Gardner’s late TD puts Bryant in the playoffs for the first time since 2013
Alma Bryant quarterback Makai Vongsengphachanh (2) celebrates a touchdown with Joshua Chadwell Thursday night against Davidson in Mobile. (Scott Donaldson/Call News)
By ARTHUR L. MACK
MOBILE — R.J. Gardner’s 6-yard touchdown run with 20 seconds left lifted Alma Bryant to a 24-21 win over host Davidson Thursday night and put the Hurricanes in the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Gardner’s decisive score was set up by Makai Vongsengphachanh’s 44-yard pass to Kaleb Burrell, who caught the ball after it was tipped several times.
Bryant (3-7, 2-4 6A Region 1) rallied after Micah Spivey had hit Kingston Butler with a 47-yard TD strike to put the Warriors (0-9, 0-6) ahead 21-17 with 7:11 to go.
“It’s been 13 years since this school has been in the playoffs,” a tearful Hurricanes coach Bart Sessions said. “The last 40 seconds, what guts, man, what guts. I don’t care what the overall record is, we’re in and we’re going to play our guts out against whoever we have to play against (in the playoffs). It’s been a long time coming.”
Anthony Sturgis had 140 yards on 38 carries for Bryant and Dominik Powell scored on a 2-yard run. Vongsengphachanh was 3-of-10 passing for 93 yards — 49 of them to Burrell. Vongsengphachanh also scored on a 13-yard run while freshman Truett Taylor kicked a 23-yard field goal.
Spivey was 19-of-28 passing for 257 yards and Butler had eight catches for 155 yards for Davidson. Ricardo Newman scored on runs of 13 and 9 yards.
The Hurricanes benefitted from a new playoff format that puts the top six teams in a Class 6A region in the playoffs and also from Mary G. Montgomery’s one-year playoff ban. The Hurricanes made it to the postseason despite 23 straight losing seasons, never winning more than four games in a season since 2003.
Williamson’s Jakenyon Allen grabs a touchdown pass against LeFlore Thursday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. (Helen Joyce/Call News)
Williamson 30,
LeFlore 0
