BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION— Auburn High sophomore running back Omar Mabson finished his sophomore year with 14 touchdowns and six consecutive 100-plus yard rushing games to end the season, including 136 yards on six carries in the regular-season finale win over Smiths Station on Friday night.
Mabson found the end zone three times, and Auburn compiled 285 yards on the ground as the Tigers spoiled Smiths Station’s senior night with a 49-8 win to end its season at 8-2.
With two consecutive 40- and 56-yard touchdown runs to start the second half, Mabson’s three TD scampers gave him five in the last two games. He accounted for four of Auburn’s five second-half TDs in the last two weeks as the Tigers topped 40 points for the second straight week.
The Tigers averaged 33.8 points per game and scored above 40 points four times during the season. Oppositely, the defense only allowed 15.1 points a game and pitched two shutouts, while only Central scored 40 points on them.
With QB Jackson Kilgore back in the picture after an injury and splitting time with senior QB Henry Allen the past two weeks, Auburn has continued to utilize a plethora of backs. Adding onto Mabson’s big night, senior Tyler Flakes scored twice for the second consecutive game and Mykel Ammons scored the first TD of his career in his final regular-season game as a senior.
The run game accounted for six of the seven scores. Kilgore accounted for the other one on a four-yard TD pass to senior Cody Palmer to end the first half up 28-8.
It was mostly all Auburn in this one, but not until Smiths Station enjoyed an opening-drive score and two-point conversion to start off senior night for the Panthers, who ended their season at 1-9. After that, Auburn scored 49 unanswered to notch the most points it has scored in a game all season.
The win helped Auburn finish the season as the No. 3 seed in Region 2. The Tigers will start their playoff schedule by going to Baker, which finished second in 7A Region 1 with an 8-2 record.
The only common opponent between Auburn and Baker this season was Dothan, who Auburn defeated 28-27 in week three. However, Dothan was one of Baker’s losses, as it fell 35-14 to the Wolves at home. Both teams will enter the game coming off two wins in a row to end their seasons.
Auburn will embark on the path to its second straight state championship game after last season’s title game loss to Thompson. The Tigers’ postseason journey starts on the road in Mobile at Baker High School on Friday, Nov. 10.
