City pride still on the line for Austin

After Austin High’s disappointing 27-21 loss to Buckhorn on Friday, a contest in which the Black Bears led in the fourth quarter, head coach David Norwood gave his players his heartfelt sympathy.

“I feel for you. I really do, especially you seniors,” Norwood said, looking into his players’ eyes at midfield.

“But what you have to do now is get ready for next week. You’ve still got something to play for. You know what’s on the line next week — it’s pride.”

The Black Bears dominated the statistics against the Bucks, outrushing Buckhorn 168 yards to 149, outpassing the visitors 180 yards to 40 and gaining 16 first downs to the Bucks’ eight.

Still, Buckhorn found the big plays at the right time, and that made the difference. The Bucks scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes for the win.

The loss put Austin out of the state playoffs, but it also fueled the Black Bears’ intensity heading into next week’s rivalry game with Decatur — a matchup the Black Bears won 17-14 last year, beating the Red Raiders for the first time since 2001.

“That week in Decatur, Alabama, you don’t have to explain what’s on the line,” Norwood said. “(Decatur coach Jere Adcock) won’t have to say much to get his kids fired up, and I won’t either.”

Last year’s Austin seniors were able to close out the season with a win over their biggest rival. And Norwood said he hopes for the same for this year’s seniors, who are a group that he deemed playoff-worthy in the preseason. He stuck to that Friday night.

“Oh yeah, a win next week — it would help a lot,” Norwood said.

Decatur back on track: The mood might not have said it, but Decatur High could celebrate officially an undisputed Class 5A, Region 8 championship after beating Brewer 42-13 on Friday night.

The sixth-ranked Red Raiders had plenty to cheer about in the win — they clinched a perfect region record for the first time since 2005 and extended their winning streak to eight games.

Decatur went 6-0 in its 6A region in 2005 before finishing 10-2 and making it to the second round of the state playoffs. The Red Raiders moved to 5A last season and struggled, but they are back on track this year, winning their eighth region title in 12 seasons under Adcock.

Decatur also has made the playoffs 10 of 12 times since Adcock became the head coach in 1996.

Danville wins big: The Danville Hawks had waited a while for a big win. They turned the trick Friday night in a 54-0 smashing of Hanceville. It was Danville’s first win since Nov. 2, 2006, when it beat Speake 17-14 in the final game of the regular season.

The Hawks didn’t just squeeze out a win Friday. They did it in convincing fashion.

Danville scored three times in the first quarter and three times in the second for a 41-0 halftime lead.

Danville sophomore Levi George’s 236 rushing yards and four touchdowns led the onslaught, and five different Hawks scored before the night was over.

East Limestone seeks rematches: The East Limestone Indians will enter the playoffs as the third seed in Class 4A, Region 7, and while most teams would be happy to just make the postseason, this isn’t what the Indians had in mind to begin the year.

There are two reasons East Limestone slipped to third in the region and out of the state rankings: North Jackson and Madison County. Both teams dealt losses to East Limestone (7-2, 5-2 in 4A, Region 7) this season, and they are the only two teams to have beaten the Indians.

East Limestone’s two stumbling blocks faced off Friday night with North Jackson (9-0, 7-0) thrashing the previously undefeated and seventh-ranked Tigers 45-7, while East Limestone shut out Columbia 31-0. After that, the Indians’ 24-7 loss to top-ranked North Jackson on Oct. 5 doesn’t look quite as bad.

After losing to the Chiefs, East Limestone coach Jeff Pugh urged his team to strive to meet North Jackson again down the road. That matchup would come in the state semifinals. East Limestone might have to beat region foe Madison County (8-1, 6-1) to get there.

R.A. Hubbard pushes Hazlewood: As usual in this matchup, when undefeated Hazlewood played unranked R.A. Hubbard on Friday night, the heated Class 1A Lawrence rivalry wasn’t decided until the fourth quarter.

Hazlewood won 26-12, but the visiting Chiefs (3-6, 2-5 in 1A, Region 8) tested the fourth-ranked and homestanding Golden Bears (9-0, 7-0), playing Hazlewood closer than any team has since the opening week of the season when Hazlewood beat 4A power Tarrant 7-0.

Against R.A. Hubbard, Hazlewood led only 13-12 in the second half.

Hazlewood’s 14-point win against its rival was well below its average margin of victory, which was 31.8 before Friday night. The Golden Bears have beaten 1A opponents by an average of 37.