South Alabama Sports

By ARTHUR L. MACK BIRMINGHAM — Offense wins championships but defense sets the tone. While Jackson’s offense was receiving all the attention and love in its 69-6 thrashing of Cherokee County Friday in the Class 4A state championship game, the defense made it possible, reducing the Warriors’ running game to a non-factor. Cherokee County managed only 72 yards rushing on 38 attempts, averaging less than 2 yards a carry. Leading rusher Tae Diamond, rushed for 47 yards on 19 attempts.…

    BIRMINGHAM — Annihilation doesn’t capture it. Neither does incineration or obliteration. It’s best to say the state record book had no equal for No. 1-ranked Jackson’s 69-6 victory over Cherokee County Friday, which was the worst beating in the annals of the Super 7. At times, you were tempted to avert your eyes from the carnage but then you would have missed history in the making. The No. 3-ranked Warriors were in the Class 4A state championship game…

    By ARTHUR L. MACK THEODORE — Theodore offensive tackle Micah DeBose, one of the nation’s top offensive line prospects in the 2025 class, signed with Alabama Wednesday and called it a dream come true. DeBose (6-5, 315), who played for Vigor before transferring to Theodore for his senior year, joins a loaded Crimson Tide recruiting class that includes five-star lineman Michael Carroll, four-star lineman Jackson Lloyd and three-star lineman Mal Waldrep. “The fact that I can fight for…

    By JIMMY WIGFIELD SARALAND — Antonio Coleman is looking forward to being a part of making Auburn a national contender again. And one other thing. “I’m just excited to see how he does without being doubled and triple teamed all the time,” Saraland defensive coordinator Brett West said after Coleman signed with the Tigers Wednesday. Coleman (6-2, 265), the No. 14 defensive lineman in the nation, according to On3’s composite rankings, joined what could be one of Auburn’s…

    By JIMMY WIGFIELD SARALAND — The influence of Saraland quarterback K.J. Lacey is not only going to be felt for years to come in the state of Alabama but well outside of it, Spartans coach Jeff Kelly said Wednesday after Lacey signed with Texas. “K.J.’s got an extremely bright future ahead of him,” Kelly said. “Those same things that make him special here, they don’t just go away when you get to college. He’s going to be a…

            TUSCALOOSA — The Iron Bowl wasn’t played Saturday. It was the Missed Opportunity Bowl. It was the Non-Coup de Grace Bowl. Alabama defeated Auburn 28-14 and 100,000 fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium roared in delight afterward in a familiar refrain that has been heard the last seven times the Tigers have come to Tuscaloosa: “Hey Tigers! We just beat the hell out of you!” But hell is a relative term here. Hell would have been…

    By ARTHUR L. MACK MONTGOMERY — Vigor’s hopes of making a return to the Super 7 were dashed as No. 1-ranked Montgomery Catholic used three Jamarion Williams touchdowns to roll to a 21-7 win over the No. 5-ranked Wolves Friday night in the Class 5A semifinals. The Knights (13-0), who have won 28 straight games, will face Moody in the state finals Thursday. Vigor finished 12-2. Williams scored on a 55-yard screen pass and a pair of 1-yard…

          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…