Round One Of State Football Playoffs: Two Local Teams Lose, One Advances To Round Two
MADISON- Then there was one.
The first round of the AHSAA post-season playoffs saw just one of the three local teams advance to round two as both James Clemens and Sparkman lost in round one while Madison Academy advanced with a convincing victory.
Madison Academy
Class 4-A unbeaten and second ranked Madison Academy opened a tight game in the third quarter with 27 unanswered points to post a 49-14 win over Dora in the contest hosted by the Mustangs at Bill Washington Stadium.
Mustangs’ quarterback Avery Seaton scored five touchdowns, but the game was a dogfight until the host squad went on a 95-yard drive and touchdown in the last two minutes of the second quarter to open a 22-14 lead. Dora was held scoreless in the second half as Madison Academy added 27 points in the third quarter alone, including an 80-yard fumble recovery scoop and score by Will Stokes.
Madison Academy (10-0) will host Northside (9-2), a 20-13 first round victor over Deshler, in round two of the playoffs.
James Clemens
The tenth ranked James Clemens Jets fell behind early and trailed 35-nothing at halftime and could never challenge third ranked Hewitt-Trussville as the host Jets fell to the visiting Huskies 55-12 in the Class 7-A first round matchup.
Hewitt-Trussville led 55-0 before James Clemens (8-3) had two late scores for the final count. Hewitt-Trussville (9-2) had two special team scores to add insult to injury to end the Jets’ 2020 season.
Sparkman
The second ranked Hoover Buccaneers (10-1) cruised to a 49-14 victory over Sparkman in the Class 7-A first round game held at the Hoover Met. The unranked visiting Senators trailed 14-0 with four minutes remaining in the first half, but Joseph Fortson unrolled a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to cut the Bucs’ lead in half. Hoover wasted little time to retaliate scoring two minutes later for a 21-7 halftime lead.
Hoover scored 28 additional points in the second half while holding Sparkman to one score. Sparkman ends the season at 6-5.
