Photo: Hokes Bluff’s Anderson Morgan (left) makes a catch in front of Oneonta’s Santana Lofton during the Eagles’ 42-7 win in high school football on Friday, Oct. 25. (Courtesy of Alex Chaney)
Hokes Bluff remained in a three-way tie for the second playoff seed in the Class 4A, Region 6 standings with a 42-7 win over Oneonta on Friday, Oct. 25 at HBHS.
The Eagles (7-2), Alexandria and Anniston all have a 5-2 record in region play. With all three teams ending the regular season next week with non-region games, the tiebreaker will be determined by combined wins by defeated non-region opponents.
Against Oneonta, Hokes Bluff amassed 449 total offensive yards, including 363 on the ground, while holding the Redskins to 171.
The Eagles built a 35-0 lead before Oneonta (2-7, 1-6) scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Hokes Bluff quarterback Bryce Whitaker scored three touchdowns, the first two on runs of 1 and 63 yards during the opening quarter.
Blaine Barron’s 9-yard touchdown run and Whitaker’s 12-yard scoring strike to Drew McCarver in the second period sent the Eagles into halftime ahead 28-0.
Hokes Bluff made it 42-0 on Brenton Hale’s 11-yard TD run at the 4:21 mark of the third quarter. Following Oneonta’s touchdown 15 seconds into the final frame, Whitaker scored from 79 yards out to set the final score at 42-7.
Whitaker finished with 251 yards rushing on 14 carries for a 17.9-yard average. He was also 6 for 9 in passing for 83 yards. Barron carried nine times for 56 yards, while Hale added 47 yards on eight attempts. Anderson Morgan had four receptions for 63 yards.
McCarver and Brodie Brogdon each had five tackles, followed by Bray Davis with four.
The Eagles close out the regular season on Friday, Nov. 1 at home against Randolph County.
