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By Carey Reeder| Staff Writer

Isabella High School’s Eli Kendrick and Zac Chapman are this week’s athletes of the week for their performances against Thorsby High School on Sept. 2. Kendrick and Chapman led Isabella to their second rivalry win in as many weeks, and their first AHSAA Class 2A Region 4 win of the season.

Isabella held a 12-8 lead after the opening quarter, then Kendrick and Chapman had their best quarter of the season in the second frame. Kendrick connected on 70-yard and 81-yard touchdown passes to Chapman in the quarter, and added a 50-yard touchdown connection in the quarter, too.

Kendrick threw for 343 yards on 11-for-14 passing and four touchdowns. He added 27 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to his totals.

“Three hundred and forty-three passing yards, wow,” Isabella head coach Tate Leonard said after the game on Sept. 2. “Our offensive line coming in was a concern for everybody because of how young we are, and we are young. Now, they have won two rivalry games back-to-back, and are executing at a high level.”

At halftime, Kendrick had thrown for his four touchdown passes already, and the Mustangs turned to Chapman and the running game to put the game away down the stretch. Chapman had a pair of touchdown runs inside the five-yard line in the second half to help push Thorsby out to the comfort win. Chapman had 270 all-purpose yards, 157 of those were receiving and 83 were rushing yards.

The play calling from the Mustangs coaching staff is benefitting both players greatly. Isabella is dialing up short intermediate passes after a heavy running attack, like the two connections in the second quarter between Kendrick and Chapman. Those are allowing the senior duo to get out in space with blockers, and they both have made the most of those opportunities so far in 2022.

 

Honorable Mention: Landon Jones, Billingsley High School

After a setback in his first game as the new starting quarterback at Billingsley High School, Landon Jones and the Bears bounced back in a big way on Sept 2. beating Calhoun High School 42-6.

Calhoun was loading the tackle box in the middle of the field selling out to stop the running game. That gave the Billingsley receivers, and Jones the opportunity to have single-coverage on the outside, and they made Calhoun pay.

Jones threw for 304 yards on 18-for-23 completions and three touchdowns, giving the Bears long and athletic receivers the opportunity to make a play. Jones added 47 rushing yards on nine carries to his totals.

Billingsley sits 1-1 on the season now, and 1-0 in AHSAA Class 1A Region 4 play with a clash with Verbena High School at home next for the Bears on Sept. 9.