BY WIL CREWS
SPORTSCREWS@
OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
LEE COUNTY —
The high school football season in Alabama is rapidly approaching its end, and a few local teams are still vying for state championships. Last weekend, Loachapoka and Beauregard were eliminated from their respective playoff groups, while Lee-Scott, Glenwood, Auburn and Central all survived another week. Lee-Scott and Glenwood meet at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, with the winner to be crowned state champion of the AISA Class 3A. Auburn and Central face off Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, for a chance to clinch a berth in the AHSAA Class 7A state championship.
The following is a breakdown of how area teams fared in the latest round of the 2022 high school football playoffs. All stats were compiled firsthand, by school sources or by www.Maxpreps.com.
AHSAA
AUBURN 48 | DOTHAN 20
The varsity Auburn High School football team defeated Dothan 48-20 at home in the second round of the AHSAA Class 7A last Friday. Junior wide receiver Ean Nation caught two touchdowns and set the school’s single-season record for receptions with his 56th catch early in the game. Nation finished with six receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers racked up over 500 yards of offense in the rematch of the regular season matchup that Auburn won 42-14. Auburn running back DV Williams led the offense, registering 112 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. The Tigers’ dual-quarterback system proved efficient on the night. Clyde Pittman finished 15-of-20 for 208 yards and two touchdowns, while Davis Harsin went 2-of-2 passing for 58 yards and a rushing touchdown. A 21-14 game at halftime was flipped on its head in the second half as Auburn allowed under 100 yards to the visiting Wolves in the final two quarters.
Auburn now advances to face region foe Central Phenix City in a road, semifinal matchup on Friday, Nov. 18. Central advanced to the semifinals with a 45-14 win over Enterprise last week. The game will be a rematch of the two teams’ earlier meeting this season, which Central won 38-17.
BEAUREGARD 30 | UMS-WRIGHTS PREP 48
The varsity Beauregard High School football team saw its season come to an end with a 48-30 loss to No. 1 seed UMS-Wright. After falling behind 21-6 in the first quarter, Beauregard outscored the Bulldogs, 24-14 in the next two quarters. Trailing 35-30 as the final quarter began, Beauregard was outscored 14-0. Senior quarterback AJ Wallace led Beauregard on offense, finishing 9-of-18 on passes for 174 yards and one touchdown. Wallace added another 109 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Junior Jacori Tarver carried the ball 29 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns. The Hornets racked up 282 rushing yards in total. Javonn Holman led Beauregard in receiving, pulling in six catches for 95 yards and one TD.
The Hornets finish 10-2 in head coach Jason Jones’s second season. It is the best finish for the program since 2016 when Beauregard finished 10-2 and were eliminated in the third round of the playoffs under then- head coach Rob Carter.
LOACHAPOKA 12 | MILLRY 63
The varsity Loachapoka High School football team saw its season come to a close with a 63-12 loss at the hands of Millry in the second round of the AHSAA Class 1A playoffs last Friday. Loachapoka was closest to its opponent in the first quarter when it scored and missed a two-point conversion to make the score 7-6 in favor of Millry. Senior receiver Jayy Moore caught the 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Quay Nelms. Loachapoka’s second score came in the final quarter via a 35-yard pass from Nelms. Loachapoka finished 2022 with a 9-2 record in head coach Reco Newton’s third year. It is the program’s best mark since 2013.
AISA
LEE-SCOTT 41 | VALIANT CROSS 0
Lee-Scott Academy (LSA) head football coach Buster Daniel has guided his team to an 11-0 record after beating Valiant Cross 41-0 in the semifinal game of the AISA Class 3A playoffs at Judd Scott Field last week. Senior running back George Meyers led LSA with 123 rushing yards on 21 carries, scoring three touchdowns in a steady downpour of rain. Senior linebacker Dalan Bush was just as dominant on defense, recording an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery, as well as leading the team in tackles. Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl, Lee-Scott will play rival Glenwood for the AISA Class 3A football championship.
GLENWOOD 42 | MORGAN ACADEMY 8
The varsity Glenwood Gators football team, led by first-year head coach Jason Gibson, advanced to the AISA Class 3A state championship with a semifinal round victory over Morgan Academy. The Gators dominated the home matchup throughout the night, racking up 303 rushing yards in total. Senior running backs Aaron Burton and JT Banks combined for 231 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries, and quarterback Dallas Crow added 39 yards on the ground himself. Crow completed 5-of-6 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns, finding three different receivers for each score. Defensively, senior Lane Griggs led the team with five tackles, including three for loss. Glenwood will play rival Lee-Scott for the AISA Class 3A football championship Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl. The Warriors beat Glenwood 32-16 earlier in the season at home, giving the Gators their only loss in Alabama.