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2013 Week 1

     Chip Taylor earns ASWA award for season-opening performance


By JOSH BEAN

For The ASWA

Fort Dale Academy's Chip Taylor did something remarkable in Friday's 32-26 victory over Escambia Academy.

Taylor suffered a dislocated finger in the second quarter, according to the Montgomery Advertiser, and left the stadium to visit a local hospital. He missed the entire third quarter, but returned for the fourth. And then the fireworks really began.

After Escambia scored with 1:28 to play to take a 26-20 lead, Taylor scored on a 76-yard run with 52 seconds remaining. Escambia fumbled away the kickoff, leading to a 36-yard TD pass from Taylor to Ryan Burkett. 

Finishing with 211 yards rushing and throwing the game-winning touchdown pass, Taylor's performance makes him this week's ASWA Offensive Player of the Week.

The two other finalists for the award also wrote storylines worthy of a Hollywood script writer. Lauderdale County's Zack Simbeck rushed for 177 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 34-12 win over Wilson just two days after the death of his mother. Simbeck scored on a 50-yard run and a 16-yard pass reception.

Berry's Terrance Hollingsworth accounted for five touchdowns in a 32-28 win over Northside. He scored on runs of 1, 7 and 4 yards, had a 97-yard kickoff return, and threw a 25-yard TD pass to Weston Bonner.

The Defense/Special Teams Player of the Week is McGill-Toolen's Tony Bridges. He returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and returned an interception 64 yards for a game-clinching, fourth-quarter TD in a 49-35 victory over UMS-Wright.

The finalists were Hartselle kicker Jake Waterman and Priceville's Ben Patterson. Waterman kicked two field goals, from 43 yards and the 20-yard game-winner, in a 14-11 overtime victory over Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa. Patterson scored touchdowns on a 55-yard punt return and a 77-yard kickoff return in a win over West Morgan.

ASWA members from Albertville, Anniston, Birmingham, Brewton, Decatur, Demopolis, Dothan, Fort Payne, Florence, Gadsden, Grove Hill, Huntsville, Jasper, Mobile, Montgomery, Oneonta, Scottsboro and Tuscaloosa submitted nominations this week. 

Other standout performances from this past weekend:  

OFFENSE

Devin Adams, Vigor: Threw for 163 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Brandon Rodgers, with less than five minutes remaining, in the Wolves' 27-23 victory over Davidson.

Earnest Andrews, Fairhope: ran for 199 yards and two TDs on seven carries in the Pirates' 22-18 victory over St. Paul's.

Luis Aponte, Albertville: Caught TD passes of 21 and 73 yards - his only two receptions - and blocked a field goal in a 27-14 win over Arab.

Jordan Bishop, Calera: Scored three times on four receptions, all in the first half, in the 69-0 win over Holt. Bishop caught scoring passes of 45, 7 and 11 yards, finishing with 83 receiving yards.

Seth Blanton, Winston County: Completed  13-of-16 passes for 283 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in a 47-38 loss to Lynn.

Marcellas Butler, Eufaula: Completed 10-of-17 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Abbeville.

Zach Brammer, Thompson: Threw four touchdown passes on 15-of-20 passing for 190 yards in the 37-0 win over Shelby County. Brammer tossed scoring passes of 35 and 9 yards to Eric Reeves along with a 22-yarder and 45-yarder.

Josh Brasher, Pelham: Led the Panthers with six tackles as Pelham held Paul Bryant to 53 yards total offense in the 28-0 win.

Charles Buchannon, Pleasant Grove: Scored five touchdowns in two quarters and one play in the third period while running for 204 yards on just 17 carries in the 42-26 win over Mortimer Jordan. Buchannon scored four rushing touchdowns (1, 1, 3 and 74 yards) and grabbed a 52-yard touchdown reception. He contributed six tackles on defense, adding two pass break-ups.

Leander Burrowes, Saraland: Ran for 189 yards on 14 carries and scored on runs of 74, 4 and 13 in the Spartans' 52-12 blowout of Faith Academy.

Cole Butler, Cottage Hill Christian: Connected on 13-of-20 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns in the Warriors' 18-12 loss to Jay, Fla.

Logan Campbell, Cold Springs: Logged seven carries for a 214-yard, three-touchdown performance as the Eagles blanked Decatur Heritage 34-0 for their first shutout since 2004. Campbell came close to adding two more rushing scores and a pick-six, but all were called back because of penalties.

Ryan Carpenter, Colbert County: Rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns (5, 17, 20 yards) on 21 carries in 41-0 win over Colbert Heights.

Ronnie Clark, Calera: Accounted for 187 yards total offense and five touchdowns, all in the first half, in the 69-0 win over Holt. Quarterback Clark completed 6 of 7 attempts for 90 yards and three touchdowns (45, 7 and 11 yards), ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns (5 and 50 yards) on five attempts and caught a pass for 22 yards.

McHenry Coleman, T.R. Miller: Ran 187 yards on eight carries and scored on TD runs of 42 and 2 yards. He averaged 23.4 yards per carry in a 50-18 victory over Escambia County.

Gage Davis, Gaylesville: Rushed for 224 yards and TDs of 41, 19, 11 yards in a a 40-39 victory over Cedar Bluff. 

Vincent Davis, Central-Tuscaloosa: Threw three touchdown passes in a 51-18 win over Sipsey Valley.

Troy Dixon, UMS-Wright: Ran 34 times for 234 yards and two TDs against McGill-Toolen and threw a TD pass in 49-35 loss.

Anfernee Dukes, Notasulga: Ran 10 times for 112 yards with touchdowns of 39, 12, 54 and 5 yards in a 29-15 win over Beulah.

Jamarcus Ezell, Choctaw County : Finished 14-for-20 passing and for 220 yards and a touchdown and added 107 yards and two touchdowns on 12 rushes in a 19-13 victory.

Bryant Farley, West Point: Threw TD passes of 19 and 48 yards to Tristan Dubberly for passing touchdowns of 19 and 48 yards and added a 55-yard score on the ground a ice a 25-18 victory over Brewer.

Peyton Gilliland, Cleveland: Completed 7 of 17 passes for 116 yards with three TDs and an interception and rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in the Panthers' 29-0 victory over J.B. Pennington.

McKenzie Graham, Buckhorn: Had seven catches for 129 yards and two scores in the Bucks' 27-13 win at Scottsboro.

Cole Guffey, Hazel Green: In his first varsity start, the sophomore completed 8 of 11 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns in the Trojans' 51-7 win at Grissom.

Tyler Gurley, Madison County: Completed 21 of 27 passes for 332 yards and three scores in the Tigers' 24-21 win over East Limestone. He also ran for 78 yards on 24 carries.

Otis Harris, Spain Park: Totaled 186 yards offense in the 23-14 win over Austin. Harris ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns (42 and 45 yards) and caught six passes for 49 yards.

Taylor Hawthorne, Edgewood: Ran for 127 yards and threw for 264 in a 49-18 win over Evangel Christian. His 15 runs included TDs of 16, 7 and 13 yards. Was 13-of-26 passing with a 64-yard score.

Cody Henderson, Winston County: Caught six passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-38 loss to Lynn.

Destin Hutcherson, Geneva: Rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries and had three receptions for 51 yards in a 32-22 loss to Houston Academy.

Marquis Irvin, Madison County: Had seven catches for 125 yards, including touchdown grabs of 40 and 45 yards in the tigers' 24-21 win over East Limestone.

Lorenzo James, Sparkman: Carried 15 times for 220 yards and a 73-yard touchdown in a losing effort as the Senators fell 28-8 to Huntsville.

Dustin Jenkins, Tuscaloosa Academy: Contributed 175 all-purpose yards in a 43-27 win over Lee-Scott Academy. Jenkins rushed for 109 yards, scoring on runs of 5 and 66 yards, and caught a 66-yard touchdown pass.

Matthew Jordan, Jackson: Georgia Tech commit was 19-of-25 passing for 178 yards and two TDS along with 13 carries for 83 yards and a pair of scores as Jackson beat Clarke County 37-6 in the 99th meeting between the two schools.

Darrion Leslie, Columbia: Was involved in all three of the Eagles' touchdowns in a 52-20 loss to Lee. He caught a 34-yard pass, returned a punt 57 yards and returned a kick 94 yards.

Josh Lewis, Pickens Academy: Completed 10 of 15 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 116 yards on 14 carries with a 60-yard score 24-8 win over Sparta Academy. On defense, Lewis made six tackles and recovered a fumble.

Keenan Lewis, Sardis: Ran 11 times for 149 yards and a 28-yard TD in a 41-22 triumph over Sylvania.

Rashad Louie, Shades Valley: Completed 12 of 20 attempts 214 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters of action in the 38-15 win over Oak Mountain. Louie threw scoring passes of 32 and 65 yards, and scored on a 4-yard run.

Hayden Maples, Fairview: Finished 19 of 26 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns, including a 74-yard bomb to Bailey Strong, in a 35-33 victory over Hanceville.

Zavier Mapp, Thomasville: Ran 13 time for 135 yards and TD runs of 63, 6 and 2 yards in a 35-13 victory over Sweet Water.

Cody McBryar, North Sand Mountain: Completed 10 of 22 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown and  rushed for 97 yards on 20 carries as NSM defeated rival Dade County (Ga.) 19-13 Friday night. He threw to Austin Cummins for the game-winning TD pass with 6:28 remaining. He also had an interception on defense.

Xavier McCollum, Winfield: Rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown and recorded eight solo tackles and five assists in a 19-0 win over Brilliant.

Walker Meadows: Ran for 188 yards and accounted for two TDs in a 56-28 win over Handley.

Brody Meeks, Lynn: Threw five touchdown passes in the second half to lead the Bears to come-from-behind 47-38 victory over Winston County. Meeks finished 18-of-37 for 324 yards and five touchdowns along with two interceptions.

Trent Miller, Tharptown: Had four catches for 160 yards, including touchdown passes of 36 and 43 yards, and recovered two fumbles, including one he returned 46 yards for a TD, in a 29-24 win over Phil Campbell.

Devon Mines, Pelham: Ran for 101 yards on nine carries and scored three touchdowns in the 28-0 win over Paul Bryant. Mines had touchdown runs of 24 and 42 yards in the second quarter, and added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Keith Mixon, Shades Valley: Scored four touchdowns in the 38-15 win over Oak Mountain. Mixon caught seven passes for 159 yards, including touchdown receptions of 32 and 65 yards, all in the first half. He also ran for a 71-yard touchdown, finishing with 89 yards on four carries.

Frank Moody, St. James: Ran 22 times for 158 yards in a 28-13 loss to Montgomery Academy.

Deonta Moore, Huntsville: Ran for 167 yards and scored on runs of 66, 2 and 2 yards as the Panthers beat Sparkman 28-8.

Javon Moore, Elmore County: Caught nine passes for 154 yards in a 41-10 win over Alabama Christian.

Jarrod Owens, Curry: Accounted for six touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets' 41-14 win in the season opener on Friday. Owens rushed 13 times 138 yards and three touchdowns and completed 7-of-15 passes for 190 yards and three scores.

Jarrett Pope, Clarke Prep: Ran 15 times for 179 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-15 victory over Lowndes Academy.

Tony Robinson, Center Point: Charted nine tackles, including six solo, and 1.5 sacks, in the 26-16 victory over Huffman.

Lee Seale, Wilcox Academy: Ran 10 times for 175 yards and TD runs of 7, 50 and 35 yards in a 48-7 victory over Southern Academy.

Jordan Shannon, Huffman: Contributed 10 tackles, including eight unassisted, in the 26-16 loss to Center Point.

Ito Smith, McGill-Toolen: Ran 20 times for 191 yards with TD runs of 69, 35 and 4 yards in a 49-35 victory over UMS-Wright.

Kody Smith, Hanceville: Finished with 125 yards receiving,  including a 73-yard TD, in a
35-33 loss to Fairview.

Dylan Stone, Glencoe: Rushed 20 times for 174 yards and threw for another 12 yards in a 29-12 victory over Westbrook Christian.

Nick Taylor, Hooper Academy: Ran 18 times for 205 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-34 loss to Kingwood. 

Santiago Taylor, Aliceville: Ran for 220 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-26 loss to Gordo.

Jase Trotter, Oakman: Racked up 234 yards of offense and a pair of TDs in a 29-28 victory over Parrish. Trotter rushed 25 times for 161 yards and threw for another 73 yards. 

Trey Turner, Murphy: Scored on runs of 47 and 81 yards and threw a 31-yard TD pass to Sam Dixon in the Panthers' 54-14 victory over Williamson

Jay Ward, Saraland: Connected on 6-of-9 passes for 197 yards in a 52-12 win at Faith Academy.

Wendell Washington, Samson: Caught six passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winning 10-yard TD, and rushed for 107 yards on six carries with one touchdown in a 33-29 win over Kinston.

Zach Weldon, G.W. Long: Rushed only six times, but scored four touchdowns and rushed for 157 yards in a 55-0 win over Zion Chapel.

Terrelle West, Clay-Chalkville: The junior fan for 157 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns, including an 86-yard burst in the 54-14 win over Hewitt-Trussville. West added scoring runs of 7 and 31 yards.

Tyler Whalen, Bob Jones: Threw for 267 yards and two TDs (10 and 27 yards), and scored on a 4-yard run as the Patriots whipped Northridge 48-20.

Keshawn Wilder, Parker: The junior scored four times in the 53-20 win over Carver. Wilder caught touchdown passes of 59, 23 and 19 yards and also rushed for a 3-yard touchdown.

Justin Woolfolk, Montgomery Academy: Ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries in a 28-13 win over St. James.

Tyler Wright, Leeds: Gained 145 yards on 31 carries in the 12-6 win over Lincoln.



DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

Tranealius Abrams, Blount: Intercepted three passes in the Leopards' 44-0 win over LeFlore.

Mason Brown, Glencoe: Finished with 14 tackles (two for a loss), a sack and a fumble recovery in the Yellow Jackets' 29-12 victory over Westbrook Christian. 

Blake Devine, Southside-Gadsden: Returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown and ran for a 95-yard score in a victory over Hokes Bluff.

Willie Ezell, Stanhope Elmore: Pulled in two of Stanhope's four interceptions in a 48-7 win over Marbury.

Morgan Finley, Madison County: Booted a game-winning 33-yard field goal on the final play of the game to lift the Tigers past East Limestone 24-21. He also drilled a 27-yarder early in the fourth quarter.

Logan Hamlett, Madison Academy: Took a fumble back 41 yards for a touchdown in the Mustangs' 48-6 win over Tanner on Thursday night. He also scored on a 36-yard catch and a 6-yard run.

Madison Hendry, Sumter Academy: Had 13 tackles in a 47-0 win over Meadowview Christian.

Darnell Jackson, Piedmont: Rushed for 117 yards on five carries and scored two TDs (10, 85 yards) in a victory over Cherokee County. Jackson also recovered a fumble on defense.    

Jeremiah Jones, Bessemer City: Recorded 3 sacks in a 60-20 victory over Sumter Central.

Adrian King, Lee-Montgomery: Had two interceptions in a 34-7 loss to Wetumpka.

Ben Kirby, Valley Head: Finished with two interceptions and six tackles as the Tigers won 20-12 at Donoho. He also threw a 74-yard TD pass. 

Josh Lewis, Crenshaw Christian: Made seven tackles, including a sack, and forced two fumbles in a 43-10 win over Chambers Academy.

Nick McCallister, Providence Christian: Recorded 19 tackles, including two for losses, and combined with two other players to stop a game-tying two-point conversion with 13 seconds left to help preserve a 35-33 win over New Brockton.

Jared McClure, Good Hope: Returned a punt 77 yards for his first of four touchdowns in a 61-14 victory over rival Holly Pond. McClure also scored on an 80-yard screen pass from Sebastian Fendley and runs of 25 and 4 yards.

Cole Murphy, Gaylesville: Murphy returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown with 59 seconds to go in the game to lift Gaylesville to a 40-39 victory over Cedar Bluff.

Alvin Murray, Midfield: Recorded 10 tackles and 3 sacks in a 12-6 victory over Wenonah.

AJ Nicholson, Red Level: Had 10 tackles (6 for a loss), 1 sack a 19-13 loss to Choctaw County Friday night.

Ben Patterson, Priceville: Scored on two returns - 75 on a kick and 55 on a punt - as the Bulldogs beat West Morgan 48-35 on Thursday.

Tyler Rogers, Mobile Christian: Returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown in Mobile Christian's 42-0 rout of St. Luke's. Rogers also ran for 144 yards.

Dee Smith, Florence: Had an interception, a fumble recovery, a sack and a pass breakup in Florence's 28-7 win over Gadsden City.

Tyler Smith, Slocomb: Recorded 13 tackles, three for losses and one for a sack, and had a fumble recovery in the Red Tops' 26-0 shutout of Rehobeth.

Desmon Turner, Fort Payne: Returned two punts for touchdowns, 76 yards and 64 yards, and caught a 30-yard TD pass in Fort Payne's 46-0 victory over North Jackson.

Bratcher Underwood, Houston Academy: In addition to hitting a 35-yard field goal and 3-of-3 extra points in a 32-22 win over Geneva, he punted for a 42.6 average on three punts that went inside the 15 (14, 5 and 1 yard lines) and kicked all six kickoffs into the end zone.

Mac Wilson, Carver-Montgomery: Had three sacks and recovered a fumble in a 20-7 victory over Prattville at Cramton Bowl.

Zac Witcher, Good Hope: The senior defensive end had two sacks and a caused fumble in a 61-14 victory over Holly Pond.








Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

The Tuscaloosa Black Bears were considered one of the best programs in the nation from 1925-1931. Their record over that span was an amazing 61-0-3.