Sylacauga Football falls to Alexandria, 47-21

SYLACAUGA, Ala. — Sylacauga carried a 21-14 lead into halftime Friday night before a sequence early in the third quarter shifted the game in Alexandria’s direction, as the Valley Cubs scored 33 unanswered points to take a 47-21 win at Legion Stadium.

The Aggies scored touchdowns on three of their first four offensive possessions and led by as many as 14 points in the first half. Jasper Jacks, Juice Riley and Zakorian Chambliss each found the end zone as Sylacauga built a 21-7 advantage with less than five minutes remaining before halftime.

Alexandria cut the margin to seven before the break, then tied the game with a defensive touchdown less than two minutes into the third quarter. The Valley Cubs went on to score 21 points in the period and added two more touchdowns in the fourth.

The Aggie defense opened the night by forcing Alexandria to punt on its first possession. Sylacauga took over at its own 25-yard line and put together a 75-yard touchdown drive.

Jacks converted an early third down with a completion to Jeremiah Crawford before connecting with Riley for another first down. Later in the possession, Jacks found Tyler Tarpley across the middle to move Sylacauga inside the Alexandria 15-yard line.

Chambliss carried three times during the drive as the Aggies worked their way toward the goal line.

After Jacks moved the chains on a quarterback sneak, the junior quarterback went back under center from the 2-yard line and followed the offensive line into the end zone.

Anderson Adair converted the extra point to give Sylacauga a 7-0 lead with 2:09 remaining in the first quarter.

Sylacauga’s defense followed with another stop. Alexandria moved the football into Aggie territory before Sam Mohamd and Sarian McMillan pressured quarterback Cole Wheeler on third down, with McMillan finishing the play in the backfield.

Alexandria punted, and Sylacauga took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Valley Cubs put together their first scoring drive midway through the second. Alexandria reached the Sylacauga red zone before Wheeler connected with Montre Morris for a touchdown. The extra point tied the game at 7-7 with 7:38 remaining before halftime.

Alexandria attempted an onside kick following the score, but Jacks secured the football near midfield to give Sylacauga possession at its own 47.

Chambliss opened the possession with a four-yard run before Jacks moved the chains with a quarterback keeper.

The Aggies later faced fourth-and-three in Alexandria territory. Jacks went to Riley on a slant, and the senior receiver made the catch to extend the possession and move the football to the Valley Cub 36.

Two plays later, Sylacauga went back to Riley.

Jacks set up a throwback screen, Riley made the catch and broke free for a 36-yard touchdown. Adair’s extra point put the Aggies back in front, 14-7, with 5:17 remaining in the half.
Sylacauga immediately created another opportunity on special teams.

Adair sent an onside kick toward the Alexandria side of the field, and Riley recovered it at the Valley Cub 43-yard line.

Chambliss took advantage of the extra possession.

The junior running back gained eight yards on the first play. Sylacauga went right back to him on the next snap, and Chambliss found a crease through the middle before breaking into the open field for a 35-yard touchdown run.

Adair added the extra point, and Sylacauga had scored twice in a span of 21 seconds to take a 21-7 lead with 4:56 remaining before halftime.
Alexandria answered before the break.

The Valley Cubs drove inside the Sylacauga 10 and eventually reached the 1-yard line. Wheeler scored on a quarterback sneak, and the extra point cut the Aggie lead to 21-14 with 47 seconds remaining.

Sylacauga used the remaining time to make one more push.

Chambliss moved the chains along the sideline before Jacks connected with Crawford at the Alexandria 30 with eight seconds remaining. Jacks then completed a pass to Riley, who got out of bounds at the 28 with 3.4 seconds on the clock.

That gave Adair a 45-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the half. The kick had enough distance but went left, sending Sylacauga to the locker room with a 21-14 advantage.
“We really kind of challenged the guys to try to simplify the game,” Sylacauga head coach Chris Smelley said at halftime. “Let’s play one great play at a time, line up and do it again.”

Smelley also pointed to Sylacauga’s work on first down and its tackling during the opening half while noting there were defensive adjustments to make.

The direction of the game changed on Sylacauga’s opening possession of the second half.

The Aggies received the kickoff with a seven-point lead and began at their own 37. A false start moved the football back five yards, but Chambliss responded with runs of four and 10 yards to put Sylacauga in third-and-short near midfield.

The Aggies needed less than a yard for a first down.

Before the third-down snap, however, Sylacauga was flagged for another false start. Instead of third-and-short, the Aggies faced third-and-six.

Alexandria brought pressure on the next play. Jacks rolled to his right and was hit as he released the football. The pass came up short and was intercepted, with Alexandria returning it for a touchdown.

The extra point tied the game at 21-21 with 10:37 remaining in the third quarter.

It was the beginning of the decisive stretch.

Sylacauga had led for most of the first half and was less than a yard from extending its first possession after halftime. Instead, Alexandria tied the game without its offense taking the field.

The Valley Cubs scored the next 26 points as well.

Sylacauga began its following possession with another false start. The Aggies were unable to overcome the additional yardage and eventually sent Adair out to punt.

Alexandria took over and moved into Sylacauga territory with a reverse and a completion to Morris. The Valley Cubs overcame their own penalties during the possession and reached the Aggie 5-yard line.

Jeffrey Bon scored from five yards out, and the extra point gave Alexandria its first lead of the night, 28-21, with 6:42 remaining in the third quarter.

Sylacauga turned back to Chambliss on its next possession.

He gained nine yards on first down and followed with another carry for a first down as the Aggies crossed midfield. Later in the drive, Jacks took a shot downfield on second-and-long, but Alexandria intercepted the pass near its own goal line.

The Aggie defense eventually gave the offense another opportunity.

Malik Bordon knocked the football loose on an Alexandria double-handoff, and Davin Scott recovered it to give Sylacauga possession at its own 36 late in the third quarter.

By then, Alexandria had added another touchdown and carried a 35-21 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Sylacauga opened the final period with possession. Chambliss gained eight yards on second down, but a high snap on the following play went over Jacks’ head and forced the quarterback to recover the football behind the line of scrimmage.

Adair came on to punt and placed Alexandria inside its own 10-yard line.

The field position did not hold the Valley Cubs for long.

On Alexandria’s first offensive play, Wheeler connected with a receiver on a slant. The play broke into the open field and went for a touchdown, extending the Valley Cub lead to 41-21.

Sylacauga appeared to answer on its next possession.

Jacks completed a short pass to Riley, who broke into the open field and raced to the end zone. A holding penalty brought the touchdown back.

A few plays later, Alexandria’s pressure reached Jacks again. The quarterback was hit from behind, the football came loose in the end zone and the Valley Cubs recovered it for their second defensive touchdown of the half.

The two-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving Alexandria ahead 47-21.

Alexandria’s second-half scoring came in several different ways. The Valley Cubs returned an interception for a touchdown, put together a scoring drive to take their first lead, scored on a long pass following an Aggie punt and recovered a fumble in the end zone for another touchdown.

Sylacauga, meanwhile, did not score after halftime after producing 21 points during the opening two quarters.

The Aggies continued to compete through the fourth.

Jagger Thomas forced a fumble to give Sylacauga another takeaway, while Zylin Tuck contributed both as a runner and receiver during the final period. Riley drew a pass-interference penalty on a deep ball and later had another opportunity downfield as Sylacauga continued to move the football.

Alexandria eventually regained possession and ran out the remaining time.

Sylacauga’s three touchdowns came from three different players.

Jacks capped the opening 75-yard drive with his two-yard touchdown run. Riley turned the throwback screen into a 36-yard score, and Chambliss followed with his 35-yard touchdown run after Riley’s onside-kick recovery.

Chambliss was a consistent part of the offense throughout the night after leaving the previous week’s game at Jacksonville with a shoulder injury. His running helped Sylacauga stay ahead of the chains during the first half, and he continued to produce on the ground after halftime.

Riley contributed in several areas, catching the touchdown pass, recovering the onside kick and handling duties on both offense and defense.

Tarpley also remained involved on both sides of the football, including a long first-half reception that helped set up Sylacauga’s opening touchdown.

Adair finished 3-for-3 on extra points and continued to provide field position in the punting game. One of his fourth-quarter punts was downed around the Alexandria 10.

Defensively, Sylacauga forced multiple punts in the first half and created two takeaways after halftime. Bordon forced the fumble recovered by Scott late in the third quarter, while Thomas created another fumble in the fourth.

The difference came during the stretch immediately following halftime.

Sylacauga entered the third quarter ahead 21-14 and with possession of the football. The Aggies worked into third-and-short before the false start and interception return tied the game.

Alexandria scored 21 points during the third quarter and 12 more in the fourth, turning the seven-point halftime deficit into the 47-21 final.

The Aggies now have an open week before returning to action in two weeks against Lincoln.

The break gives Sylacauga time between region games after a three-week stretch against Leeds, Jacksonville and Alexandria.

When the Aggies return to the field, they will do so with four regular-season games remaining and another region matchup waiting at Lincoln.