Playoff Roundup

November 6, 2021  
By Will Gaines  
For the Fort Payne Times-Journal  Courtesy of East Alabama Sports Today  

Here are some highlights from state playoff games involving Calhoun County teams

Piedmont 40, Sylvania 20

SYLVANIA — Sylvania played one of the best programs in the state tough for four quarters Friday night but in the end the Rams couldn’t pull off the victory and fell 40-20 to Piedmont in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs. 

Piedmont’s Jack Hayes threw two touchdown passes and rushed for two more in the victory. The Bulldogs (9-2) host Lauderdale County (10-1) next week in Round 2.

“This was not your usual first round game,” Piedmont head coach Steve Smith said. “I think both of these teams could have made a deep run in the playoffs. We are certainly glad to come up here and get this win. It was a big win for us.”

Sylvania head coach Tyler Vann praised his team’s effort. 

“Piedmont is a really good football team that I think will make a really deep run,” Vann said. “We are a really good football team too I just don’t think we played well enough to win tonight and they deserve the credit for that.” 

Piedmont jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter after Hayes scored the first touchdown of the night on a two-yard run. Sloan Smith added the extra point to make it 7-0 with 4:15 left in the first. 

Piedmont scored again with a 53-yard punt return for a touchdown from Austin Estes a little over a minute later.

Sylvania didn’t stay down long. As the first quarter ended the Rams began to build momentum. On the first play of the second quarter, Preston Bates scored on a 13-yard run. Conner Andrade added the extra-point to cut Piedmont’s lead to 14-7. 

However, on the next drive Hayes hit Estes for a 42-yard touchdown pass. Smith added the extra-point to make it 21-7 with 9:55 left in the first half. 

Sylvania responded again with a 62-yard touchdown pass from Brody Smith to Zack Anderson. Andrade made it 21-14 with 2:47 left in the first half. 

Piedmont got into field goal range just before half but the 34-yard attempt was blocked and returned to midfield by Anderson with 8 seconds remaining. Sylvania’s Smith then connected on a deep pass inside the 5 but offensive pass interference was called as time expired in the first half. 

In the second half, Piedmont began to take control. The Bulldogs opened the second half with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Hayes to Estes. The extra-point failed and Piedmont led 27-14. 

Hayes scored again with 4:22 left in the third on a 1-yard run, which was set up by a 21-yard run by Estes. The two-point attempt failed and Piedmont led 33-14. 

Again, Sylvania responded with a 55-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Sawyer Hughes. The extra-point attempt failed but Sylvania made the score 33-20 with 7:30 remaining. 

Piedmont sealed the win with 2:28 remaining with a three-yard run from Parker Thornton. Smith added the extra-point. 

For Piedmont, Hayes finished with 92 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He also went 11-for-20 passing for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Estes had 81 yards receiving for two touchdowns and added 28 yards rushing. Brayden Morgan had 69-yards rushing on six carries and Coleman Reid had three catches for 49 yards. 

Sylvania’s Smith went 13-for-30 for 201 yards and two touchdowns.

Saks 46, Plainview 43

In a game that featured nearly a 1,000 combined yards of offense, Saks preserved its Class 3A playoff victory with a big defensive play in the final minute.

The Bears were driving for the go-ahead touchdown, what would have been the 13th touchdown of the game, when Shon Elston recovered a fumble at the Saks 2 with 50 seconds to play. The recovery came after Jashun Prothro caused the fumble with an assist from Jalen McCants.

Up to that point, the game was full of offense.

Plainview had 507 total yards to Saks’ 412 and led 22-8 midway through the second quarter. There were six lead changes.

Saks quarterback Sean Parnell threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 95 yard and another score. McCants had 177 total yards and four touchdowns.

Plainview had three rushers with over 100 yards – Levi Brown (145), Dylan McCullough 103 and three TDs) and Andrew Hall (101). Noah White just missed joining the club with 83 yards.

The Wildcats (10-1) host Oakman (9-2) next week in Round 2.

Saks 46, Plainview 43

S – Jalen McCants 12 run (Sean Parnell run), 8:14 1Q
P – Dylan McCullough 26 run (Dylan McCullough run), 3:30 1Q
P – Levi Brown 64 run (Aurturo Medrano kick), 1:23 1Q
P – Dylan McCullough 12 run (Aurturo Medrano kick), 9:37 2Q
S – Jalen McCants 21 run (Sean Parnell run), 5:39 2Q
P – Joshua Sandlin 5 pass from Noah White (Aurturo Medrano kick), 2:36 2Q
S – Jalen McCants 38 pass from Sean Parnell (Gavin Doss run), 0:14 2Q
S – Jalen McCants 65 pass from Sean Parnell (Gavin Doss run), 6:11 3Q
P – Noah White 0 run (PAT failed), 0:25 3Q
S – Sean Parnell 16 run (Jalen McCants run), 9:57 4Q
P – Dylan McCullough 1 run (Sam Crowell pass), 6:51 4Q
S – Deontae Elston 88 pass from Sean Parnell (PAT failed), 2:32 4Q

Alexandria 52, Ardmore 6

Antonio Ross got Alexandria going with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the first quarter and he’d go one to score two more times as Valley Cubs cruised to their 11^thstraight victory in their Class 5A playoff opener.

Ross rushed for 130 yards and had two interceptions in the game. Javais McGhee rushed for 123 yards and had 159 yards of total offense. The Valley Cubs had 10 different ballcarriers and four players throw passes.

The Valley Cubs (11-0) held Ardmore to 104 total yards. 15 led the defense with seven tackles, four for loss.

Alexandria will host Parker (10-1) next week in Round 2.

Alexandria 52, Ardmore 6

Alex – Antonio Ross 40 interception return (Cleat Forrest kick), 10:29 1Q
Alex – Javais McGhee 37 run (Cleat Forrest kick), 6:59 1Q
Alex – Cleat Forrest 26 FG, 9:21 2Q
Alex – Javais McGhee 2 run (Cleat Forrest kick), 6:44 2Q
Alex – 4 30 punt return (Cleat Forrest kick), 5:35 2Q
Alex – Antonio Ross 22 pass from 2 (Cleat Forrest kick), 2:19 2Q
Alex – Antonio Ross 66 run (Luis Torres kick), 3:07 3Q
Alex – 23 40 pass from 9 (Luis Torres kick), 11:43 4Q
Ard – 44 1 run (PAT failed), 6:34 4Q

Jacksonville 42, Alabama Christian 21

JACKSONVILLE – Jim Ogle completed 18 of 24 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns, Taj Morris rushed for 190 yards and two scores, and the Golden Eagles scored four unanswered touchdowns in the second half after falling behind 21-14 early in the third quarter.

Three of Ogle’s touchdown passes went to Jacoby Zackery, the last two in the fourth quarter came 18 seconds apart after a pair of turnovers – an interception by Damonte Sinclair at the Golden Eagles’ 3 and a fumble recovery by Zay Turner.

Zackery caught nine passes for 169 yards. 

The Golden Eagles (7-3) travel to American Christian (10-1) next week for Round 2.

Jacksonville 42, Alabama Christian 21

J – Jacoby Zackery 39 pass from Jim Ogle (Mason Terrell kick) 1:07 1Q
A – Otawosie Dion 59 run (Tyson Summers kick), 0:11 1Q
A – Trey Schlemmer 24 pass from 2 (Tyson Summers kick), 9:42 2Q
J – Taj Morris 1 run (Mason Terrell kick), 5:41 2Q
A – Corey Landers 3 run (Tyson Summers kick), 9:29 3Q
J – Joseph Pridgen 8 pass from Jim Ogle (Mason Terrell kick), 6:55 3Q
J – Taj Morris 24 run (Mason Terrell kick), 0:19 3Q
J – Jacoby Zackery 24 pass from Jim Ogle (Mason Terrell kick), 3:49 4Q
J – Jacoby Zackery 39 pass from Jim Ogle (Mason Terrell kick), 3:31 4Q

Oxford 30, Chelsea 20

OXFORD – Sam Robertson threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the Yellow Jackets’ comeback iin their Class 6A playoff opener.

Robertson threw a 25-yard TD pass to DK Wilson, an 85-yarder to Emari Carroll and a 6-yarder to Judd Syer. He ran six yards for a touchdown in the second half.

The Oxford defense held Chelsea to 80 yards in the second half. 

The Yellow Jackets (7-4) travel to Pinson Valley (8-3) for the second round.