Competition

Alabama Squad Adds 2 Players to the All-Star Team via the AHSAA

MONTGOMERY – Alabama and Mississippi all-star teams reported Monday afternoon for Saturday’s 30^th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl. Alabama’s squad added two players Monday with one replacement reporting Tuesday.
Kickoff is set for noon Saturday with Raycom Media televising the game live over its Raycom affiliate stations in both states as well as in Memphis and Columbus (GA). The AHSAA Radio Network will also broadcast the game live over its radio network Saturday.
Spain Park 6-foot-2, 275-pound defensive end Douglas Henze replaced LaBryan Ray of James Clemens. Henze reported Monday. Jaylond Adams of Minor, who was added last week, dropped off the team due Monday and was replaced by Opelika’s Craig Lawrence. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Florence played fullback for the Class 6A state runner-up Bulldogs but will be likely used some at tight end as well.
St. Paul’s Episcopal defensive lineman Ryan Johnson is also expected to play some tight and for the Alabama squad this week.
UMS-Wright Coach Terry Curtis is serving as the Alabama head coach. Quarterbacking the squad will Daulton Hyatt of Etowah and Bubba Thompson of McGill-Toolen Catholic with Blount’s multi-talented Kadarius Toney listed on the team as “athlete.” Toney, a Florida commit, combined for almost 4,000 total yards as the Leopards’ quarterback in 2016. Hyatt, heading to Arkansas, finished the 2016 121-of-184 passing for 2,240 yards and 25 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Thompson led McGill-Toolen (13-1) to the 7A state finals – completing 26-of-39 passes for 280 yards in the 17-7 loss to Hoover. He finished 2016 with 211-of-387 passes completed for 2,984 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Head coach for Mississippi is Todd Mangum of Wayne County.
Mississippi snapped a seven-game Alabama winning streak in the series last year with a 28-21 win at Hattiesburg (MS). Alabama holds a 21-8 edged in the series, however, dating back to 1988. The game was played in Mobile from 1988-2011 before moving to Cramton Bowl from 2011-15. The game was played at Southern Miss last year – the first time the game has been hosted in that state. Honorary captains include Kenny King for Alabama and Marcus DuPree for Mississippi.
MISSISSIPPI SUPER RECRUIT: Among the top players on the Mississippi squad is 6-foot, 215-pound Clinton quarterback Cam Akers, who did not report with the team Monday but was expected to join the squad Monday night. He led Clinton to the MHSAA Class 6A state championship last weekend – finishing the season 173-of-280 passing for 3,128 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Clinton beat Pearl 49-35 to finish the season 14-1. Also on the Mississippi squad from Clinton are running back Darius Maberry, a Southern Miss commitment, and defensive back Kam White, who has Iowa State at the top of his list.
West Point’s Everitt Cunningham, a 6-3, 240-pound defensive end, helped his team beat Laurel 29-8 to win the MHSAA Class 5A state crown.
TEAMS VISIT HYUNDAI PLANT: Both squads visited the Montgomery Hyundai automotive plant Monday night before settling in. The teams will conduct two practices Tuesday with the morning practice from 9 to 11 a.m., and the afternoon practice from 2 to 4 p.m.

Diamondhead Athlete of the Month, Brooke Fagan.

Congratulations to the Diamondhead Athlete of the Month, Brooke Fagan! Brooke is a junior multi-sport athlete at Hancock High School in Kiln, MS. She has been a member of the Lady Hawks Softball and Volleyball teams for 5 years now and wears jersey #9 and #10 respectively. Brooke has quite a few impressive awards from her 5 year sports career- the 2015 South State MVP in volleyball and was a member of the 2015 All-State Volleyball team. She also has a 3.5 GPA and plans to play softball in college and major in sports medicine. She is the daughter of John and Jennifer Fagan.

Fayette Encore Athlete of the Month, Nick Holmes.

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Congratulations to the Fayette Encore Athlete of the Month, Nick Holmes! Nick is a sophomore athlete at Fayette County High School. He has played on the Varsity Tigers Football team for a year now and wears jersey #61. Nick was referred to our clinic after he broke his ankle during football season. He has received physical therapy for all little over a month now and has been progressing greatly.

Nick is the son of Amber Holmes. Keep up the good work, Nick!

Alabama All-Star Team Adds 2 players

MONTGOMERY – Jackson-Olin High School senior linebacker T.D. Moultry and Minor receiver Jaylond Adams have been added to the Alabama All-Star Team roster for the 30^th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star football game.
Alabama and Mississippi will square off Saturday, Dec. 10 at Cramton Bowl. Kickoff is set for noon with the game set to be televised live over the Raycom Network over its network in Alabama and Mississippi.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Moultry, an Auburn commitment, led Jackson-Olin to the Class 6A state playoffs in 2016 averaging more than 10 tackles per game. He had 13 stops and two sacks in the final regular season game versus Fairfield. He has also been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-America Game in San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 7. He replaces Central-Phenix City’s Markail Benton.
Adams was a standout running back, wide receiver and kick returner while leading Minor (11-2) to the Class 6A, Region 6 championship and its best season since 2000. The Tigers scored a school record 631 points.
Adams had over 1,500 yards rushing and went over 2,000 yards including receiving and kick returns. He replaced Zech Byrd of Stanhope Elmore.
UMS-Wright Coach Terry Curtis is serving as head coach for this year’s game. Alabama holds a 21-8 edge in the series. Mississippi won last year 28-21 at Hattiesburg, MS. It was the first time the game had been played outside Alabama and snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Alabama All-Stars.

AHSAA Prep Spotlight Week 3 of Playoffs

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*Wenonah’s Rogers Passes for 341 Yards, 4 TDs for the Dragons to Advance to Semifinals for First Time.*

MONTGOMERY – Wenonah High School junior quarterback Carlos Rogers picked a perfect time to shine.
The 6-foot, 180-pound signal caller led the Dragons of Coach Ronald Cheatham to a 49-21 win over previously unbeaten Scottsboro (12-1) last week to advance to the Class 5A semifinals of the AHSAA’s 61^st annual state football playoffs. Rogers was 10-of-17 passing for 341 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for two more scores to grab the AHSAA Prep Playoff Spotlight for the quarterfinals.
Wenonah (10-2) travels to Briarwood Christian (12-1) Friday with the winner securing a spot in the 2016 Super 7 State Finals at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium Dec. 1.
Hoover (11-2) and defending champion McGill-Toolen Catholic (13-0) clinched Class 7A championship game berths last week and will open the Super 7 Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. in the first of seven state championship clashes. Lee County and Vestavia Hills will play first at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the third annual AHSAA Special Olympics Alabama Unified Game.
Senior wide receiver Demond Brown caught four of Rogers’ completions for 101 yards and three TDs, and senior running back Telvin Miller gained 173 yards on 30 rush attempts while scoring one TD.
“All week Coach said we were playing a good team that hasn’t been beaten,” Rogers told al.com reporter Anton Williams. “So when we got the ball, we just wanted to score on every possession. Through the week (Coach Cheatham) told us we could (win).”
Wenonah finished with 537 total yards, did not punt and did not commit a turnover. Rogers’ touchdown passes covered 22, 24 and 26 yards to Brown, and 31 yards to Anthony Hudson. Rogers sneaked in from the 1 on both his scores. The Dragons’ defense did the rest limiting Scottsboro’s strong offense to just 29 yards passing. Senior DeKarlos Billingsley led the Wildcats of Coach Pat Nix with 179 yards rushing on 27 carries and scored three TDs on runs of 63, 15 and 4 yards.
The trip to the football semifinals is the first in Wenonah school history. Cheatham, 158-128 in 28 seasons as head coach, led the Dragons to a 6-1 record and second-place finish in Region 5 this season. Briarwood won the region title beating Wenonah 15-14 at Wenonah in the regular season to finish 7-0.
The Lions, coached by Fred Yancey, beat Mortimer Jordan 15-0 last week to advance to the semis for the first time since 2011. Yancey, 255-90 in 27 seasons at Briarwood and 296-110-1 overall, guided his team to state 3A titles in 1998 and 1999 and the 5A crown in 2003. Briarwood has finished runner-up three times (2004, 22007 and most recently (2010).
Rogers’ Spotlight performance edged out two strong efforts by Kadarius Toney of Blount and Garrett Sanders of G.W. Long. Toney, a University of Florida commitment and member of the Alabama All-Stars set to play Mississippi in the 30^th meeting of the Classic Dec. 10, passed for 493 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 108 yards and two more scores as Blount fell 54-51 to Park Crossing in the 6A quarterfinals. His 601 total yards ranks second behind AHSAA state record-holder Jack Poundstone’s 614 yards for Trinity Presbyterian against Cordova in the 2008 state playoffs. The 493 yards passing is 10^th best in AHSAA history.
Sanders accounted for 338 all-purpose yards and scored six touchdowns – four different ways –as the Rebels (12-0) beat Southern Choctaw 42-14 in the Class 2A state playoffs. He rushed for 190 yards on 30 carries with three rushing touchdowns on runs of 24, 11 and 2 yards, caught a 68-yard touchdown pass fromDylan Register, returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score and raced 52 yards with an interception on defense another TD. He was also a perfect 6-of-6 on point-after kicks to account for all 42 of G.W. Long’s points.

MILESTONE
McKEEN BREAKS STATE RECORD: Briarwood Christian senior swimmer Sadler McKeen swam a 4:27.05 in the 500-yard style race at the AHSAA Central Sectional meet at Birmingham’s CrossPlex to break the AHSAA state record (4:27.36) set in 2013 by Spain Park’s Will Freeman. Freeman is now a sophomore at Alabama.
The record set by McKeen, the only senior on the Lions’ team, was the first set in the AHSAA Sectional in state history. All previous records were set in the state meet. It was also the first to be set in the 1A-5A divisions. In previous years, all swimmers competed in the same division.
ALABAMA ALL-STAR TEAM WATCH:
BUBBA THOMPSON, McGILL-TOOLEN CATHOLIC: The senior quarterback passed for 366 yards and four TDs and also scored the go-ahead TD as the defending state champion Yellow Jackets (13-0) advanced to the Super 7 Class 7A state finals for the second year in a row with a 35-21 win over Central-Phenix City. Thompson is one of two quarterbacks selected for the 30^th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star football game at Cramton Bowl, Dec. 10.
MARLON WILLIAMS, McGILL-TOOLEN CATHOLIC: Had seven catches for 141 yards and two scores in McGill’s semifinal win over Central-Phenix City. His 59-yard TD reception sealed the victory late in the fourth quarter. Like Thompson, he is also a member of the Alabama All-Star Team set to play Mississippi’s all-stars Dec. 10.
CHADARIUS TOWNSEND, TANNER: Was 11-of-20 passing for 294 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-42 Class 2A loss to Lanett. Townsend was selected as a defensive back for the Alabama All-Stars.

Other top performances reported included:

RUSHING
LA’DAMIAN WEBB, BEAUREGARD: Rushed for 190 yards on 22 carries and scored six touchdowns as the Hornets (11-1) moved into the Class 5A semifinals with a 56-21 win over previously unbeaten Carroll (12-1). Webb’s scoring runs covered 20, 16, 36, 3, 11 and 29 yards. He heads into Friday’s semifinal battle at Jackson with 2,581 yards rushing on 219 carries with 40 rushing touchdowns. He has 45 TDs overall.
DILAN KILPATRICK, FYFFE: Ran for 310 yards and six touchdowns on 25 carries as the undefeated Red Devils (13-0) downed LaFayette 53-20 in the Class 2A quarterfinals to hand the Bulldogs ( 12-1) their first loss.
DEQUAN CHARLESTON, LINDEN: Scored five touchdowns on just eight touches as unbeaten Linden (13-0) beat previously unbeaten Georgiana (12-1) in the Class 1A quarterfinals 52-12. Charleston rushed for 140 yards and three TDs on six carries, caught a 17-yard TD pass and returned a punt 48 yards for his fifth score. Charleston also intercepted a Panthers pass to set up one of his touchdowns.
DARRIAN MEADS, HOKES BLUFF: Rushed 26 times for 194 yards and caught a 33-yard touchdown pass as the Eagles reached the state semifinals for the first time since 2004 with a 28-21 Class 4A comeback win over Cherokee County.

LEE STANLEY, PIEDMONT: Gained 170 yards on 11 carries, including a 51-yard touchdown in the first half, AS Bulldogs (13-0) beat Weaver 52-28 in the Class 3A quarterfinals.
WELDRIN FORD, OPELIKA: Had 32 carries for 153 yards and two touchdowns as Opelika knocked off defending Class 6A state champion Spanish Fort 21-17.
ANTONIO ROBINSON, AUSTIN: Rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-21 Class 6A third-round win over Muscle Shoals. He also converted two key third downs to help the Black Bears (10-3) run out the clock to seal the win.
TYLER ABSTON, JACKSON: Ran for 108 yards on eight carries as Class 5A, Region 1 third seed Jackson knocked off Region 1 top seed and defending state champion St. Paul’s Episcopal 35-9 in the 5A quarterfinals. He scored on a 51-yard run and had a 40-yard gain to set up the Aggies’ first score.
DEE WILLIAMS, ELBA: Rushed for four touchdowns and 110 yards in the defending state champion Tigers’ 52-44 Class 2A loss to Aliceville.

PASSING
TRE STORY, LANETT: Completed 13-of-18 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers (11-2) downed Tarrant 48-42 in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
LANDON JOHNSON, HOKES BLUFF: Completed 5-of-8 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 6-yard scoring pass to Braydon Hill early in the fourth quarter and scored a TD in a 28-21 Class 4A victory over Cherokee County. He also and made an interception on defense with 1:17 left to seal the win as the Eagles.
TYREN DUPREE, CHEROKEE COUNTY: Rushed for 98 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns, including a 54-yard score on just the third play of the game. He also completed 5-of-10 pass attempts for 85 yards before suffering an ankle injury in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 28-21 Class 4A loss to Hokes Bluff.

PASS RECEIVING
C.J. YARBROUGH, TANNER: Had four catches for 132 yards and three scores as the Rattlers lost to Lanett 48-42 in the 2A playoffs.
QUARTEZ HENDERSON, CHEROKEE COUNTY: Caught five passes for 101 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown, in the Warriors’ 28-21 Class 4A loss to Hokes Bluff.

TAYLOR HAYES, PIEDMONT: Fired three touchdown passes to Austin Brazier and ran for two more scores in the Bulldogs’ 52-28 Class 3A playoff victory over Weaver. Hayes finished the game rushing for 160 yards on 16 carries.

DEFENSE
KENDARIAN HANDY-HOLLY, JACKSON: Made two interceptions on defense and scored a rushing TD on offense in the Aggies’ 35-9 Class 5A playoff win over St. Paul’s Episcopal.

JAYSON EVANS, HOOVER: Recovered a Gadsden City fumble in the end zone for a TD right before the half to spark a 35-point rally as Hoover (11-2) downed the Titans 42-14 in the Class 7A semifinals to earn a berth in the Class 7A state finals Nov. 30.
HOLT WATSON, G.W. LONG: Intercepted two passes in the Rebels’ 42-14 Class 2A win over Southern Choctaw.

KAEDON JENKINS, PIEDMONT: Picked off a Weaver pass and returned it 89 yards for a touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 52-28 Class 3A playoff win over their Calhoun County rivals.
TROY YOUNG, MOBILE CHRISTIAN: Intercepted a pass and rushed for two first-quarter TDs as the Leopards (12-1) advanced to the 3A semifinals with a 44-12 win over Oakman.

SPECIAL TEAMS
JAKE LANE, PARK CROSSING: Booted a 41-yard field goal as time expired to lift Park Crossing (13-0) to a 54-51 win over Blount. The win sends the Thunderbirds into the Class 6A semifinals for the first time. Lane, who had four field goals on the night, 41, 24, 26 and his final 41-yard kick. It also marked the second time he has had a game-winning field goal in the last five games for Coach Smitty Grider’s team.
MAURICE GOODMAN, WEAVER: Ran back the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to put the Bearcats up 7-0 in Weaver’s 52-28 Class 3A loss at Piedmont.

DEVORIAN WILKERSON, ELBA: Returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown during Elba’s 52-44 Class 2A loss to Aliceville.

“3 Defending Champions Survive 3rd Round Of AHSAA State Football Playoffs”

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MONTGOMERY – Three defending state champions and nine undefeated teams emerged from the third round of the AHSAA State Football Playoffs Friday night.

This week’s slate includes 12 semifinal games. All winners will advance to the Super 7 State championships at Auburn Nov. 30-Dec.1-2.
Unbeaten teams by class in the playoffs include: (Class 1A) Maplesville (12-0); Linden (13-0), Addison (13-0); (Class 2A) G.W. Long (12-0); Fyffe (13-0); (Class 3A) Gordo (13-0); Piedmont (13-0); (Class 6A) Park Crossing (13-0); (Class 7A) McGill-Toolen Catholic (13-0).
Advancing to the next round are 20 region champions, four region second seeds, one third seed and one fourth seed.

All seminal pairings and quarterfinal results are listed.

AHSAA STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Semifinal Pairings
(All games, Friday, Nov. 25, 7 p.m.)

CLASS 1A
Maplesville (12-0) at Linden (13-0)
Addison (13-0) at Pickens County (10-3), Reform

CLASS 2A
Aliceville (12-1) at G.W. Long (12-0), Skipperville
Fyffe (13-0) at Lanett (11-2)

CLASS 3A
Gordo (13-0) at Mobile Christian (12-1)
Ohatchee (12-1) at Piedmont (13-0)

CLASS 4A
Handley (11-2) at Andalusia (12-1)
Madison Academy (10-3) at Hokes Bluff (9-4)

CLASS 5A
Beauregard (11-1) at Jackson (9-3)
Wenonah (10-2) at Briarwood Christian (12-1)

CLASS 6A
Park Crossing (12-0) at Opelika (12-1)
Austin (10-3) at Ramsay (11-2), Birmingham

CLASS 7A
(Finals, Nov. 30, Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn)
McGill-Toolen Catholic (13-0) vs. Hoover (11-2), Nov. 30, 7 p.m.

Oak Grove Encore Athlete of the Month, Caedon Malone.

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Congratulations to the Oak Grove Encore Athlete of the Month, Caedon Malone! Caedon is a 16 year old, junior athlete at Oak Grove High School in Mississippi. He plays center on the Warriors Varsity Football Team and wears jersey #57. The Warriors football team is ranked #32 in the state of Mississippi and ended their season with 3-4 in district and 5-7 overall. Keep up the good work, Caedon, and Good Luck your senior year!

WCU Encore Athlete of the Month, Khaline Jacob.

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Congratulations to the WCU Encore Athlete of the Month, Khaline Jacob! Khaline is a sophomore athlete at William Carey University. She is 19 years old and is a Forward on the Lady Crusaders Soccer team. Khaline is majoring in Biology and plans to attend Medical School/Masters after she graduates from WCU. Keep up the good work, girl! We are proud of you!

AHSAA Prep Spotlight for Week 2 of Playoffs

Just in from the AHSAA:

MONTGOMERY — Defending state champion McGill-Toolen Catholic High School senior quarterback Bubba Thompson and senior receiver Larry Rembert pulled out a 27-23 victory in dramatic fashion over Enterprise in the Class 7A state playoffs last week to grab the AHSAA Prep Spotlight for the second round of the state football playoffs.
Trailing 23-20 with 1:04 remaining, the Yellow Jackets of Coach Caleb Ross were backed up to their own 15-yard line when Rembert, who had two catches for 125 yards, lined up on the right side and streaked downfield. Thompson heaved a strike the receiver hauled in near midfield in stride on the way to a game-winning 85-yard touchdown pass.
The victory extended the AHSAA’s current longest football winning streak to 21 games and advanced the Yellow Jackets (12-0) to the Class 7A state semifinals to face Central-Phenix City (10-1) Friday night. The game will be at Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex in Mobile, home of McGill-Toolen.
Enterprise place-kicker Andrew Osteen put Enterprise (10-2) ahead 23-20 with 2:03 to play with his third field goal of the game to set up the last-ditch heroics of the Jackets’ duo.
Thompson, one of two quarterbacks chosen for the upcoming 30^th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game at Cramton Bowl Dec. 10, finished 12-of-19 for 253 yards and two TDs. He also connected with Marlon Williams, also selected for the Alabama-Mississippi Game, for a 6-yard TD earlier in the game.
The McGill-Toolen heroics edged out an outstanding performance by Beauregard running back La’Damian Webb, who rushed for 260 yards and scored six touchdowns (3, 8, 9, 10, 25 and 49 yards) in a 48-20 Class 5A win over Vigor at Prichard Memorial Stadium. The Hornets (10-1) advanced to the quarterfinals to host unbeaten Carroll (12-0) of Ozark this week.

MILESTONE
ZION WEBB KEYS 100^TH CAREER WIN FOR COACH JAMEY DUBOSE: Zion Webb, a senior quarterback, was 10-of-14 passing for 145 yards and three touchdowns as Central of Phenix City (10-1) beat Auburn 48-9 in the Class 7A state playoffs for Coach Jamey DuBose’s 100^th career win. Jaxton Carson added 103 yards rushing and a TD on 10 carries, and Christian Allen caught three passes for 68 yards and two scores. DuBose, who graduated from Opp High School in 1988, has compiled a 100-36 head-coaching record in 11 seasons and at four stops: Susan Moore, Prattville, Florence and Central.
DuBose is 29-7 in his third year at the helm of the Red Devils’ program. The win over Auburn advanced Central to the 7A semifinals for the second year in a row. He was 45-10 at Prattville with Class 6A state championships in 2008 and 2011 and a runner-up finish in 2009. Florence was 16-8 with one trip to the 6A quarterfinals and Susan Moore was 10-11 in two seasons (2002 and 2003) at his first head-coaching stop.

RUSHING
ISAIHA JONES, CEDAR BLUFF: Ran for 295 yards on 31 carries and scored five touchdowns in the Tigers’42-41 overtime loss in the Class 1A playoffs to Decatur Heritage. Teammate Ivory Starr added 100 yards on 30 rush attempts and had a TD.

MARKEVIOUS MATTHEWS, TALLASSEE: The Tigers’ sophomore running back gained 246 yards rushing on 27 carries and scored two touchdowns on runs of 39 and 90 yards in a 42-14 Class 4A win over Saint James.
SPENCER BROWN, MORTIMER JORDAN: The workhorse running back had 35 carries for 236 yards to lead the Blue Devils (10-2) to a 44-30 Class 5A playoff win over Etowah. He scored twice in the fourth quarter.
ROBERT HOUSTON, LAFAYETTE: Rushed for 181 yards and two scores for the Bulldogs (12-0), A 40-34 winner over Sheffield, who travel to unbeaten Fyffe (12-0) Friday for the third round of the 2A playoffs.
GARRETT SANDERS, G.W. LONG: The Rebels running back rushed for 222 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries and was a perfect 5-for-5 passing for 41 yards with one TD in G.W. Long’s 41-10 Class 2A playoff win over New Brockton. Sanders also had an interception and three tackles on defense, one punt for 47 yards and converted all five point-after kicks he attempted.
C.J. ROBERTS, CARROLL: The Ozark runner picked up 227 yards on 20 carries as the Eagles (12-0) advanced to the third round of the 5A playoffs with a 28-8 win over Calera.
D.K. BILLINGSLEY, SCOTTSBORO: Ran for 204 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries in a 49-28 Class 5A win over Fairfield. He also threw a 13-yard pass to quarterback Bo Nix.
JORDAN GARRETT, MADISON ACADEMY: Rushed for 196 yards and scored two touchdowns on 29 carries in a 36-0 Class 4A win over Fayette County.
JAELYN FLEMING, GADSDEN CITY: Rushed 22 times for 134 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 75 yards and a score in the Titans’ 29-28 Class 7A win over previously unbeaten Hewitt-Trussville. Teammate Damon Williams also had 29 carries for 113 yards and caught a game-winning 15-yard touchdown pass with 3:10 remaining for Gadsden City.

GRAYSON WAKEFIELD, DECATUR HERITAGE: Ran for 164 yards on 20 carries and scored four touchdowns in the Eagles’ 42-41 Class 1A playoff overtime win over Cedar Bluff. He also was 11-of-20 passing for 72 yards and another score.
TAYLOR HAYES, PIEDMONT: Rushed for 170 yards and was 9-for-15 passing with two touchdowns in the defending Class 3A state champion Bulldogs’ 38-21 victory over Colbert County. The win extended Piedmont’s current winning streak to 20 games. Teammate Lee Stanley added 191 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
DARRIAN MEADS, HOKES BLUFF: Rushed 33 times for 131 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles beat North Jackson 24-14 to secure a quarterfinal berth in the Class 4A playoffs for the first time since 2004. Teammate Landon Johnson completed 8-of-15 passes for 101 yards and two scores.

REED BLANKENSHIP, WEST LIMESTONE: Rushed for 179 yards on 14 carries and caught four passes for 105 yards in the Wildcats’ 39-38 Class 4A loss to Cherokee County. He also had an interception on defense.

PASSING
KADARIUS TONEY, BLOUNT: Was 16-of-19 passing for 269 yards and four touchdowns in a 27-25 come-from-behind Class 5A playoff win. He connected with LeBarron Jones with 49 seconds remaining for the final score to take the lead for good.
PAXTON MONTGOMERY, AUSTIN: Completed three touchdown passes, two in overtime, as Class 6A Austin (9-3) beat Pinson Valley 44-38 in four overtimes.
TYREN DUPREE, CHEROKEE COUNTY: Completed 6-of-11 pass attempts for 152 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 180 yards on 24 carries and scored a 10-yard touchdown with 1:51 remaining in the in the Warriors’ 39-38 Class 4A victory over West Limestone. Teammate Jacob Graves added 121 yards rushing on 14 carries and scored on a 55-yard run and 30-yard pass reception.

CHADARIUS TOWNSEND, TANNER: Was 7-of-11 passing for 149 yards and three touchdowns, and had 56 yards and another TD on seven rush attempts as the Rattlers posted a 49-14 Class 2A win over Sand Rock.
BANIKO HARLEY, RAMSAY: Completed 11-of-13 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns as the Rams (10-2) beat Decatur 34-6 in the Class 6A playoffs. He also rushed for a TD.
CHASE LANCASTER, WEST LIMESTONE: Completed 9-of-15 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns in a 39-38 Class 4A loss to Cherokee County.

CASEY BAYNES, TALLASSEE: The junior quarterback completed 5-of-7 passes for 81 yards and three touchdowns, rushed 24 times for 119 yards and one TD, punted once for 47 yards and had two interceptions on defense in the Tigers’ 42-14 Class 4A win over Saint James.

PASS RECEIVING

QUARTEZ HENDERSON, CHEROKEE COUNTY: Caught four passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns and also preserved the Warriors’ 39-38 Class 4A playoff victory over West Limestone by blocking a 22-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds remaining.

DEFENSE
TRIKWEZE BRIDGES, LANETT: The sophomore free safety had three of Lanett’s five interceptions as the Panthers beat West End 53-14.
MARKEL LEWIS, CARROLL: Swiped two interceptions, returning the first one 12 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter to jump-start the Eagles (12-0) to a 28-8 Class 5A playoff win over Calera. He finished with eight tackles.
TYLER MILLER, SPANISH FORT: Intercepted a Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa pass and returned it for a touchdown, giving the defending 6A champion Toros (10-2) the lead in a 23-13 state playoff win. Hillcrest finished the season 11-1.
MALIK WILSON, ETOWAH: Finished with 16 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception in the Blue Devils’ 42-30 Class 5A loss to Mortimer Jordan.

JAMAL BEATY, G.W. LONG: Had 10 tackles on defense with a sack and also batted a pass that teammate Carlos Smith intercepted and returned for 22 yards as G.W. Long beat New Brockton 41-10 in the 2A playoffs. He also caught four of G.W. Long’s five completed passes for 37 yards, including a fourth-down pass that resulted in a TD.
WILL SINGLETON, HOOVER: Led a strong defensive effort with a fumble return for a touchdown as the Bucs nipped James Clemens 14-7 to advance to the Class 7A semifinals.
ROBERT COLEMAN, MINOR: Snagged two interceptions in the first half as the Tigers beat Hartselle 48-17 in the 6A playoffs.
ISAIAH DONALDSON, NEW BROCKTON: Accounted for 19 tackles, blocked a punt and a point after attempt and also recovered a fumble in the Gamecocks’ 41-10 Class 2A loss to unbeaten G.W. Long. Teammate Clay Kelley was credited with 14 tackles.
LABRYAN RAY, JAMES CLEMENS: Recorded nine solo tackles, two assists, five tackles for a loss and two quarterback hurries in a 14-7 Class 7A loss at Hoover.

SPECIAL TEAMS

MARCUS JONES, ENTERPRISE: Returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in the Wildcats’ 27-23 loss to top-ranked McGill-Toolen in the 7A playoffs. It was his third punt return for a TD on the season and his second in as many weeks.
JADARIUS REDWINE, WENONAH: Ran 80 yards on a fake punt for a touchdown and also caught a TD pass as the Dragons posted a 42-14 Class 5A playoff win over Brooks.

Fairfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Ricco Jones.

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Congratulations to the Fairfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Ricco Jones! Ricco is a senior athlete at Bessemer City High School. He has been a member of the Tigers Varsity football team for 4 years now and wears jersey #16. He has a 3.5 GPA and plans to attend the University of North Alabama after graduation to major in Engineering. He is the son of Latesha Jones and Ricco Jones, Sr.