Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Maplesville High School put together a perfect offensive performance scoring on every drive they had to put away Billingsley High School 57-14 on Oct. 11. The Red Devils converted each of their eight drives into touchdowns, and the only drive that did not go for a score was the final one that ran the game clock to zero.

“I think we came out and played really hard tonight, our defense was pressing a bit early and forced things, but in the second half we talked to them about ‘Being you, play and have fun with the style of football you are used to,’” Maplesville head coach Brad Abbott said. “They did a good job shutting them out in the second half, but the offense tonight from start to finish was very good.”

Maplesville held a 28-14 lead at halftime after both teams were able to move the ball well throughout the first half. However, the Red Devils’ defense rose to the occasion while their offense continued to fire on all cylinders. Yeargan found Von Woods for a 30-yard touchdown connection, followed by Nehemiah McCary’s two-point conversion run to make it 36-14. Aidan Abbott and McCary hauled in touchdown passes from Yeargan later in the third quarter, 22 and 30 yards, respectively, to blow the game open at 49-14 entering the fourth quarter.

Yeargan finished the game 11-for-16 for 139 yards and four touchdowns, and he completed a pass to six different Maplesville receivers.

“Before the second half, if we can just get a stop before the half I felt like we were in a good position after moving the ball the whole first half,” Billingsley head coach Lanny Jones said.

Randall Stoudenmire put the finishing touches on Maplesville’s win with a 24-yard touchdown carry to give the Red Devils the win in the 90th matchup all-time between the two traditional rivals.

“Last week was kind of a lull after the first loss of the season and it was rough,” Brad Abbott said. “This week was our best week of practice all year, and the way the kids prepared for this game showed tonight.”

Scoring was the theme in the first half as Maplesville built an early 14-0 lead behind McCary’s six-yard touchdown run and Colby Mitchell’s 20-yard touchdown from Yeargan. Billingsley’s offense found its footing as well with Kyle Boice finding the end zone on a long 58-yard touchdown toss from Landon Jones. Yeargan extended the Red Devils’ lead just before the end of the first quarter with a long 60-yard quarterback scamper to the end zone to make it 21-7.

McCary ran for a team-high 159 yards on 14 carries, and Yeargan posted 75 yards on four carries.

Jones was 15-for-22 passing for 216 yards, and ran for 36 yards as well. Boice made eight catches for 147 yards. Jones was also the leading tackler for the Bears with 12 stops, followed by Tanner Truesdale with 10.

The scoring continued into the second quarter with the teams trading touchdowns — first Kaden Cotton’s two-yard run for the Bears, followed by Roman Hall’s three-yard run, to bring the tally to 28-14 Maplesville at the halftime break. Cotton ran for 114 yards on 13 carries.

Ethan Rencher made six tackles for Maplesville to lead their defense, followed by James Jones with five stops. Jake Carlee pulled down an interception in the game as well.

“It is do or die for us,” Lanny Jones said. “We still have to take it one game at a time, but the next two are it for us. We can either decide we are going to try and win those two games and prepare to win them, or we can just keep doing what we are doing and we will find ourselves doing something different in two weeks.”

Maplesville (6-1) hosts Keith High School on Oct. 18 in their next game in region play. Billingsley (3-5) travels to Notasulga High School on the same day in region with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance. Both games kick off at 7 p.m.