Hartselle passes to region title

By By Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
The decision by the Lee coaching staff to concentrate on stopping Hartselle’s running game Friday night was costly.
Facing a defense that was almost daring Hartselle to throw, the Tigers turned to the air to roll on to a 40-6 victory over the Generals at Goldsmith-Schiffman Field.
The Tigers improved to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in Class 5A, Region 8. But more importantly, the win clinched at least a share of the region championship.
Luke Bole, who completed his first eight pass attempts against the Generals, threw four touchdown passes to help the Tigers double their win total from the 2007 season.
The region championship was the first for the Tigers since the 2001 season.
Hartselle scored on three of its first four possessions of the game with a pair of touchdown passes from Bole to Braddock Wilson and another on a short Marquez Jones touchdown run.
Jones, who opened the season with six straight 100-yard rushing performances, finished with 72 yards on 12 carries against Lee. He now has 1,001 yards rushing.
But it was the Tigers’ passing game that was the biggest key for the Hartselle offense.
Wilson caught a pair of 10-yard touchdown passes in the first quarter to cap drives of nine and 14 plays to give the Tigers a 14-0 advantage.
Jones scored on a 4-yard run to push the lead to 20-0 before the end of the half. The touchdown was the 19th of the year for Jones, who has 18 rushing touchdowns.
Nine different receivers had receptions for Hartselle in the win, including tight end David Reeves, who was left open on several plays by the Generals’ defenders.
Reeves caught a 7-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter to push Hartselle’s lead to 27-0.
Hartselle closed out the scoring with an Andrew Howard 17-yard touchdown pass from Bole and an interception that Hayden Dye returned 25 yards for a score.
Lee scored its only touchdown of the game when Warrick Melton scored on a 47-yard reception against Hartselle’s reserves.
Hartselle can win the region outright this week when the Tigers host Muscle Shoals.