Baker, Clarke County, Leroy win region titles, MGM bounces back, McGill-Toolen makes playoffs

Staff Report

MOBILE — Tate Graham completed 17 of 26 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns and Gavin Wood scored on runs of 2 and 24 yards as Baker defeated Fairhope 35-10 to win the 7A Region 1 title Friday night.

Graham’s two touchdowns covered 69 yards to Khatori Marion and 46 yards to Joshua Jones. Marion had four receptions for 139 yards and added a 2-yard touchdown run while Jones had six receptions for 86 yards as the Hornets (7-2, 6-1) won their first region title since 1989.

“Tate did a great job of spreading the ball around to receivers,” Baker coach Eric Scott said. “He was a leader out there and made some good decisions with the football. … I’m real proud of everybody from the coaching staff to the players. Everybody did an amazing job this week of staying focused and getting the job done. The game plan was to get the ball on offense and get it to explosive playmakers and then on defense come out and play good, solid football.”

Graham, who was sacked just once, said the Hornets were balanced.

“We got everybody the football and everybody played a part in tonight’s win,” he said.

Baker’s defense allowed the Pirates (7-3, 5-2) only 12 yards rushing in the first half and 63 for the entire game. Quarterback Trey Garner was harassed for most of the night, completing 11 of 21 passing for 124 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while being sacked six times.

 

MGM 49,

Davidson 0

 

SEMMES — Senior quarterback Jeremy Menhennett tossed three touchdown passes as the Vikings bounced back from last week’s loss to Baker to finish as the 7A Region 1 runner-up and nail down a home first-round playoff game.

MGM (9-1, 6-1) honored 29 seniors pregame, including Menhennett, who completed 14 of 17 passes for 208 yards, including touchdown passes of 6 and 55 yards to Jakenyon Allen and 15 yards to Jaden Chapman.

The Vikings rushed for 213 yards on the ground, Thomas White scored on runs of 4 and 18 yards and Kam Smith had TD runs of 10 and 36 yards.

MGM held the Warriors to 75 yards of total offense.

“We put last week behind us,” Vikings coach Zach Golson said. “We moved forward and executed very well tonight.”

 

McGill-Toolen 45,

Spanish Fort 32

 

MOBILE — Ladarien Miller had 146 yards on 31 carries and four touchdowns to lead the Yellow Jackets to victory at the Lip.

Miller scored on runs of 4, 5, 6 and 12 yards and has scored four rushing touchdowns in back-to-back weeks.

“He does the work for us,” said McGill-Toolen coach David Faulkner, whose team (5-4, 4-3 6A Region 1) has won four straight to make the playoffs.

Jaylyn Thibodeaux tossed three touchdown passes for the Toros.

 

Cottage Hill 13,

Flomaton 7

 

MOBILE — Shamar Toodle threw for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns while James Davis intercepted a pass to kill a Hurricanes drive with 1:25 left to help the Warriors earn a home playoff berth in the first round.

Xykais Thomas and Jayden Davis also had interceptions for Cottage Hill (8-1, 5-1 3A Region 1).

Shamar Toodle was 18-of-25 passing, including two TD throws.

 

Clarke Co. 34,

WCHS 21

 

GROVE HILL — The Bulldogs overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Washington County for their 28^th straight region win and their fifth straight 2A Region 1 championship.

Washington County’s Kelin May ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown but Peebo Pugh and Martez Owens scored second-quarter touchdowns to give CCHS a 12-7 halftime lead.

Isaiah Davis extended Clarke County’s lead with a 4-yard TD run in the third quarter but Connor Williams hit Tyler Owens for a 10-yard scoring pass to pull Washington County within six.

WCHS recovered the ensuing onside kick and Williams threw a 20-yard screen pass to Rylee Brantley to take a 21-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs (7-2, 6-0) responded with a TD run from Pugh and closed the door late on a TD run by Trey Hammond.

 

 

Leroy 51,

Millry 14

 

LEROY — Jace Sellers was 7-of-12 passing for 212 yards and three touchdowns as the No. 3 Bears ripped the Wildcats to finish the regular season undefeated with their third straight 1A Region 1 title.

Sellers threw TD passes of 56 yards to Ayden Tolbert, 25 yards to Josh Reed  and 30 yards to Jacory Yelder as Leroy moved to 10-0, 7-0.

Tolbert also returned kicks 80 and 65 yards for touchdowns and Ja’kavien Collins added a 3-yard scoring run.

Davie Heller scored on a 38-yard run and Jwuan Stewart on a 10-yard run for the Wildcats (4-6, 4-3), who also made the playoffs.

(Arthur Mack, Robert Ladnier, John Vella, Jason Boothe and Hannah Slayton contributed to this story.)