Photo: Hokes Bluff quarterback Bryce Whitaker (5) fights off Etowah’s Kenneth Boley during the Eagles’ 49-24 Class 4A Region 6victory on Friday, Sept. 6 in Attalla. (Courtesy of Average Joe’s Sports Talk)
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
In the teams’ first meeting since 1985, Hokes Bluff and Etowah combined for 903 total yards on Friday, Sept. 6, with the Eagles outscoring the Blue Devils 28 to 6 in the second half en route to a 49-24 victory in Class 4A Region 6 action in Attalla.
With the Eagles (2-0) leading 21-18 coming out of halftime, Anderson Morgan recovered a fumble on fourth down at the Etowah 28-yard line and ran it in for a touchdown to make it a 10-point advantage following Leon Chen’s PAT.
The Blue Devils (0-2) drew within 28-24 on the next series by way of Jameson Scissum’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Cash Hayes, but Etowah would get no closer. In the fourth quarter for Hokes Bluff, Brenton Hale ran for a 68-yard touchdown and Brayden Davis returned an interception 21 yards for a score.
“We scored on every series on offense except for one, so we’re pleased about that,” said Hokes Bluff head coach Mike Robertson. “We played extremely hard, and I’m really proud of our guys for their effort. [Etowah] ran up and down the field, but we did a pretty good job of keeping them out of the end zone, which is what really matters. Our (assistant) coaches, Brad (Robertson), Taylor (Morgan), Brian (Sexton) and Jake (Ball) did a really good job of preparing our guys.”
Scissum accounted for 440 of Etowah yards. He rushed for 185 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown and was 18 for 26 in passing for 255 yards and two scores. Dae Dae Porter added 50 yds on 13 carries and a touchdown and had 99 receiving yards and another score. Bennett Reeves had 64 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Tracy Gaddis and Zaden Knight had 52 and 36 receiving yards, respectively.
For Hokes Bluff, Bryce Whitaker rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, Blaine Barron carries 17 times for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Brenton Hale rushed six times for 89 yards and a score and Alex Carter finished with 56 yards and a touchdown in eight attempts.
“So far, this group is playing as hard as any team I’ve ever had, and I really like their attitude,” said Robertson. “We’re happy to be 2-0, but we’ve got a long, winding road ahead of us.”
Both teams continue region play on Friday, Sept. 13. Hokes Bluff hosts White Plains in the Eagles’ homecoming game, while the Blue Devils travel to Centre to play Cherokee County.