South Alabama Sports

          By JIMMY WIGFIELD PIKE ROAD — No. 1-ranked Saraland was leading Pike Road 26-0 early in the second half Friday night with a third straight trip to the Super 7 all but assured, yet as far as Spartans coach Jeff Kelly was concerned, it was 0-0. “I felt like we had to get up around 40 to feel safe,” Kelly said. And then K.J. Lacey showed why he might be considered the best high school…

          AUBURN — For the first time in a long time Saturday night into early Sunday morning, Auburn fans finally got to use toilet paper the way nature intended. They rolled the trees, power lines, manhole covers, parking meters and each other at Toomer’s Corner after 88,000 of them and their collection of pent-up, emotional wounds had come pouring out of the bleachers in Jordan-Hare Stadium and onto the field, as if the Tigers had won…

    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…