Ry Parker/Daily Sentinel
The 2014 Scottsboro-Southside game followed a similar script as did the 2013 matchup, which was unfortunate for Scottsboro.
For the second straight season, Southside raced out to a big early lead and went on to hand the host Wildcats a 42-16 setback in Class 6A, Region 7 action.
The loss eliminated Scottsboro from region championship contention and guaranteed that the Wildcats will be on the road when the Class 6A playoffs begin Nov. 8. The Panthers have won six straight against Scottsboro.
Southside (7-2, 5-0) hosts Fort Payne in the region championship game this week.
The Panthers bolted to a 28-0 halftime lead and then tacked on two scores late after the Wildcats had pulled to within 28-16 early in the fourth quarter.
Scottsboro (4-4, 3-2) could not contain Southside sophomore running back Aleric Williams, who ran for 235 yards and three touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass.
“He’s just a very good football player,” Scottsboro coach Patrick Nix said. “I think everybody in the state would love to have him. He’s a really good running back, a really good player. [He] can do a lot of different things.”
Williams’ 11-yard touchdown run put the Panthers in front 7-0 with 2:50 left in the first quarter. Southside then scored three times in the second quarter, getting a 90-yard TD run from Williams, a 38-yard Triston Shaw to Williams TD pass and a 52-yard TD run from Williams that came with 52 seconds left in the half.
Scottsboro pulled within 28-8 with 5:24 left in the third quarter on Bo Nix’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Justin Whitehead and his two-point conversion pass to Gant Goins. The Wildcats then cut the deficit to 28-16 on DeKarlos Billingsley’s 9-yard touchdown run and Dylan McQueen’s two-point conversion run.
But Southside ended Scottsboro’s comeback hopes when Austin Brewer returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards for a score to put the Panthers up 35-16 with 10:39 remaining. Southside capped the scoring with 1-yard TD run by Hunter Armstrong with 6:09 remaining.