Friday Night Rundown: Boaz Survives in Overtime as Round 1 Delivers Upsets and Thrillers

The second season opened with fog in Troy, a comeback by Boaz and an early exit for Philip Rivers and St. Michael Catholic. More than 100 games went final Thursday and Friday, and the bracket already looks different.

Overtime and one-point finishes

Boaz 28, Gardendale 27 (OT). Gardendale led 21-0 midway through the second quarter. Boaz scored the next 21, Troy Dutton blocked a Gardendale field goal late in regulation, and Sage Bennett ran in from 5 yards in overtime. Gardendale answered in two plays, went for two and the win, and Camaree Gooden was stopped short of the goal line. Boaz (9-2) heads to Muscle Shoals.

Orange Beach 21, Charles Henderson 20. On Thursday, Orange Beach led 21-0, saw Amari Wingard's 105-yard interception return swing the game and hung on after a missed extra point and two fourth-quarter takeaways. James Neutze, who spent much of the year as a JV backup, had two interceptions. It is the first playoff win in Makos history.

Collinsville 35, Lamar County 34 and Bullock County 17, Corner 14 were the other games decided by three points or fewer, along with Hewitt-Trussville's 38-35 win over Gadsden City, Lee-Scott Academy's 24-21 win at Madison Academy, Good Hope's 24-21 win at Fairfield and St. Paul's Episcopal's 6-3 win over Montgomery Catholic.

Upsets

• Curry 13, Geraldine 6. Curry won its first playoff game since 1996, on the road against the No. 2 team in 3A.
• Glenwood 42, St. Michael Catholic 35. Glenwood, 5-5 in the regular season, beat a St. Michael team that had won 48-27 in their October meeting. Philip Rivers' son Gunner returned from injury and threw two touchdown passes in the loss, and Rivers said he did not know if it was his last game as coach.
• Lee-Scott Academy 24, Madison Academy 21. A 2-8 team won on the road in Double-A.
• John Carroll Catholic 28, Randolph 7. John Carroll (4-6) flipped a 25-21 loss to Randolph from Oct. 23.
• Hoover 50, Bob Jones 3. Hoover (5-6) had four interceptions and travels to Thompson.
• Vinemont 16, Central-Florence 8 and Orange Beach's win were the only losses by a No. 1 region seed all weekend.
• Dadeville won 28-0 at 9-1 Thomasville, and Brantley won 29-0 at 9-1 Linden.

Big nights

• Hewitt-Trussville quarterback Jack Floyd ran 22 times for 288 yards and four touchdowns. Gadsden City's Sam Sollie threw five touchdown passes in the loss.
• Baker rallied from 20-0 down to beat Enterprise 31-27. Tate Graham threw for 394 yards, and Jamien Pryor caught 14 passes for 309 yards.
• Vestavia Hills quarterback Charlie Taafe threw five touchdown passes and ran for another in a 50-12 win over Huntsville.
• Rogers' Braiden Reed carried 41 times for 312 yards in a loss at Oneonta.
• McAdory's Grayson Shamburger ran for 215 yards and four scores in a 55-48 win over Russell County.

Still unbeaten

Every unbeaten team that took the field won: Addison, Winterboro, Cottonwood, Reeltown, Bullock County, Cleburne County, Hatton, Plainview, Scottsboro, Gulf Shores, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Montgomery Academy and Westbrook Christian. Briarwood Christian advanced by forfeit, and Prattville (10-0) had a bye.

Who advanced

• 6A: Hewitt-Trussville, Foley, Spain Park, Carver-Montgomery, Baker, Vestavia Hills, Opelika, Hoover
• 5A: Homewood, Pike Road, Gulf Shores, McAdory, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Saraland, Benjamin Russell, Spanish Fort, Boaz, Muscle Shoals, Parker, Russellville, Florence, Minor, Clay-Chalkville, Douglas
• 4A: Orange Beach, Sipsey Valley, Vigor, Selma, Northside, Williamson, Marbury, Eufaula, Scottsboro, Alexandria, Oak Grove, Moody, Deshler, Good Hope, Cherokee County, Leeds
• 3A: Cleburne County, Cordova, Bibb County, T.R. Miller, Jackson, Pleasant Grove, Bullock County, W.S. Neal, Etowah, Plainview, Lauderdale County, Hatton, Fayette County, Vinemont, Oneonta, Curry
• 2A: Reeltown, Ariton, Isabella, Luverne, Aliceville, Dadeville, Cottonwood, Clarke County, Walter Wellborn, Fyffe, Gordo, Pleasant Valley, Cold Springs, Lexington, Collinsville, Piedmont
• 1A: McKenzie, Kinston, Leroy, Brantley, University Charter, Billingsley, Maplesville, Elba, Loachapoka, Woodville, Hubbertville, Wadley, Sulligent, Addison, Spring Garden, Winterboro
• Double A: UMS-Wright, St. Paul's Episcopal, Glenwood, McGill-Toolen Catholic, Briarwood Christian, John Carroll Catholic, Lee-Scott Academy, American Christian
• Single A: Mobile Christian, Montgomery Academy, Tuscaloosa Academy, Mars Hill Bible, Westbrook Christian, Whitesburg Christian, Cottage Hill Christian. Saint James at Bayside Academy had no final score at press time.

In the AISA, Banks Academy beat Chambers Academy 52-30.

Round 2 games to watch

Pairings are projected until the AHSAA sets them Saturday. Spain Park gets a rematch at unbeaten Prattville. Saraland meets unbeaten Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, McAdory faces unbeaten Gulf Shores, and Hoover visits defending champ Thompson. Alexandria and unbeaten Scottsboro meet in 4A, Mobile Christian goes to Montgomery Academy, and St. Paul's Episcopal and UMS-Wright renew their rivalry.

Close to home

Piedmont rolled past J.B. Pennington 48-7 and draws Collinsville, which edged Lamar County by a point. Cleburne County (11-0) beat Escambia County 49-13. Etowah held off Wilson 21-14 and goes to Plainview, which beat East Lawrence 40-20. Cherokee County beat Shades Valley 19-7, Fyffe beat Cleveland 48-14 and Spring Garden edged South Lamar 20-15. Alexandria beat Hamilton to set up its date with Scottsboro.

The season ended for Oxford (31-14 to Muscle Shoals), Gadsden City, Geraldine, Ohatchee (28-21 at Lexington), Hokes Bluff, Cedar Bluff, Ider and Ranburne. White Plains, in its first playoff game since 1994, scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 48-31 loss at Jackson.

Follow every Round 2 score live at alscores.app.