LeFlore beats Elberta 20-8 to keep playoff hopes alive; BCHS beats Murphy 56-0, Jackson romps 41-0
LeFlore’s Jataurs Morrissitte (left) and Ryion Austin celebrate after Morrissette’s 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of the Rattlers’ 20-6 win over Elberta Thursday night. (Scott Donaldson/Call News)
By JOHN VELLA
MOBILE — Tyler Gardner rushed for 97 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown as LeFlore defeated Elberta 20-8 Thursday night to keep its playoff hopes alive with its first back-to-back victories since 2018.
Gardner’s 7-yard run in the fourth quarter put the game away for the Rattlers (3-4, 3-2 5A Region 1), who are seeking their first playoff berth since 2013. The top four teams from the region will make the postseason and LeFlore is no worse than fourth in the region with two region games left.
“God is amazing and these kids come out each week fighting and this community is starting to believe,” said Rattlers coach Michael Perry, whose team has won three region games for the first time since 2017.
Perry ran for 77 of his 97 yards in the second half.
“Tyler really got stronger in the second half for us,” Perry said. “The offensive line was starting to come together.”
LeFlore also got TD runs of 5 yards from Jataurs Morrissitte in the second quarter and 2 yards from Rashad Miles in the third quarter. Morrissitte’s score capped a two-play drive after the Rattlers capitalized on a bad punt snap by the Warriors.
Elberta (0-7, 0-5) — which has lost 17 straight region games — avoided the shutout when Brandon Nolan scored on a 7-yard run as time expired in the third quarter.
The Rattlers held a region opponent to their fewest points since shutting out Wilcox Central in 2019.
“The score wasn’t pretty but our defense was locked in tonight,” Perry said.
Baldwin Co. 56,
Murphy 0
MOBILE — Murphy lost five fumbles, saw two turnovers converted into touchdowns and was penalized 12 times in a 56-0 loss to Baldwin County at Ladd-Peebles Stadium Thursday night.
Quienteris Anderson ran for 79 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown for the Tigers (1-6, 1-4 6A Region 1).
The Panthers (0-8, 0-6) have given up a school-record 395 points this season and have scored just two touchdowns all year.
Murphy fumbled eight times and lost five and was flagged seven times in the first quarter alone.
“The turnovers and the penalties were a big concern,” Panthers coach Sherman Williams said. “We try to protect the ball but there’s not excuse for turnovers. With fumbling the ball and pick-sixes, it was a bad situation for turnovers.”
Baldwin County led 22-0 in the first quarter on Lloyd Christen’s 28-yard field goal, a fumble recovery in the end zone, Anderson’s 2-yard run and Noah Bowers’ 52-yard interception return. The Tigers led 32-0 at the half and the second half was played with a running clock.
— Arthur Mack
Jackson 41,
Orange Beach 0
JACKSON — Alabama commit E.J. Crowell scored four touchdowns and Keegan Chapman returned two kicks for touchdowns to lead No. 2-ranked Jackson to a 41-0 win over Orange Beach Thursday night.
The Aggies (6-2, 3-1) recovered from their 49-39 loss to St. Michael — their first to a Class 4A in the regular season since 2022 — with Crowell running for 99 yards on seven carries, including TD runs of 34, 7, 5 and 7 yards.
Chapman returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and brought back a punt 90 yards for a TD in the second quarter. The North Carolina commit has returned four kicks for touchdowns this season.
“I already know when they kick the ball to me, I’m going to make some plays,” Chapman said. “I thought they wouldn’t kick the ball to me anymore when I started making plays early but opportunity came and I took it.”
Jackson coach Cody Flournoy said Chapman caught the coaching staff off guard to begin the game.
“Some of us didn’t even have our headsets on yet,” Flournoy said. “He’s having a great year, especially in the return game. He’s a great DB but his return game is where he’s really shown out and the ball keeps finding him. We’re going to keep rolling him out there.”
The Aggies’ varsity scored all 41 points in the first half before turning the game over to the backups in the second half.
“We got beat last week,” Flournoy said. “We talked to our guys Sunday, came in Monday and went back to work. Credit to our guys, we go in with a workmanlike attitude, play good defense, move the ball offensively, then have some explosive plays. You put it all together, you get a big region win.”
Quarterback and South Carolina commit Landon Duckworth completed 6 of 11 passes for 109 yards, including a 48-yard bomb to Jamarcus Locke.
North Carolina commit Jamarrion Gordon had an interception in the first quarter.
— Logan Gatlin
