week. The win gave the Eagles their first region title since the Alabama High School Athletic Association switched from areas to regions in 2000.

Clark completed 14 of 16 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 116 yards and three more touchdowns on eight carries. 

The senior threw a 12-yard touchdown to Trey Schlemmer four minutes into the game, ran 30 yards for a touchdown four minutes later, then completed a pass to Haye Hunt, who lateraled to Demari Moore for the final 33 yards on a hook-and-ladder play early in the second quarter.

Clark ran 36 yards for a touchdown later in the quarter and accounted for two more touchdowns following Straughn turnovers for a 42-0 halftime lead.

A Will Wright fumble recovery set up Clark’s 25-yard scoring run with 2:02 remaining in the first half and Sanders Manning’s interception set up a quick strike from Clark to Moore covering 38 yards with 40.4 seconds remaining in the first half. 

Otasowie Dion ran 27 yards for ACA’s final points with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter for a 49-0 lead. 

Straughn scored on a 29-yard pass play with 6.4 seconds remaining to avoid the shutout.

Corey Landers had 58 yards on 10 carries and Dion had 41 yards on three carries for ACA. Hunt had five receptions for 55 yards, Moore had 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns on three catches and Preston Hicks added 23 yards on three receptions. 

Defensively, Kyle Jackson led ACA with five tackles, including two sacks, while Miller McCarthy had four tackles and Jack Thomas had four tackles, including a sack. Khalil Jackson had three tackles and a pair of sacks.   

ACA will close out the regular season at home against Montgomery Academy, then host the first round of the 4A state playoffs on Nov. 6 against Montevallo. 

R.E. Lee 12, Park Crossing 8

The Robert E. Lee Generals had little luck with the kicking game this season but on Friday it saved their chances of making the playoffs.

The Generals fought to a 12-8 win over Park Crossing in a key Class 6A Region 2 battle at Cramton Bowl. The win guarantees them a spot in the playoffs.

The loss eliminated Park Crossing from playoff contention.

After the Generals were handed a gift two points on a Park Crossing punt snap through the endzone, Lee drove in the Thunderbirds’ 13 yard line and Willie Tarver nailed a 30-yard field goal with 4:56 left in the first quarter to give Lee a 5-0 lead.

Park Crossing took the lead in the second quarter on a big pass play from Jaden Taylor to William Ford for 66 yards but the T’Birds missed the extra point and led 6-5 with just over five minutes remaining in the half.

Later in the half, Lee moved the ball inside the T’Birds 5-yard line and needed six plays to score on a quarterback sneak by Jakel Williams with 1:10 left in the half. Tarver’s extra point gave Lee a 12-6 lead at the break.

Neither team managed much offense in the second half and Lee was limited late when Williams left the game with an injury.

The Generals defense turned away a couple of Park Crossing threats in the second half including one that left the Thunderbirds at the Lee 10-yard line with just over three minutes left in the game.

Lee gave up a safety to avoid a punt from the end zone and held off one more Park Crossing drive in the final two minutes.

The Thunderbirds also missed a field goal try in the second half.

Reginald Davis finished with 99 yards rushing for Lee. Taylor had 166 yards passing to lead the Thunderbirds.

Lee (5-3, 4-2) finishes out region play next Friday against Valley at Cramton Bowl. Park Crossing (4-4, 3-3) travels to Opelika.

Wetumpka 49, Calera 28

WETUMPKA – The Indians scored four times in the third quarter to pull away for a key win in Class 6A, Region 3 win Friday at Hohenburg Stadium.

The win puts Wetumpka into the playoffs while eliminating Calera.

Brandon Bowman had three touchdowns  with 200 yards of total offense and quarterback Robert Rose had 198 yards passing and three touchdowns, one each to Bowman, Tavarse Murphy and Dorian Jackson.

The Indians (5-4, 4-1) travel to Millbrook next week to face arch-rival Stanhope Elmore.

Helena 25, Stanhope Elmore 18

HELENA – The Mustangs were unable to hold on to a fourth-quarter lead in an important Class 6A, Region 3 tilt on Friday.

Trey Killingsworth threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Thomas with 2:52 left in the game but Helena drove 57 yards in the final minutes with a Mac Turner touchdown pass to Jayden Jackson being the difference.

Killingsworth finished 20 of 32 for 244 yards and three touchdowns for Stanhoe Elmore. Thomas added 99 yards rushing on 13 carries while Jackson had seven catches for 86 yards and a score.

Stanhope Elmore (4-4, 3-2) will be home next week to face Wetumpka.

Beauregard 42, Elmore County 28

ECLECTIC – The Panthers built a two-touchdown lead in the first quarter only to see the Hornets fight back to win in the second half of a Class 5A, Region 4 battle at Burt-Haynie Field on Friday.

ECHS held a 21-7 after a quarter on two touchdown passes by Payton Stephenson to Jabari Murphy for 10 and 49 yards. Sean Darnell had score from 4 yards out.

The Panthers added a fourth TD in the first half on Stephenson’s 4-yard run in the finals seconds to lead 28-14 at the break.

But Beauregard would score five unanswered touchdowns in the second half, including two plays of 70-plus yards for a score in the third period.

Stephenson finished with 116 yards and two touchdown passes on 8 of 16 attempts. He also had 85 yards rushing. Murphy had 69 yards on three receptions. Garrett Murphy had two interceptions for the Panthers’ defense.

Elmore County (1-7, 0-5) plays at Talladega next Friday.

Autaugaville 14, Loachapoka 0

AUTAUGAVILLE – The Eagles picked up a key Class 1A, Region 4 victory over the Indians on Friday, locking up a playoff bid.

Jamarcus Rose scored on a 22-yard run and Jermaine Sanders added a 3-yard score for the Eagles. Mackenzie Bristol had a 2-point conversion to round out the scoring.

The Eagles (6-2, 3-2) finish out region play next week at Maplesville. A win gives them the second seed in the region. Loachapoka (4-4, 3-3) gets a forfeit win next week from Barbour County and finishes the season on Oct. 30 against Highland Home.

Enterprise 39, Jeff Davis 6 (Saturday)

The Volunteers continued their struggles in the loss to the Wildcats on Saturday at Cramton Bowl.

Enterprise built a 24-0 lead before the Vols could dent the scoreboard on a Donald Harris  2-yard run for JD’s only points, coming in the third quarter.

Samuel Whitaker scored twice for Enterprise, which improved to 6-2 and 3-2 in Class 7A, Region 2.

Harris finished with 102 yards rushing to lead the Vols.

Jeff Davis (0-8, 0-5) will attempt to earn its first win next Friday at Prattville.