Maplesville answered with a 87-yard drive, as Chambers and running back Damian Mitchell gashed the Pickens defense.

Chambers pushed his way in, with help from short-yardage back Devonte’ Morrow, from one yard out for a score with 30 seconds left in the first quarter.

Brown blocked the point-after to protect the lead.

Simon returned the ensuing kickoff to the 35-yard line, and a personal foul on Maplesville during the return set up Pickens County at midfield.

Anthony Moore made sure the mistake didn’t matter as his perfect coverage on a deep pass resulted in a leaping interception at Maplesville’s 6-yard line.

After a three-and-out and punt by the Red Devils, the Maplesville defense picked off Pickens again. This time, it was Kendarius Bradley blanketing an opposing receiver and coming down with the ball.

On the next play, Pickens County’s Rakwan Betts blindsided Chambers, causing a fumble that was recovered by Tyderious Easterwood at Maplesville’s 39-yard line.

On the next play, Brown found room and raced down the left sideline for a 39-yard touchdown run. His extra point made it 14-6 with 5:50 remaining in the first half.

Again, the Red Devils had an answer, driving 62 yards, with the last 22 coming on Mitchell’s scoring run. He went up the middle then veered left and was untouched all the way to the end zone.

Chambers’ pass attempt for a 2-point conversion fell incomplete to leave the score at 14-12 with 3:46 on the clock.

Pickens had a chance to add to its lead before halftime, especially after a Maplesville offsides penalty with the Tornadoes lining up for a fourth-and-2 play was a gift first down.

Corey Hall put pressure on Simon, holding on to the quarterback’s leg as he threw the ball away, to force a punt just before the intermission.

The teams combined for four turnovers and just two punts in the second half.

The second half was all Brown, and Maplesville’s offense couldn’t keep up against a Pickens defense that tightened its grip on the Devils as the game progressed.

On Pickens’ first possession of the half, Simon capped a 71-yard, four-play, 53-second drive with an eight-yard scoring run.

Maplesville punted for just the second time of the day, and Pickens took advantage to take a 26-12 lead on what might have been the play of the game. Simon scrambled to his right on a fourth-and-10 from Maplesville’s 18-yard line then, with the defense closing in, threw a strike to Patrick Plott, the coach’s son, who made a diving catch in the end zone.

Two more Maplesville possessions went nowhere before Brown iced the game with the fake punt for a touchdown.

The only MHS score of the second half, a 1-yard run by Mitchell, came with the game well in hand.

“We did a good job of moving the ball the first half, but we kind of stalled out ourselves,” Chambers said. “In the second half, it was pretty much the same thing, we just never got a spark to get going. They have a great defense.”

Chambers completed eight of 14 passes for 115 yards, and rushed 15 times for 91 more yards.

Mitchell rushed 31 times for 133 yards. Kendarius Bradley caught one pass for 40 yards, and Stevonta Bradley caught two passes for 30 yards.

Simon spelled Brown effectively, rushing 13 times for 110 yards. The Tornadoes passed for only 31 yards, but it was of little consequence as their 434 yards on the ground set a team record for rushing yards in a championship game that was set by Maplesville in its 1996 win over Lynn.

Despite the outcome of the game, Maplesville coach Brent Hubbert said his players have plenty to be proud of–even in addition to their 14 wins this season and appearance at the Super 6.

“Come to our school and walk down the halls and see these kids, this senior class, and you’d be blown away by the type of young men they are,” Hubbert said after the game.