Morgan County Football Recap
Caleb Suggs
Hartselle Enquirer
It was a big Friday night last week for some of Morgan County’s schools while for others, not so much.
The Austin Black Bears claimed their first region title since 1999 with a 20-13 win over the Athens Golden Eagles. Athens had the ball with the chance to tie the game with under two minutes left, but fumbled at the Austin 41 which the secured the Black Bears win. Austin’s Antonio Robinson rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries. Austin will host Pell City in the first round of the playoffs.
The Decatur Red Raiders clinched the Class 6A Region 8 number two spot with a win over Muscle Shoals, which means they will host in the first round of the playoffs. A treacherous first quarter saw the Red Raiders down by 22-0. However, two touchdowns by Quarterback Alec Marks cut the lead to 22-14 at halftime. Running back Ladarious Woods, who rushed for 244 yards, scored to cut the lead to 22-20 but the Raiders failed on the two-point conversion. However, a catch by Charlie Cushing at the end of the game put Decatur in field goal range and the Red Raiders took the win 23-22. Decatur will host Cullman in the first round of the playoffs.
The Danville Hawks secured their first region win of the season by defeating fellow county school Priceville 51-7. The Hawks have missed the playoffs but will look to finish the season at .500 with a win over Cold Springs this Friday.
The West Morgan Rebels made the most noise in the county by advancing to their first playoff game since 2008. The Rebels needed a miracle by not only defeating Lexington but also needed an East Lawrence upset win over Colbert Heights. Quarterback Gabe Peluso guided the Rebels to a 17-7 win over Lexington by compiling almost 200 yards of total offense and a touchdown. With the win and East Lawrence’s win over Colbert Heights, the Rebels will travel to North Sand Mountain for the first round of the playoffs.