South Alabama Sports

    By ARTHUR L. MACK PRICHARD — Carlos Benjamin ran for 116 yards on 14 carries and had touchdown runs of 31 yards and 1 yard and Jamarion Osborne threw a 62-yard touchdown pass on a trick play to Dylan Jackson as No. 5 Vigor routed UMS-Wright 41-10 in the Class 5A quarterfinals Friday night. Jackson was 8-of-10 passing for 80 yards, Demetris Johnson added a touchdown, Aslan Jones scored on a 46-yard interception return and Michael Laland caught…

          By JIMMY WIGFIELD SARALAND — Maybe it was the new cleats K.J. Lacey was wearing. Or the fact Spain Park was playing its safeties all the way back to Europe. Or how Saraland’s offensive linemen folded up the people in front of them like church chairs at a tent revival. Or the way the Spartans’ defense kept a tight grip on the Jaguars’ jugular. There were a lot of reasons for No. 1-ranked Saraland’s 45-19…

    By JIMMY WIGFIELD SARALAND — If not for a chance visit by a UPS driver 20 years ago, Jeff Kelly might be running the worldwide shipping giant instead of coaching football. Like UPS, Kelly knows how to deliver the goods. UPS says its on-time delivery rate is 97.5%. Kelly is practically as good as a coach, winning 95% of his games the last three years as his Saraland program has reached its zenith. The No. 1-ranked Class 6A…

__________________ “If you look at how quarterbacks are judged, at the collegiate level and at the NFL level, they talk about the greatest ever is a guy like Tom Brady. It’s about winning games. There may be other guys that throw for more yards. Those guys are really kind of an afterthought to the ones that are winners. And K.J. is a winner.” Saraland coach Jeff Kelly on QB K.J. Lacey __________________     Saraland quarterback K.J. Lacey has one…

    By JOEY WARNER MOBILE — Defensive back David Lott blocked an extra point and intercepted a pass to secure UMS-Wright’s 7-6 win over Andalusia in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs Friday night at Cooper Stadium. The Bulldogs used a 76-yard, 12-play drive that burned up 6½ minutes to score all the points they needed on Max Fowler’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Bo Wills with 5:22 left in the first quarter. Kingston Phan booted the all-important…

Mary G. Montgomery coach Zach Golson is 21-3 in the last two seasons with two straight 7A Region 1 titles, making him a highly attractive prospect for coaching vacancies at top programs statewide, including Prattville. But he indicated he is happy at MGM. “We’re in the middle of building something we think is special and I’m enjoying what I’m doing,” he said. “I really, really feel like we’re where we’re supposed to be.” (Helen Joyce/Call News)     Two things…

    By ROBERT LADNIER MOBILE — Blayne Munson overcame two missed field goals by nailing a 22-yard attempt in the second overtime to lift Baker to a 17-14 win over Hewitt-Trussville in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs Friday night. After the Hornets took the lead in overtime, Zack Williams and Kaden Moorer combined to sack Noah Robbins on fourth-and-1 to end the game. Denarrius Crawford scored on a 9-yard run in the third quarter as the…

    By JIMMY WIGFIELD TALLASSEE — Mobile Christian was uncertain it would be in the playoffs after finishing the regular season 3-6. In fact, first-year coach Charles Lawson gave anybody on his already depleted roster who didn’t want to stick around an open door to leave. “We went in with the doubts of being in the playoffs because we didn’t know how the tiebreaker rule would go,” he said. “We had a meeting and told the guys, ‘If you…

    By JOHN VELLA SEMMES — Charlie Taaffe accounted for four touchdowns, including three on the ground, as Vestavia Hills shocked No. 3-ranked Mary G. Montgomery 42-21 in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs Thursday night. Taaffe scored on runs of 1 yard, 2 and 18 yards for the Rebels (6-5). MGM quarterback Shondell Harris scored on runs of 1 yard and 34 yards and tossed a 5-yard TD pass to Devin Pettway but the Vikings (9-2)…

  Saraland quarterback K.J. Lacey lets go of a pass Thursday night during a 42-3 win over Chelsea in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. Lacey was 12-of-24 passing for 291 yards and four touchdowns. (Todd Stacey/Call News)       By JIMMY WIGFIELD SARALAND — Unranked and unheralded Chelsea hoarded the football for 30½ minutes Thursday night to slow the game and force No. 1-ranked Saraland to put its hands in its pockets. The unbeaten and unruffled…