Prep roundup
- Updated: October 28, 2023
Pope shows growth in helping Anniston hold off Cleburne County. Wellborn answers Saks’ challenge with a big second half. Jacksonville, Handley, Central-Clay and Ranburne roll. Alexandria gets first win. Weaver falls.
Friday scoreboard
Alexandria 50, Talladega 15, FINAL
Anniston 38, Cleburne County 36, FINAL
Central-Clay 30, Russell County 14, FINAL
Cherokee County 56, Ashville 7, FINAL
Geraldine 54, Glencoe 7, FINAL
Handley 35, Munford 14, FINAL
Piedmont 22, Hokes Bluff 21, FINAL OT
Jacksonville 62, White Plains 0, FINAL
Tuscaloosa Christian 56, Jax Christian 48, FINAL
Leeds 30, Lincoln 14, FINAL
Plainview 34, Ohatchee 18, FINAL
Oxford 35, Center Point 14, FINAL
Pleasant Valley 50, Gaston 20, FINAL
Ranburne 64, Central-Coosa 39, FINAL
Randolph County 32, Dadeville 22, FINAL
Wellborn 62, Saks 34, FINAL
Moody 34, Southside 21, FINAL
Spring Garden 41, Ragland 27, FINAL
Wadley 47, Talladega County Central 0, FINAL
Beulah 38, Weaver 31, FINAL
Isabella 55, Woodland 14, FINAL
Open: Donoho.
By East Alabama Sports Today
HEFLIN — An injury to Gavin Doss forced sophomore Damon Pope’s promotion to Anniston’s starting quarterback two weeks ago. Cleburne County forced him to grow a little Friday.
Pope rebounded from an interception to complete a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Lewis, and Anniston answered Cleburne County’s go-ahead touchdown with one of its own en route to a 38-36 victory Friday on L.E. Bell Field.
The victory clinched Class 4A, Region 4’s third qualifying spot for Anniston (6-3, 4-2 region). The Bulldogs will play the Region 1 runner up on the road on Nov. 10.
T.R. Miller lost to St. Michaels on Friday, leaving Region 1’s last three playoff spots to three-way tiebreaker. T.R. Miller, Bayside Academy and St. Michaels are tied at 5-2 in region play.
Anniston’s victory over Cleburne County alongside Munford’s loss to Handley and White Plains’ loss to Jacksonville on Friday left Region 4’s No. 4 spot in a three-way tie. Cleburne County, Munford and White Plains are 2-4 in region play.
Next week’s regular-season finales, all non-region games, will resolve the tiebreaker.
Pope’s hookup with Lewis came right after Cleburne County scored to take a 29-26 lead in the fourth quarter. Lewis then gave the Bulldogs insurance with a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown to make it 38-29.
“Proud of the boys,” first-year Anniston coach Rico Jackson said. “Battled through adversity and did not quit when we got down.
“Hats off to Cleburne County. They played lights out.”
JACKSONVILLE 62, WHITE PLAINS 0: Jim Ogle completed 11 of 15 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns, and Jacksonville built a 42-0 lead by halftime and cruised to victory.
The Golden Eagles (8-1) finished 5-1 in region play and holds the region’s No. 2 playoff qualifying spot. Jacksonville will play the yet-undetermined Region 1 third-place finisher at home on Nov. 10.
T.R. Miller lost to St. Michaels on Friday, leaving Region 1’s last three playoff spots to three-way tiebreaker. T.R. Miller, Bayside Academy and St. Michaels are tied at 5-2 in region play.
Anniston’s victory over Cleburne County alongside Munford’s loss to Handley and White Plains’ loss to Jacksonville on Friday left Region 4’s No. 4 spot in a three-way tie. Cleburne County, Munford and White Plains are 2-4 in region play.
Next week’s regular-season finales, all non-region games, will resolve the tiebreaker.
Jacksonville’s Ky’dric Fisher caught three passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns, and Zae English rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Jacksonville will close out the regular season next week against Oxford at home.
The Golden Eagles have 449 points in nine games this season (49.9 ppg). The 2019 team set the school record with 607 (40.5 ppg) in 15 games. The 2023 team needs 159 points to break the record. At pace, the Jacksonville would need to reach the quarterfinals (3.2 games) to break the mark.
HANDLEY 35, MUNFORD 14: E.J. Goss scored on touchdown runs of 17 and 13 yards to help Handley build a 35-0 halftime lead.
Cannon Kyles threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Makavian Allen, and the Tigers got rushing touchdowns from Nemo Askew and Rinza Winston.
Munford’s Amare Edmondson broke an 80-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and Jaylen Williams added a 16-yard touchdown run in the fourth.
Handley (9-1), the Region 4 champion, has an open date the final week of the regular season then will open the playoffs Nov. 10 at home against the yet-undetermined Region 1 fourth-place finisher.
T.R. Miller lost to St. Michaels on Friday, leaving Region 1’s last three playoff spots to three-way tiebreaker. T.R. Miller, Bayside Academy and St. Michaels are tied at 5-2 in region play.
Anniston’s victory over Cleburne County alongside Munford’s loss to Handley and White Plains’ loss to Jacksonville on Friday left Region 4’s No. 4 spot in a three-way tie. Cleburne County, Munford and White Plains are 2-4 in region play.
Next week’s regular-season finales, all non-region games, will resolve the tiebreaker.
WELLBORN 62, SAKS 34: The Panthers scored the game’s final 32 points after winless Saks took a 34-30 lead in the third quarter.
Wellborn (7-2) scored its seventh consecutive win after opening the season 0-2. The Panthers, who clinched the 3A, Region 4 title a week ago, scoring their first region title since 1995, also finished 6-0 in region play.
“It meant a lot to us,” Wellborn coach Jeff Smith said. “We won the region championship last week. This way, we won it outright.”
Saks took the lead on Dorrien Walker’s 3-yard touchdown run, but Wellborn answered with Caleb McCurry’s 6-yard touchdown run.
Jabari Williams followed with a 36-yard touchdown run, Noah Screws with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Carroll and Kyle Bright with a 15-yard touchdown run.
Wellborn gained 604 of its 643 total yards on the ground. Williams rushed for 180 yards and three touchdowns, Bright 165 yards and a touchdown and Screws 106 yards and a touchdown.
Screws also completed two of three passes for 39 yards.
ALEXANDRIA 50, TALLADEGA 15: In a clash of winless teams, Alexandria emerged with its first victory.
Elijah Hunter rushed for 172 yards, and J.J. Beason rushed for three touchdowns to lead the Valley Cubs. M.J. Morris added 48 yards with a touchdown and a fumble recovery for a score, and Jeremiah Heathcock added a rushing touchdown.
“We’ve been close a couple of times this year and just didn’t finish,” said sixth-year Alexandria coach Todd Ginn, who got his first in as the Valley Cubs’ head coach at Talladega, in 2018. “So happy for our guys.
“Got a lot of work to do this offseason to continue to develop our young kids. They’re hungry, though, so I’m looking forward to it.”
BEULAH 38, WEAVER 31: Weaver came into Friday’s Class 3A, Region 4 game with Beulah hoping to force a three-way tie for the region’s fourth and final playoff spot but came up one touchdown short.
Weaver (3-6, 1-5) had a chance to tie the game, but Beulah (4-5, 3-3) intercepted a Kaden Gooden pass in the end zone.
“We can’t seem to stop anyone running the ball at us,” first-year Weaver coach Ken Cofer said. “All the faith in the world, offensively, but I think I came into this job making that side of the ball too much of a priority. It totally falls on me, but it’ll be fixed next season. I assure you.
“We traded scores early, and they did a pooch kick and got the ball and the momentum. (It was) 24-24 at halftime, and we couldn’t take advantage of having chances to score, and they took advantage.”
CENTRAL-CLAY 30, RUSSELL COUNTY 14: LaDamion Boyd rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown, and third-ranked Central-Clay improved to 9-0 while giving Danny Horn his 350th career victory.
Horn, who also coached at Clay County and Benjamin Russell, is 350-96 in his 35th season. He has won eight state titles, six at Clay County and two at Central-Clay, the school formed by the 2012 merger of former rivals Clay County and Lineville.
The Vols rushed for 251 of their 281 total yards Friday. DaMauri Whetstone rushed for two scores.
Darren Harris passed for 30 yards and a touchdown to Whetstone.
RANBURNE 64, CENTRAL COOSA 39: Brody Morgan rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown on a balanced night for the Bulldogs’ offense, and Ranburne improved to 4-5 overall while finishing Class 2A, Region 4 play at 3-4.
Curtis Daniel added 83 yards and two scores.
Quarterback Kaide Garrett rushed for 83 yards and completed seven of eight passes for 187 yards and four scores.
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