FRIDAY NIGHT RECAP (1st ROUND): Elmore County wins in OT to advance; MA shuts out Flomaton; Lowndes wins
COMBINED REOPRTS
Elmore County 21, Demopolis 20 (2OT)
DEMOPOLIS -- Blake Shaw tackled Demopolis quarterback J.W. McAlpine short of the goal line on a two-point conversion try, giving Elmore County a 21-20 win over the Tigers for their first playoff win since 2011.
The Panthers (8-3) will return home to play host to Williamson in the second round of the 5A playoffs next week.
The two teams fought through an entertaining second quarter, then remained scoreless through the first overtime period.
The game’s first touchdown was set up by Tate McNeely’s interception of a McAlpine pass. Five plays later, Eli Thames capped a short drive with a 1-yard run and McNeely added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
The Tigers rallied for a 14-7 lead on a 27-yard run by Carlow James and a 16-yard run by McAlpine but Gage Davis threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Payton with 1:17 left to send the two teams into the locker room tied at 14-14 at the half.
It remained that way through the remainder of regulation. In the first overtime period, Demopolis picked up four yards in three plays but McAlpine’s fourth-down pass to the end zone was intercepted by Connor Pike.
A penalty on the Panthers pushed the offense back and McNeely’s 38-yard field goal attempt was wide left.
In the second overtime period, Davis threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Beau Taylor on second down and McNeely added the extra point for a 21-14 lead. Demopolis answered in one play as Jamarcus Davis ran 10 yards for a touchdown, but the Tigers elected to go for two points and the win and Shaw was there to stop McAlpine.
Davis completed 16 of 28 passes for 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns. McNeely had 43 yards on seven receptions and Taylor had 112 yards on six receptions, including the game winner.
Defensively, Pike had 17 tackles and an interception to lead the Panthers. Tyler Payton had 14 tackles and Hunter Denham had 12 tackles.
McAlpine led the Tigers with 167 yards on 32 carries. James had 69 yards on 11 carries and Davis had 55 yards on 13 carries.
Montgomery Academy 42, Flomaton 0
Quarterback Reid McBride passed for four touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a second-round berth in the AHSAA Class 3A football playoffs on Friday at McLemore Field.
McBride finished with 168 yards passing on 12 of 13 attempts. Three of the scores went to Jarrett Friendly, who finished with 56 yards receiving.
David Whisenhunt had five catches for 41 yards and a score. Ali Nelson added 116 yards rushing with a touchdown. Mitch Corley had a rushing touchdown.
Knox Wingate had six tackles and a tackle for loss. Braden Gorden had five tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss.
The Eagles (11-1) stay home next Friday to face Lee-Scott in the second round.
Theodore 44, Stanhope Elmore 27
THEODORE - Quarterback Crishon Overton was responsible for all six touchdowns as the Bobcats eliminated Stanhope Elmore from playoff contention on Friday.
Overton passed for three touchdowns and ran for three more to move Theodore into the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.
The Mustangs held a 14-10 lead late in the first half but Theodore scored just before halftime to take a lead it would not relinquish. They built a 30-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Mustangs scored a couple of touchdowns late.
Dee Barnes led the Mustang attack with 122 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Stanhope finished with 378 yards in total offense.
The Bobcats (8-3) will travel to Alexander City to face Benjamin Russell next week. Stanhope Elmore’s season ends at 7-4.
Lowndes Academy 31, Valiant Cross 0
HAYNEVILLE -- Jeremy Hardy rushed for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 carries to lead the Rebels to a 31-0 shutout of Valiant Cross in the first round of the AAA state playoffs at Mac Champion Stadium on Friday.
Lowndes Academy (9-2) will remain home next week to play Banks Academy in the AAA semifinals. Valiant Cross ends the season at 2-9.
The Rebels struggled to find any rhythm offensively, clinging to a 6-0 halftime lead after Hardy’s 74-yard punt return for a touchdown.
In the third quarter, a 23-yard touchdown run by Crawford Dansby and a two-point conversion finally helped the Rebels get untracked. Hardy added touchdown runs of 30 and 8 yards and Bradford Tidwell booted a 21-yard field goal to round out the scoring.
Valiant Cross was held to three first downs and minus 5 yards of total offense.
Dansby, who rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown on three carries, led the Lowndes’ defense with nine tackles, including five for loss and a pair of sacks.
American Christian 20, Tallassee 7
TUSCALOOSA -- Drew Jackson ran for a touchdown and passed for two more to lead the Patriots to a 20-7 win over Tallassee in the first round of the 4A state playoffs on Friday.
American Christian (7-4) will travel to East Brewton to play W.S. Neal in the second round of the playoffs next Friday, while Tallassee ends the season at 6-5.
Jackson ran 6 yards for a touchdown for the game’s first points in the second quarter, giving the Patriots at 7-0 halftime lead.
Jaiden Gordon ran 76 yards for a touchdown to tie the game in the third quarter, but Jackson responded with touchdown passes of 65 yards to Davin Thornton and 5 yards to Jaylon Crocker.
Jackson completed 7 of 12 passes for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns and rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Gordon led the Tigers with 74 yards on four carries, while Hamp Love rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries and Tiny Green added 53 yards on 12 carries.
Love completed 9 of 20 passes for 78 yards, with Cortland Roberts catching five of those passes for 58 yards.
Thompson 31, G.W. Carver 7
ALABASTER - The Thompson defense held Carver to less than 100 yards of offense to advance in the Class 7A playoffs on Friday.
Trent Seaborn passed for two touchdowns to leadd the Warriors.
Carver’s lone touchdown came on a fumble return by Camare Jackson.
Thompson (8-3) returns home to face Mary G. Montgomery next week. Carver’s season ends at 5-5.