Rebels advance to title game

By Dusty Harper (Contact) | Alex City Outlook

Published Friday, November 27, 2009

With Reeltown leading Pickens County just 14-6 to start the fourth quarter, the Rebels needed some insurance to secure a trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first ever state title game held in Tuscaloosa.

In typical Reeltown fashion, the Rebels held the ball for 9 minutes and 6 seconds and sealed a fourth round playoff victory with a Trey McKeithen touchdown run. Milton Chambliss ran in the 2-point conversion to make the final score 22-6 and give the Rebels a chance for their third state championship against Clay County, who was a 38-7 winner over Lamar County on Friday.

“I’m really excited about the way we did it,” head coach Jackie O’Neal said. “We did it with class. There were no cheap calls or penalties, and even when there was adversity, you never saw the kids griping at each other.

“That shows they really care about each other,” O’Neal said. “When you’ve got kids like that and they’re willing to play hard, good things can happen.”

In the final seconds of the third quarter, following a deep pass from PCHS quarterback Deion Curry that was tipped and caught by Dominique Jones for a 40-yard gain to the Rebel 25-yard line, Curry fumbled on the next play and Reeltown’s Ki-shawn Powell recovered to end the period.

From their own 36, the Rebels used a 17-play drive to salt away the clock. Reeltown converted four third downs on the march, including one on a 21-yard strike from Chambliss to Shaquille Roberson, the only pass play of the possession. On fourth-and-2 from the 5-yard line, McKeithen turned the corner and dove just inside the pylon for the backbreaker.

The game was a defensive struggle throughout. Reeltown gained 187 yards on the ground total, while the Tornadoes were held to 48 yards rushing. Ki-shawn Powell led the attack for Reeltown, picking up 115 yards on 23 carries. Powell got a larger share of the load than usual because his teammate in the backfield, Willie McKenzie, was knocked out of the game following a hard hit in the second quarter.

“We’ve been preparing for this all year,” O’Neal said. “We’re not built around one back; we’re built around one backfield. That’s what these kids are used to. If one goes down, the others are ready to step up and get the job done and that’s what Ki-shawn did tonight.”

O’Neal said McKenzie could have played in the second half, but he decided to hold him out.

On the game’s opening possession, the Tornadoes tried a fake punt on fourth-and-3, but Roberson stuffed Curry to give Reeltown the ball on downs. But, the Rebels’ first drive ended on a fumble at the PCHS 25.

PCHS was then forced to punt on the ensuing possession, setting up Reeltown at its own 46. On the first play of the second quarter, Powell scored on fourth-and-goal from the 8-yard line to put the first points of the night on the scoreboard. McKeithen converted the 2-point try to make it 8-0 with 11:51 left in the first half.

The Tornadoes threatened to answer. They drove down inside the Rebel 10-yard line, thanks in large part to two nifty scrambles by Curry in which he avoided pressure long enough to hit receivers for gains of 24 and 25 yards. But, on fourth-and-goal from the 7, Powell dove in front of a PCHS receiver in the end zone to pick off a pass and end the scoring opportunity for the Tornadoes.

However, on the next Rebel drive, PCHS forced a punt, and a mishap on the snap gave the Tornadoes great field position on the Reeltown 24. Three plays later, Jones darted into the end zone on a 4-yard run. The conversion attempt was no good, and Reeltown led 8-6 with 5:10 remaining.

Powell picked up a first down on fourth-and-1 inside PCHS territory and a Tywone Stewart 16-yard scamper brought the ball to the 15. But, a holding penalty on the next play pushed the Rebels back, and they faced a second-and-16 from the PCHS 21.

That’s when Chambliss rolled to his left, threw across his body and heaved a pass to McKeithen, who outjumped a Tornado defender to come down with a big touchdown reception with 23 seconds left in the half. Though the 2-point try was stopped, the Rebels led 14-6 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Curry was intercepted by Dara Riley on PCHS’ first drive and the Tornadoes lost a fumble on their second possession after holding on a Rebel fake punt. However, the Rebels lost a fumble with 3:54 left in the period, keeping PCHS alive.

PCHS drove 66 yards starting from its own 9 before the final turnover set the stage for Reeltown’s game-clinching drive.

The Rebels and Panthers will meet Dec. 4 at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 3 p.m. for the Class 2A state championship.

2009 Super 6 Pairings

(All Games will be played at Bryant Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Dec. 3-4)

Thursday’s games

CLASS 3A

Cordova (13-1) vs. Piedmont (12-2), 11 a.m.

CLASS 1A

Brantley (13-1) vs. Hackleburg (14-0), 3 p.m.

CLASS 5A

Russellville (12-2) vs. Demopolis (11-3), 7 p.m.

Friday’s games

CLASS 4A

Jackson (13-1) vs. Cherokee County (14-0), 11 a.m.

CLASS 2A

Reeltown (13-1) vs. Clay County (13-1), 3 p.m.

CLASS 6A

Prattville (12-2) vs. Hoover (13-1), 7 p.m.

2009 Football Playoff Semifinal Results

CLASS 1A

South Sub-State

Brantley 41, Loachapoka 14

North Sub-State

Hackleburg 10, R.A. Hubbard 7

CLASS 2A

South Sub-State

Reeltown 22, Pickens County 6

North Sub-State

Clay County 38, Lamar County 7

CLASS 3A

South Sub-State

Cordova 34, Luverne 7

North Sub-State

Piedmont 13, Leeds 7

CLASS 4A

South Sub-State

Jackson 31, Handley 14

North Sub-State

Cherokee County 37, Deshler 20

CLASS 5A

South Sub-State

Demopolis 29, Spanish Fort 28

North Sub-State

Russellville 40, McAdory 7

CLASS 6A

South Sub-State

Prattville 13, Auburn 9

North Sub-State

Hoover 35, Gadsden City 0

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