PDF SportS - The Trussville Tribune



Page B-1 ? October 10, 2013

Sports

Huskies fall short in comeback at No. 9 Shades Valley

by David Knox

For The Tribune

In the end, it was just too much Keith Mixon.

Shades Valley's bigplay multipurpose back scored four touchdowns and recovered an onside kick as the ninth-ranked Mounties built a large lead and then held off a stubborn and spirited Hewitt-Trussville team 42-35 at Frank Nix Athletic Complex in Irondale on Friday.

Mixon had his highlight-reel moments. But when the Huskies' gritty defense managed to limit him and Shades Valley's other explosive players, it was a different story. In fact, when Hewitt-Trussville hemmed Mixon up twice on a key fourth-period sequence, it gave the Huskies the ball again at their own 32 with 1:36 to play and a chance to tie or win. But Huskies quarterback Blake Bailey ? who pegged four TD passes -- was sacked twice by a fierce pass rush and his third-down pass deep into Mountie territory was intercepted by Tanner Henton to kill the threat.

That a last-minute chance even presented

file photo by Ron Burkett

Hewitt-Trussville senior Blake Bailey (7) threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns in the loss at Shades Valley on Friday.

itself was unexpected after unbeaten Shades Valley took a 28-7 lead into halftime. Take away the second quarter, which Shades Valley dominated with three unanswered touchdowns, and Hewitt-Trussville outscored their hosts 35-21 -- 28-14 in the second half.

"We had our chances," said head coach Hal

Riddle. "It's not like we didn't. We didn't take advantage of all of them. But shoot, man, you've got to be thankful for a group that's down 28-7 at the half and comes out and has a chance to tie the game or go for two and win the game at the end."

Hewitt-Trussville (24, 2-2 Class 6A, Region 6) turned the ball over

three times, all on interceptions, missed a field goal and had a handful of dropped passes and a couple penalties at crucial times. A trick play late ? a flanker pass ? just missed. But while the execution wasn't perfect, Riddle praised his team's effort.

"These little ol' boys from Trussville, they have a lot of heart," Riddle said. "They've got a coaching staff working with them, keeps encouraging them and loving them. They had two big plays on us in the second half. This team is going to have some big plays. They've done it all year."

Shades Valley built its 28-7 halftime lead after surrendering the game's first score, a 3-yard toss from Bailey to Cyle Moore. T.J. McGettigan's extra point gave the Huskies a 7-0 lead four minutes into the game.

But the Mounties' high-powered offense roared back with four touchdowns. Quarterback Rashad Louie scampered in from 11 yards out to tie the score with 4:02 remaining in the first quarter and then Mixon took over in

see HEWITT page B-2

Clay-Chalkville rolls over Grissom

by Erik Harris

For The Tribune

Things are just as they should be. The summer has passed, the days are shorter and ClayChalkville is still undefeated after its 62-8 Class 6A, Region 7 win over Grissom on Friday.

This game was the definition of a mismatch. The No. 2 Cougars (6-0, 4-0) reached the end zone on eight of their 10 possessions. And only one of those was a true stop for the Tiger defense as Clay-Chalkville ran out the fourth-quarter clock on its final possession.

"We challenged the kids to play for the purpose of getting better every single week and I think they did that tonight. I'm proud of them," said Cougars head coach Jerry Hood.

The Cougars dominated the line of scrimmage and unleashed a stable of running backs on visiting Grissom (0-6, 0-4). The home team had nothing but fresh legs in the backfield that carried the offense for 417 yards on 27 carries and six touchdowns.

On the other side, the Tigers managed only 84 yards on 29 rushes and one score. Things weren't any prettier through the air for the visitors. Quarterback Christian Grospitch went 4-for-16 for 35 yards and an interception claimed by junior Kam Prewitt.

Rarely was Grissom able to get first and second down stops to threaten the Clay-Chalkville offense, but when it did, the Cougars extended the drive four out of five times. The Tigers con-

file photo by Ron Burkett

Clay-Chalkville senior wide receiver Brian Clark caught two touchdowns in the win over Grissom.

verted on two of their 12 third down attempts.

Seniors Hayden Moore and Brian Clark hooked up with ease early on. On two of their first four possessions, the dangerous combo reached the end zone. With 5:08 remaining in the opening quarter, Moore lobed it up for Clark, who made a toetapping catch that would

have counted on Sunday. The grab gave Clay a 14-0 lead.

Moore went back to Clark just moments into the second quarter. The quarterback flung it into the flats and Clark did all the work from there, powering his way 18 yards to the end zone.

see CLAY page B-3

Lethargic Pinson Valley falls at No. 7 Center Point

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Pinson Valley head coach Matt Glover told his team it was going to happen.

The Indians didn't practice well last Monday or Tuesday, just going through the motions, just happy to be there.

It showed Friday at Center Point, as the No. 7 Eagles (6-0, 4-0 Class 5A, Region 6) rolled over Pinson Valley, 40-14.

"We got beat," Glover said. "We played like crap, practiced like crap. We didn't practice the way we needed to practice."

Pinson Valley (3-3, 2-2) was down 24-0 at the half. Junior running back Nick Gibson had accounted for 140 yards -- 99 rushing, 41 receiving -- by halftime. The rest of the Pinson Valley offense combined for -2 yards in the first two quarters.

photo by Ron Burkett

Pinson Valley junior running back Nick Gibson looks for running room at Center Point on Friday.

"We just weren't clicking," said Gibson, who fin-

ished with 125 rushing yards on 19 carries. "Every-

thing wasn't clicking. Football is a team sport. If

everybody isn't clicking, we're going to fall short in

some spots."

Center Point got on the board first early in the first

quarter, when junior Donte' Blackmon rushed one

yard to cap an eight-play, 52-yard drive. Junior quar-

terback Keilan Knight hit senior Xavier Perkins for the

two-point conversion, giving the Eagles an 8-0 lead.

On fourth-and-11 from the Indians' 39-yard line,

Knight found senior Sedric Powell for a score late in

the opening quarter. Blackmon rushed a couple yards

for the two-point conversion.

Blackmon found the end

zone from three yards out

with 4:47 until halftime,

and junior Zakez Jones

rushed for the two-point

conversion, to give Center

Point a 24-0 halftime ad-

vantage.

Pinson Valley senior

quarterback Brooks Gar- Scan this QR Code with

rett scored on an 8-yard keeper for Pinson Val-

your smartphone to see highlights from the game.

ley's first score, making it

a 24-7 game midway through the third quarter. Two

drives later, Eagles senior Dequarius Simmons picked

off Garrett for a 40-yard interception return for touch-

down. Knight found Powell for the two-point conver-

sion.

On fourth-and-13 from the Pinson Valley 33-yard

line midway through the fourth quarter, freshman

Christopher Baker found Perkins in the end zone for

see PINSON page B-3

2 Hewitt-Trussville softball players commit

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Two Hewitt-Trussville senior softball players last week made their college commitments.

Kristen Bittle, who plays middle infield and third base, committed to the University of West Alabama. Bittle also had offers from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., Spring Hill College in Mobile and several junior colleges.

submitted photo

Kristen Bittle has committed to the University of West Alabama.

Bittle last season bat- Huskies with 45 runs ted .401 and led the Lady batted in. She hit two

home runs and had 13 doubles.

Leigh McAnally committed to play at Central Alabama Community College in Alexander City.

McAnally was a clutch player for Hewitt-Trussville last season, going 2-for-4 with three runs batted in in the Lady Huskies' 12-4 win over Gardendale to clinch the Class 6A, Area 12 championship. She was named to the all-tournament team.

Hewitt-Trussville

file photo by Gary Lloyd

Leigh McAnally has committed to Central Alabama Community College.

posted a 39-12 record last season and finished one win shy of a final eight appearance at the state tournament. The Class 6A, Area 12 champions, ranked No. 6 in the state, were eliminated from the state playoffs by No. 8 Hueytown in a North Central Regional qualifier.

Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune. com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.

Page B-2 ? October 10, 2013



Clay-Chalkville hits road for Gadsden City

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

This game a season ago was emotional.

Running back Sidney Battle was hit hard on the game's first play and was taken to the hospital. He felt some numbness in his extremities but was ultimately OK.

Clay-Chalkville played a distracted game after the injury, winning 21-14 in overtime. Gadsden City had a chance to win in regulation, missing a 23-yard field goal.

This time around, a healthy Clay-Chalkville team will be focused. Kickoff between the No. 2 Cougars (6-0, 4-0, Class 6A, Region 7) and Gadsden City (2-4, 1-3) is at 7 p.m. Fri-

file photo by Ron Burkett

Clay-Chalkville junior running back Terrelle West runs behind the blocking of junior offensive lineman Justin Daniel last month at Pinson Valley. West is averaging 112 rushing yards per game this season.

day at Titan Stadium in Gads- ing team. Under first-year head

den.

coach Matt Scott, the Titans

Gadsden City is an interest- have wins over Lee-Huntsville

and Albertville. It lost its first game of the season 28-7 to Florence and its most recent home game 35-7 to Pell City. The Titans competed in a 6-0 loss to a solid Oxford team and barely fell at Class 6A No. 8 Auburn, 16-13. The 16 points Auburn scored was a season low for the 5-1 team.

However, Gadsden City scores just a paltry 13.6 points per game but allows a respectable 15.3 points to its opponents. Clay-Chalkville is the top scoring team in Class 6A, averaging 48.3 points per contest. The defense is allowing 19 points per game.

For Gadsden City to have a chance, it will need to play its best defensive game and create a short field for its offense

with turnovers. This ClayChalkville team, however, is on a mission this season and will ride the arms and legs of senior quarterback Hayden Moore, and the legs of running backs Terrelle West, Sidney Battle, DeAndres Merriweather, Christopher Marshall and Stephone Sheffield. Senior receiver Brian Clark is playing great on the outside, catching five touchdown passes in the last three games.

Expect Gadsden City to compete early but for ClayChalkville to roll to another big victory.

Contact Gary Lloyd at news@ and follow him on Twitter @ GaryALloyd.

HEWITT continued from page B-1

the second period with a 1-yard plunge and a neck-twisting 44-yard bolt to push the lead to 21-7. Jaylin Boykin added Shades Valley's third score of the quarter with a 13-yard run with just 43 seconds left before halftime.

The three-score deficit at the break was but an afterthought when Huskies offensive lineman Kyle Miskelley was injured on the final play of the half. The beginning of the break was delayed while paramedics and training personnel attended to him. He was placed on a stretcher and taken away by ambulance to St. Vincent's in Birmingham with a possible leg fracture.

The Huskies scored

first in the second half when a Shades Valley defender gambled on an out route and Bailey whistled the ball past him to DeMarcus Kelly, who turned upfield and outraced the Mounties 82 yards for a touchdown. A missed PAT left the Huskies trailing 2813 with 7:19 left in the quarter.

Mixon answered for Shades Valley, taking a toss from Louie and weaving through a pack of Huskies for a 69-yard score and nudging the lead back out to 35-13 with 5:45 left in the period.

The Huskies weren't through. Seemingly on their heels, they put together a drive capped by Bailey's 19-yard pass to

Peyton Palmer. Bailey found Logan McAlpin for a two-point conversion pass to make the score 35-21 with 1:45 still left in the third quarter.

But Mixon again responded as the junior seemed to ice the game with a 16-yard run to make it 42-21 with 11:53 left in the contest.

But that was the last time the Mounties would score.

Bailey, who shared time at quarterback with Zach Thomas for a good portion of the first half before Thomas was injured in the third quarter, led his team back again, finishing a drive with a 4-yard run. McGettigan's PAT cut the lead to 42-28 with 9:23

to play. The Huskies' inspired

defense clamped down as Shades Valley attempted to grind away at the clock, forcing Mixon and company to the sideline again. Bailey found Riley Stokes for a 48-yard touchdown pass and McGettigan's kick pulled the Huskies within seven with 3:19 left.

The Huskies, not willing to give their hosts another attempt to chew up clock, attempted an onside kick. The bobbling ball was loose for a second before Mixon raced up and corralled it.

But Valley couldn't run out the clock, as Hewitt keyed on Mixon and forced one more

punt. The Huskies got the ball back at their 32 with 1:36 left, but Bailey was heavily pressured and sacked on two successive downs. Unwilling to let that happen a third time, Bailey unleashed a deep throw that was intercepted, snuffing out the final hope.

Sacks and tackles for losses skewed the final statistical numbers. The Huskies rushed for 57 net yards on 32 carries while Valley recorded 120 yards on 25 tries. Bailey was 18-for-39 passing for 345 yards with the four TD passes and two interceptions. The Mounties also intercepted Thomas once. The Huskies didn't lose a fumble. Austin Wysor

and Hunter Songer each recovered Mounties fumbles. Carson Foster led Hewitt with 14 tackles and three tackles for loss.

"It's hard to look at the hurt on their faces now," Riddle said of his team. "But we've still got a chance to get in (the playoffs). We're 2-2, it's still in our hands. We played really hard. I don't have any qualms with our effort. We're thankful for these kids and the way they played and the way they get after it. That's what you hope for, get into the fourth quarter and have a chance against a team ranked ninth in the state."

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Page B-3 ? October 10, 2013

Indians host struggling Curry for homecoming

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Pinson Valley will try to end a two-game losing skid Friday when it hosts a struggling Curry team for its homecoming game.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Willie Adams Stadium.

Pinson Valley (3-3, 2-2 Class 5A, Region 6) is coming off what is likely its toughest two-game stretch in some time, falling at home Sept. 27 to Class 6A No. 2 Clay-

Chalkville, 48-31, and

last week at Class 5A

No. 7 Center Point, 40-

14.

Against

Clay-

Chalkville, the Pinson

Valley offense clicked

from the second quarter

on, scoring on four of its

final seven possessions

and outscoring the Cou-

gars 28-14 from the mid-

dle of the second quarter

onward.

At Center Point last

week, the Indians strug-

gled from the beginning,

falling behind 24-0 by

halftime. Junior running

back Nick Gibson had accounted for 140 yards -- 99 rushing, 41 receiving -- by halftime. The rest of the Pinson Valley offense combined for -2 yards in the first two quarters.

Head coach Matt Glover said the team didn't have a good week of practice leading up to the game at Center Point. That probably changed this week, leading into a region matchup with Curry (1-5, 0-4).

Curry won its first game of the year over

PINSON continued from page B-1

a touchdown. Senior Virgil Studdard rushed for the two-point conversion to put the Eagles up 40-7.

Pinson Valley answered on the ensuing drive, capping a nine-play, 67-yard drive when Garrett found sophomore Errius Collins for a 17-yard touchdown.

For Center Point, Knight completed 12-of-21 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. Perkins caught four passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.

For Pinson Valley, Garrett completed 14-of-33 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once

and lost a fumble. Senior Dylan Evans caught four passes for 46 yards. Josh Welch and Deon Gregory recovered fumbles for Pinson Valley.

Glover said he was "really disappointed" in himself and with the way Pinson Valley prepared leading up to the game.

"We're going to have to get it fixed," he said.

Contact Gary Lloyd at news@ and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.

CLAY continued from page B-1

He left several would-be tacklers in his wake with a 21-0 hole to work with.

"I feel like I just did what I did, they missed a tackle and I finished it off with a touchdown," Clark said.

The Moore-to-Clark combo was mercifully put on hold for the remainder of senior night.

The Cougar defense tallied stop after stop before Grissom finally scored on its final drive

of the game. The fact that the score came against the Clay-Chalkville scout team made no difference to the Tigers.

Erik Williams' 3-yard touchdown scamper was a sight for board eyes, and the two-point conversion almost made the trek from Huntsville worth it. However, the real excitement came moments later when the Cougars' senior punter took the field to play tight end late in the

fourth quarter. The stands roared as the out-of-place punter plowed off the left side to spring running back and fellow senior Stephone Sheffield for a big gain.

This powerful block came as a surprise to every eye that saw. It was executed by the punter Cassie Clayton, who is the only female football player in school history.

"I didn't think I would go in at tight end," Clay-

photo by Ron Burkett

Pinson Valley junior linebacker Deon Gregory (33) chases down a Center Point runner last week.

Carbon Hill, 42-14, but has since lost five consecutive games. Curry has allowed 53.8 points per game its last five games, and has managed to score just 17 points in those games.

Expect Pinson Valley's offense to get back

on track against Curry. The defense should corral Curry, whose main threat is quarterback Jarrod Owens, who can get it done with his arm and legs.

A big win will be just what Pinson Valley needs heading into im-

portant region games at Springville on Oct. 18 and against Moody on Oct. 25.

Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune. com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.

ton said. "That was a surprise, but it was awesome, adrenaline going and everything."

Moore only played in the first half due to the 34-0 halftime score. He completed five of his seven passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Terrelle West was also benched at the break after claiming 113 yards on five carries with a score. Christopher Marshall ran the ball four

times for 71 yards and a touchdown. Deandres Merriweather only got the rock twice, but he turned it into 41 yards and a score. Sheffield went 92 yards on seven carries with a touchdown.

"I just saw lanes from my O-line and my wide receivers blocked great down field," West said. "Coach (Bob) Adams does a great job of teaching them how to block down field."

Clark said blocking is his favorite part of the game.

"It puts me on my Agame because I love to block for them," he said.

Second-half quarterback Tyrell Pigrome went a perfect 5-for-5 passing for 79 yards.

"I'm proud of all the kids. Even when we put the backups in, the third team in, I thought they executed well," Hood said.

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Page B-4 ? October 10, 2013



Friday Feature: Playoffs on line for Huskies, Spartans

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Hewitt-Trussville

and

Mountain Brook are playing

for a lot Friday.

The game between the Class

6A, Region 6 opponents will

go a long way in determining

the region's final playoff rep-

resentative. Hewitt-Trussville

is 2-4 overall with a 2-2 region

record. Mountain Brook is 3-3

overall with the same region

record. Shades Valley and

Vestavia Hills are 4-0 in the

region, and Gardendale is 3-1.

Kickoff at Jack Wood Sta-

dium is at 7 p.m.

Hewitt-Trussville has region

losses to Vestavia Hills and

Shades Valley. Past Moun-

tain Brook, the Huskies have

Gardendale and Huffman left

as region opponents. Moun-

tain Brook has region losses

to Shades Valley and Garden-

dale. After Hewitt-Trussville,

the Spartans still have Huff-

man and Vestavia Hills on the

region schedule.

"It's just another game for

us," said Hewitt-Trussville se-

nior wide receiver DeMarcus

photo by Ron Burkett

Hewitt-Trussville senior defensive end Joseph Roberts (49) attempts to tackle a Woodlawn runner in a game at Jack Wood Stadium last month.

Kelly, who caught three passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in last week's 42-35 loss at Shades Valley. "We have to play hard all four quarters, not just two."

Mountain Brook, ranked No. 6 in Class 6A before the season started, has won three consecutive games after starting a sur-

prising 0-3. The Spartans have drilled Woodlawn and Carver, and slipped past Buckhorn 1514, in the three-game winning streak. In Mountain Brook's past two games, quarterback Jacob Carroll has thrown for 447 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Against Carver, he also rushed for two

touchdowns. Hewitt-Trussville has lost

two straight games, falling to Minor on homecoming 34-23 and last week at No. 9 Shades Valley in a near comeback, 4235. Senior quarterback Blake Bailey had a great passing game at Shades Valley, completing 18 of his 39 passes

for 345 yards and four touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions but also rushed for a touchdown. The Huskies managed just 57 rushing yards on 32 attempts last week and 84 yards on 25 carries the week before against Minor.

Hewitt-Trussville will need to find success in its running game to sustain long drives and keep the ball away from Carroll and the Spartans. The Huskies forced a couple Shades Valley turnovers last week, something important again this week.

"No matter who we play, we look at it as an opportunity," said senior defensive end Austin Wysor, who notched seven tackles, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery at Shades Valley.

Not able to attend Friday's game? No problem. The game will be broadcast on 107.3 FM and at .

Contact Gary Lloyd at news@ and follow him on Twitter @ GaryALloyd.

Hewitt-Trussville shortstop commits to UAB

by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Hewitt-Trussville junior shortstop Carter Pharis has committed to UAB.

Pharis was the youngest starter on a Hewitt-Trussville baseball team that won a school-record 34 games and reached the Class 6A state championship series in the spring.

"I chose UAB for many reasons: tremendous coaching staff, strong academic school, opportunity to play close to home, and finally, I

felt UAB was just the perfect fit for me," Pharis said. "I feel very fortunate that God has given me the opportunity to one day play baseball for the UAB Blazers."

As a sophomore during the 2013 season, Pharis batted .270 and had 28 runs batted in. He notched eight doubles, three triples and 14 stolen bases. His on-base percentage was .370. Pharis led the Hewitt-Trussville defense with 79 assists.

This summer with the Excel Blue Sox 16U team, Pharis batted .347 with 15 RBIs and a .437 onbase percentage in 26 games.

Pharis garnered interest this summer from South Alabama, Auburn, Jacksonville State, Central Florida, Mississippi State and Southern Miss. He took visits to UAB and Auburn.

Contact Gary Lloyd at news@ and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.

photo courtesy of Jo Gatewood

Hewitt-Trussville junior shortstop Carter Pharis has committed to UAB.

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