BY WIL CREWS
SPORTSCREWS@
OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
LEE COUNTY —
The lights are dimming on another high school football season. Most teams’ journeys have ended, but one school — Auburn High — still has something to play for. The Tigers defeated region foe Central Phenix City 14-13 on the road Friday, Nov. 18, to advance to the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 7A state championship. The Tigers will face defending champions, the Thompson Warriors, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn on Nov. 30 to crown a champion. In the Alabama Independent School Association, Lee-Scott defeated rival Glenwood 35-21 at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery to complete an undefeated, 13-0, season and capture the Class 3A state title.
The following is a breakdown of how area teams fared in this round of the playoffs. All stats were compiled firsthand, by school sources or by www.Maxpreps.com.
AHSAA
AUBURN 14 | CENTRAL 13
The varsity Auburn High School football team (12-1) defeated region foe Central Phenix City 14-13 on Friday, Nov. 18, to advance to the AHSAA Class 7A state championship game. The game was a rematch in two senses. First, the Tigers fell to Central 28-17 in the same semi-final round of the 2021 playoffs, and secondly, the Tigers’ only loss this season came at the hands of the Red Devils (10-3) on Oct. 14, when Auburn fell to Central by a score of 38-17. The Tigers avenged both losses last Friday night, as they were spurred to a win by a game-winning touchdown in the final minutes of the contest by senior quarterback Clyde Pittman. Auburn High trailed 13-7 late in the rivalry game, but Pittman scampered in from 9 yards out with 1:49 remaining after finding receiver Jack Hudson on a pass that set the Tigers up with a first-and-goal. Pittman finished 15-of-25 passing for 136 yards, while adding 55 yards on the ground. Senior running back DV Williams carried the ball 19 times for 69 yards and a touchdown to complement his quarterback. The Auburn defense held Central to 253 total yards, limiting the Red Devil run game to just 40. Auburn advances to the state championship game where the Tigers will face defending state champion Thompson High School, which beat Hoover 40-10 in the other semifinal matchup. The two teams will play for the Class 7A trophy Nov. 30 in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
AISA
LEE-SCOTT 35 | GLENWOOD 21
The varsity Lee-Scott Academy (12-0) football team completed the double over rival Glenwood (8-4) on Thursday, Nov. 17, emerging victorious against the Gators for the second time this season, completing an undefeated season and capturing the AISA Class 3A State Championship in the process. The two teams faced off at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl as the Warriors jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Much like it had done all season, Lee-Scott leaned on its potent rushing attack last Thursday. All of the Warriors’ touchdowns came on the ground as Lee-Scott racked up 215 total rushing yards. Senior running back George Meyers led the way, carrying the ball 12 times for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Junior running back Andrew Hahn, junior receiver Jake White and sophomore quarterback Pelzer Reeves scored the other rushing touchdowns. White led the defense with three tackles and an interception off of Glenwood quarterback Dallas Crow. The Warriors generated 319 total yards of offense to Glenwood’s 139, as the Gators never got within close than 14 points after Lee-Scott opened up a lead. The win marked Lee-Scott’s fourth-ever state championship — its first since 1994. Third-year head coach Buster Daniel’s team paced the pack from week one of the regular season, shutting out five teams with an average margin of victory of 42.8 to 5.92. Glenwood can hold its head high after reaching the state championship game in head coach Jason Gibson’s first season in charge.
