South Alabama Sports

  TUSCALOOSA — It hurt to breathe. Finally powerless to change history instead of making it, Saraland’s players gasped in disbelief to see K.J. Lacey, one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, face down on the well-worn turf of Bryant-Denny Stadium, a yard away from winning the state championship. It hurt to breathe but breathe they did. Moving forward also hurt — they were frozen in time and place and perhaps felt that by standing still, they would not have to…

    By JIMMY WIGFIELD TUSCALOOSA — The greatest offense in Class 6A history gobbled up 6,110 yards and scored 90 touchdowns this season. What Saraland would give for one more yard and one more touchdown. With hearts jammed up against the Adam’s apples of thousands of pleading fans on both sides of Bryant-Denny Stadium, Spartans quarterback K.J. Lacey was stopped at Clay-Chalkville’s 1-yard line on a desperate scramble to the end zone as time evaporated and the No. 2-ranked…

Leroy coach Chan Lowe just won another Blue Map for the Bears and one has to wonder if the time for him to become a head coach in his own right is at hand. (Helen Joyce/Call News)     TUSCALOOSA — People often say, “It’ll take the National Guard to stop me.” But not even the National Guard could prevent Leroy from winning its seventh state football championship. Now that’s saying something. That is also a tribute to Chan Lowe,…

By ARTHUR L. MACK Baker quarterback Josh Flowers has decommitted from Mississippi State while former Theodore and current Bulldogs defensive back Will James has entered the transfer portal. Flowers, who led the Hornets to the first round of the Class 7A playoffs this season, decommitted after MSU coach Zach Arnett was fired on Nov. 14 after one season. Baker coach Steve Normand said Flowers didn’t feel comfortable with new Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby. “He’s opened up the recruiting to other…

  After Saraland turned Pike Road into an exit ramp Friday night, Patriots coach Granger Shook said something basic and irrefutable and altogether telling about the Spartans. “They’ve got players everywhere,” said Shook, as if he had just spent 2½ hours hopelessly splashing about in an unfathomably deep ocean besieged by sharks who circled a growing trail of blood. His players fought as bravely as they could but Saraland’s defense showed its own version of Gravedigger, burying Pike Road under…

Saraland quarterback K.J. Lacey throws on the run during the Class 6A semifinals against Pike Road Friday night in Saraland. Lacey was 23-of-28 passing for 345 yards and four touchdowns in the 46-7 win. (Todd Stacey/Call News)       Saraland’s Cam Laffitte (10), Isaih Bowie (22) and Jermaine Paramore (88) swarm Pike Road quarterback Cason Myers for a loss Friday night. The Spartans sacked Myers five times. (Todd Stacey/Call News) By JIMMY WIGFIELD SARALAND — Pike Road’s schedule for…

    AUBURN — His name is Bond. Isaiah Bond. And his impossible mission: Catch a touchdown pass in a space the size of a phone booth on fourth-and-31 with 32 seconds left and 88,000 fans screaming so loud they could be heard across the state line in LaGrange. Hearts and eardrums were rattling as if struck repeatedly with a gong mallet. Jordan-Hare Stadium was shaking but Bond and Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe were serene as they took the field…

      By JIMMY WIGFIELD PHENIX CITY — Mary G. Montgomery coach Zach Golson hunched over, his hands on his knees, his head down staring at the turf as Central-Phenix City players celebrated. If it seemed Golson had taken a punch to the solar plexus, he had. His Vikings had been outgained nearly two-to-one and had two nearly flawless first-quarter drives end with no points, yet they refused to buckle. But then Golson straightened out and began to take…

Briarwood quarterback Josh Thompson looks concerned as Saraland’s Jermaine Paramore (88) and Chris Thompson (24) close in on him Friday night in Birmingham. Paramore hit Thompson and caused a fumble on the play which Thompson recovered to set up a Spartans touchdown in the first quarter. (Will McLelland/Call News)   There are many ways to foretell that Saraland is heading toward another state championship and possibly a revered place in the pantheon of the greatest high school football teams in…

  By JIMMY WIGFIELD BIRMINGHAM — So No. 1-ranked Saraland wasn’t perfect Friday night. It had five holding penalties, one of which snatched away a touchdown. K.J. Lacey threw an interception. The offense didn’t score on every possession. And, perhaps most surprising of all, Briarwood pulled off a halfback pass on its second play to help put the Spartans behind for only the third time this season. But Saraland quickly leaped out of bed, threw on boots made for stomping…