BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — In their return to Duck Samford Stadium for the first time in nearly 10 months, the Auburn High School flag football team put on a clinical 34-0 mercy-rule thrashing of Booker T. Washington High School on Sept. 1.
Outside of giving up two interceptions to the Lady Golden Eagles (1-2), the Lady Tigers (4-3) were virtually flawless. Charlee Rhoten starred for Auburn with two rushes for 17 yards and two touchdowns, while TeKaja Thomas carried the ball four times for 32 yards and a TD.
Alyssa Kate Jackson and Harper Wood also connected for a 6-yard TD pass for the Lady Tigers.
Auburn turned takeaways into points from the opening minutes, riding a defense that set the tone before the offense ever found its rhythm.
While Booker T. Washington actually struck first after intercepting a Lady Tigers pass just inside Auburn territory with 9:36 to play in the opening quarter.
The Lady Tigers then answered emphatically. With 7:50 left in the first, Kaleah Palmer stepped in front of a Lady Golden Eagles throw and raced 51 yards the other way for a pick-six. The extra-point attempt failed, but Auburn was still on the board 6-0.
The Lady Tigers’ lead only grew from there. Jackson found Wood for a 6-yard touchdown with 3:49 remaining in the first, and Thomas added the extra point on the ground to make it 13-0.
Marley Hunt then handed the ball right back to the Auburn offense with an interception at the 2:38 mark, and Charlee Rhoten capped the quarter with a 2-yard scoring run within the final 30 seconds. Jackson connected with Rhoten on the conversion for a 20-0 lead after the first frame.
The second quarter brought more of the same defensive tug-of-war, with the Lady Tigers again coming out ahead.
Booker T. Washington picked off a pass near its own 26 yard line with 8:38 to go, only to watch Charlotte Hodges answer with an interception of her own at the Lady Golden Eagles’ 33 yard line barely a minute and a half later.
Rhoten made Booker T. Washington pay again, this time breaking off a 15-yard touchdown run with 2:55 left before halftime. Taylor Plott’s extra-point pass to Keylee Levett pushed Auburn’s margin to 27-0.
There would be no comeback. Thomas opened the second-half scoring with a rushing touchdown early in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 34-0 and triggering the mercy rule that ended the contest.
The Lady Tigers defeated Carver High School (5-4) at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery on Sept. 3 and traveled to face Enterprise High School (2-1) on Sept. 9, though that result was not available before Tuesday’s press deadline.
Auburn will next face Central High School (3-0), MaxPreps’ No. 2-ranked team nationally, at Garrett-Harrison Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m.
