Austin’s offense explodes
Mallard rolls up 106 yards and catches TD pass

After Austin High’s best offensive performance of the year Friday night, coach David Norwood kept his excitement in check.

Even after the kind of showing his Black Bears had in a 34-31 last-second win at Sparkman, battles left to fight.

“We just have to stay consistent now,” Norwood said.

Staying focused in a back-and-forth game on the Senators’ home field, the Black Bears’ offensive line was the difference.

Norwood credited offensive line coach Matt Prator with the preparation in the trenches and it paid off in the shootout.

Austin (2-2) averaged 18.3 points in their previous three games before breaking out for four touchdowns and a field goal by Josh Lowman, which came with three seconds left and gave the Black Bears their winning points.

Senior running back T.T. Mallard was one of the main beneficiaries of the offensive lines’ efforts, rushing 106 yards and scoring a touchdown on a 17-yard pass from Justin Jones that gave Austin a lead in the fourth quarter.

“This was the best game the offensive line has had,” Mallard said. “I knew the team was depending on me to do something and I give the offensive line all the credit.”

Decatur tied for region lead: Decatur’s 35-7 win over Athens on Friday, paired with Russellville’s 30-23 overtime win over J.O. Johnson, puts the Red Raiders and the Golden Tigers tied atop the Class 5A, Region 8 standings.

Both are 3-0 in the region as the state heads into a week of non-region games. Teams will resume region play the following week. Decatur will host West Point on Oct. 5. The possible showdown of region unbeatens will be Oct. 12 when Decatur travels to Russellville — providing both teams win before then.

Hartselle makes turn: Through a 0-3 start to the season, Hartselle coach Bob Godsey has insisted his team was better than its record. On Friday, the Tigers showed some of the qualities Godsey saw in squad in a 54-14 win over Muscle Shoals in 5A, Region 8 play.

Hartselle scored more than twice as many points Friday night as it had in its three previous games combined.

After falling to 6A Austin in the season opener, Hartselle (1-3) battled Decatur (3-1) and Russellville (4-0).

The Tigers were on target with the veteran play makers Hartselle had counted on as far back as the preseason all contributing.

Senior running Montrell Murphy ran for a pair of touchdowns, while junior quarterback Luke Bole connected with junior Marquez Jones and Tony Weaver for scores. Jones also ran for a touchdown. Junior Josh Slaten had an interception return for a score, and senior Tyler Bennich took care of extra points for the Tigers in the win.

Speake again makes history: During last season’s 9-3 finish, the Speake Bobcats accomplished a lot of firsts for the program, including the school’s first win over Hazlewood.

On Friday night, Speake proved it still has a ground-breaking squad, getting its first win over Class 1A, Region 8 rival R.A. Hubbard with a 28-20 victory. It also avenged Speake’s only region loss from last season, when the Bobcats suffered a 20-0 shutout to the Chiefs.

Speake’s Zach Vick sealed the win with an interception in the final seconds, running the it back 67 yards for the Bobcats’ final touchdown. He also scored the 2-point conversion.

Hazlewood offense can play: In a season where Hazlewood’s defense has been the story with three straight shutouts in the first three games, the Golden Bears’ offense also has shown firepower, averaging 36 points per game the past two weeks.

Track star/tailback D.J. Jones scored three touchdowns in a 28-9 win over previously unbeaten Brilliant, making Hazlewood the only undefeated team in Class 1A, Region 8.

Hazlewood (4-0) has outscored opponents 98-9 this year.

Danville’s George on the run: Danville fell 21-18 to Vinemont on Friday, but the Hawks put together a productive offensive night behind Levi George, who rushed for 184 yards on 32 carries.

He also scored two touchdowns on runs of 49 and 32 yards, which gives him three touchdowns for the season. He also paced a 236-yard rushing night for the Hawks.

Danville’s 18 points were a season high.

Brewer bounces back: After a heartbreaking 21-14 loss to Muscle Shoals last week, Brewer recovered with a 21-7 win over West Point in Class 5A, Region 8 play Friday
night.

Now 2-2 overall, Brewer has matched its win total from last season before the halfway point.

The Patriots face some of their toughest opponents the next four weeks — Hartselle, J.O. Johnson, Athens and Decatur.

Tanner tramples Phil Campbell: Apparently, Tanner took last week’s 21-20 loss to region-leading Red Bay to heart and that was bad news for Phil Campbell on Friday night. The Rattlers ran all over the Bobcats, rushing for 505 yards while limiting Phil Campbell to just six.

Tanner’s Derrick Malone and Jarquise Peoples headed up the Rattlers’ ground attack. Peoples put up 225 yards and three first-half touchdowns. Malone added 173 rushing yards and a pair of third-quarter touchdowns for Tanner (3-1).

Peoples has scored eight touchdowns this season, and Malone has five rushing touchdowns.