Sweet Water running backs Jaland Lewis-Horton and Christian Dunning were not to be denied in the program’s first Super 7 appearance in four years.
The duo combined for 342 yards and three touchdowns as they powered No. 2 Sweet Water to its 11th state title in a 40-16 victory over No. 8 Wadley on Thursday at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.
“I couldn’t be more proud of a group of guys,” Sweet Water head coach Pat Thompson said. “This summer, when we started working out, the guys really bought in. We had those 11 seniors, they’ve been great all year. Our goal was to win state and it means the world to our community. It means the world to me because of the guys sitting right here.”
RELATED: Class 7A -- Thompson rolls past Central-Phenix for 3-peat
RELATED: Class 3A -- Piedmont pulls off miracle comeback to stun Montgomery Academy
Sweet Water (14-0) fell behind early, allowing Wadley running back Jamall Buchanan a 69-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, but managed to take a 14-7 lead by the end of the opening quarter.
After being forced to punt on its initial possession, Sweet Water safety Lashon Young picked off Wadley at the Sweet Water 3-yard line and Horton guided the Bulldogs into Wadley territory on an 85-yard run down to the 8-yard line. Sweet Water quarterback Walker Thompson capped the quick 4-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
Wadley went three-and-out on its third possession and Thompson connected with Jake Shroeder for a 44-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the Sweet Water drive, following a 43-yard reception by Young. Wadley cut into the deficit on a 29-yard field goal, but Thompson threw his second touchdown pass of the day to Horton, a 55-yard strike to cap a 62-yard drive, to give Sweet Water a 20-10 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.
Wadley’s Jacob Marable kept the Bulldogs within striking distance at halftime, returning the ensuing kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown and a 20-16 deficit entering the break.
Sweet Water tightened up defensively in the second half and extended the margin by three scores. Dunning had 13 rushing attempts in the second half for the Bulldogs, amassing 169 yards and two touchdowns, and Horton capped his impressive performance with a 1-yard touchdown run that followed a 58-yard gain by Dunning.
“It was about staying on our blocks,” (Pat) Thompson said. “We thought in the first half we let them go a little early at times. That’s basically all I told them. Our O-line did a great job in the second half.”
Wadley (13-2) was shut out and held to only 34 total yards in the second half, including a 1-for-6 showing on third-down conversion attempts. The Bulldogs gave up 504 yards of offense to Sweet Water with 366 yards coming by way of the running game.
Star of the game: Horton. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior contributed in various ways for Sweet Water, totaling 14 carries for 158 yards and a score and adding a 55-yard touchdown reception. He also racked up two tackles (1 for loss) and a forced fumble on defense.
“It means a lot and we put in a lot of work in the summer. We broke it down on ‘state champs’ because that was our goal. We worked day-in and day-out and it means a lot to have this 11th (title). Big shout out to the O-line, they did a lot of work tonight and throughout the season.”
Did you know? Pat Thompson is the third head coach in Sweet Water history to win a state title. He did it while coaching his son, Walker, at quarterback.
“He’s been coaching me since I was in seventh grade and it just means the world to be here with him right now,” the younger Thompson said.
By the Numbers: 11, the number of AHSAA state titles won by Sweet Water. … 4, the number of victories for Sweet Water over Wadley in as many attempts and all occurring in the playoffs. … 2, the number of turnovers by Wadley and the number of running backs for Sweet Water with more than 100 rushing yards.
Stat sheet: Sweet Water – Thompson was 4-for-11 passing with 138 yards and two touchdowns, adding 6 yards and a score on the ground, and had seven tackles on defense. Dunning led the rushing attack with 18 carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns and Smith had a 1-yard touchdown run. Jake Shroeder scored on a 44-yard reception and Lashon Young finished with three tackles, a pass breakup and an interception, also adding a 43-yard reception. Trace Luker led the Sweet Water defense with 10 tackles (2 for loss) and Deshanard Blanks finished with four tackles (2 for loss) and a sack. Wadley – Lakevion O’Neal finished 3-for-11 passing for 6 yards, including an interception, and caught a 29-yard pass from Marable. Buchanan did not return after suffering an injury on his second rushing attempt, finishing with 72 yards and the opening score of the game. Marable had 14 touches for 40 total yards and a touchdown. Jaquez Wilkes led the Wadley defense with 12 tackles (1 for loss) and a sack and Joseph Freeman had eight tackles (1 for loss).
Coachspeak: “I thought we got better every week. As we got rolling and going along there, the chance to be 14-0, that’s probably one of the greatest things these guys could accomplish. I’m so proud of them for that.” – Sweet Water’s Pat Thompson
“I’m proud of the seniors this year at Wadley. They really came together and bought in. They played their hearts out today. We didn’t execute some things right but we played hard and played hard for four quarters. We just came up a bit short.” – Wadley’s Shenan Motley
They said it: “It really means a lot to me to help my team get 11 state championships. I really got to give all that glory to my O-line and my fans for cheering me on.” – Sweet Water’s Christian Dunning
“Being in position to make the right plays and setting the edge. We had trouble tonight on the end so we had to get down the line and make the play.” – Sweet Water’s Walker Thompson
"sweet" - Google News
December 03, 2021 at 08:25AM
https://ift.tt/3oh9uJy
Class 1A Championship: Sweet Water rolls over Wadley for 11th state title - al.com
"sweet" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2PcPlld
https://ift.tt/2KSpWvj
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Class 1A Championship: Sweet Water rolls over Wadley for 11th state title - al.com"
Post a Comment