Jackson coach Cody Flournoy celebrates with his players Friday after receiving the Blue Map signifying the Class 4A state championship. The Aggies rolled to a 52-0 win over Anniston at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. (Helen Joyce/Call News)
Jackson’s Keeyun “Red” Chapman reaches over Anniston’s Kyree Lewis for as 26-yard touchdown pass from Landon Duckworth at the end of the first half Friday in Birmingham. (Helen Joyce/Call News)
By LOGAN GATLIN
BIRMINGHAM — Game MVP E.J. Crowell ran for 304 yards on 25 carries and five touchdowns and Jackson’s defense swarmed Anniston all game long as the No. 2-ranked Aggies ripped the No. 4 Bulldogs 52-0 for their second straight Class 4A state championship Friday at Protective Stadium.
“When I took this job, it was based on faith,” said Jackson coach Cody Flournoy, whose team finished 13-2. “We went to a small town, we looked at these guys and they’ve been in our program for a long time. We looked at our rec league and they said, ‘Hey, coach, that’s the group we’re going to win the championship with.’ There’s a lot of movement with kids and stuff these days but these guys just stayed together. They trusted what we were doing.”
Crowell scored on runs of 2 yards, 1 yard and 56, 56, and 47 yards and set the Class 4A Super 7 record for rushing yards and tied the touchdown record. The old record was held by T.R. Miller’s Rayvon Howard, who ran for 288 yards in 2000. Crowell accounted for 304 of Jackson’s total 393 yards and ended the season with 2,628 yards to lead the state.
“He was what I thought and better,” Anniston coach Rico Jackson said. “I think he’s a generational type of guy with his vision, speed, size … We say to just give people their credit and if they are good, they are good. He is really good.”
Keeyun “Red” Chapman scored on a 79-yard punt return and a 26-yard pass from Landon Duckworth, the pass coming on the Aggies’ last play of the first half as he reached over a defender.
“This was my last year, so I wanted to end everything on a good note,” Chapman said. “I knew I was going to catch it; I had to catch it.”
Meanwhile, Jackson held the Bulldogs (14-1) to 124 yards of total offense. Linebacker Laquon Whisenhunt led the way with 14 tackles and defensive lineman Demetrius Wilson had 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 5 solo tackles. Jayden Tate forced a fumble and had two sacks.
Anniston quarterback Damon Pope was intercepted three times by Quell Armstrong, Victor Darrington and Aaden Martin.
“Defense definitely wins championships,” said Wilson, who pointed out the Aggies gave up only one touchdown in two state finals, including a 69-6 win over Cherokee County in 2024.
