South Alabama Sports

  By JIMMY WIGFIELD MOBILE — No. 1-ranked Mobile Christian and No. 6 Thomasville had orbited each other all season and circled Friday night as the date of their inevitable collision. But come the time they were finally on the same field, they found those orbits were in vastly different galaxies. The Leopards continued their early mastery of games by scoring on their first five possessions, led 35-0 at halftime and went on to rout the Tigers 45-14 at Harrison…

By ARTHUR L. MACK DAPHNE — Mary G. Montgomery quarterback Jared Hollins was 10-of-13 passing for 213 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings won their first region title in 38 years with as 34-7 victory over Daphne Friday night at Jubilee Stadium. MGM (9-0, 6-0) clinched the 7A Region 1 crown and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. “After our big win against Baker, we had to tell our guys to refocus yourself because they…

  SEMMES — Among a throng of celebrating players, Mary G. Montgomery coach Zach Golson lifted the trophy given to the winner of the Battle of West Mobile Friday night so everybody could get a good look at it through the smoke lingering over the field. You can’t go 9-0 or 10-0 or even 15-0 if you don’t get to 8-0, so the 35-14 victory over No. 7-ranked Baker was another puzzle piece which snapped into place. The trophy didn’t…

By JIMMY WIGFIELD SEMMES — It was hard to tell if plume after plume of celebratory smoke that wafted over Grider Stadium Friday night was coming from a newly erected Viking ship behind one end zone or from underneath Jared Hollins’ helmet. Hollins passed for two touchdowns, both coming after spectacular escapes from the Hornets’ pass rush, and ran for two more in No. 4-ranked Mary G. Montgomery’s 35-14 victory over No. 7 Baker that put MGM (8-0, 5-0 7A…

        By JIMMY WIGFIELD The most anticipated game in the Baker-Mary G. Montgomery rivalry is already one for the history books before a football has left the ground but both coaches tried to put a bridle on the hyperbole and looked at what could be ahead after an overflow crowd departs and peace descends on Grider Stadium in Semmes late Friday night. The 7 p.m. game that will likely decide the 7A Region 1 champion and provide…

By ARTHUR L. MACK Irv Mulligan rushed for 115 yards on 23 carries while Jason Brown was 14-of-26 passing for 202 yards and three touchdowns as Jackson State beat Alabama A&M 45-30 in the Gulf Coast Challenge Saturday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Dylan Watson kicked a 40-yard field goal, Jacobian Morgan had two touchdown runs of 4 yards and 1 yard, Ahmad Miller had a 38-yard TD run, Seven McGee had two scoring receptions and Fabian McCray a TD catch…

LEROY — The sign adjacent to U.S. Highway 43 has remained unchanged for years, much like the success of Leroy’s football team. “The churches of Leroy welcome you,” it says. Then there is the church of the Bears, which cuts across all denominational lines, as well as the line of scrimmage, and is most unwelcoming and unequal on the scoreboard. On Friday night, that scoreboard again tilted severely to the left when Leroy defeated heretofore undefeated St. Luke’s 42-10. That’s…

  By JIMMY WIGFIELD LEROY — All the players involved in winning Leroy’s six state championships are enshrined for eternity on six plaques squeezed onto the Wall of Champions at the front gate of Farish Field at Palmer Stadium. Unfortunately for St. Luke’s, several of those players jumped off their bronze-emblazened spaces on the 2022 plaque Friday night and let it be known it’s possible a bigger wall may need to be built. Three big plays by some familiar names…

  Ponder this question: When was the last time the Baker versus Mary G. Montgomery football game meant anything other than some territorial pride? The answer is never. But when it comes to the Hornets and Vikings, people are learning to never say never. It’s possible — probable, even — that Baker and MGM will both be undefeated and ranked in the state’s top 10 when they play on Oct. 13 in Semmes. The winner will likely win the region…

By JIMMY WIGFIELD Leroy coach Jason Massey is accustomed to giving orders but he knows how to take them, too. On Labor Day weekend, he received official orders to deploy with his Alabama National Guard unit for an unspecified time beginning in October, which means he’ll miss the rest of the season with the defending Class 1A state champions. “You never know when it will happen,” said Massey, a non-commissioned officer who will turn 50 on Oct. 1. “There are…