Mountain Brook 31, Huntsville 14 (Class 6A)
The Spartans’ Gavin Golsan stood out as a runner and pass receiver in his team’s rout of the Panthers.
Filling in for the injured Mark Rector, Golsan gained 78 yards rushing on just 16 carries. He also caught three touchdown passes and finished with 138 receiving yards. Quarterback Edward Aldag completed 14 of 26 passes for 214 yards.
Rector also scored on a five-yard run late in the game.
Top-ranked Mountain Brook, now 12-0 for the year, will visit Oxford in the third round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Hoover 26,
Bob Jones 17 (Class 6A)
The Bucs overcame a 17-13 halftime deficit to take a come-from-behind victory against the Patriots. Hoover’s win came just two weeks after it smashed Bob Jones 41-13 in the final game of the regular season.
After the Patriots took an early 3-0 lead, Hoover scored on a 67-yard touchdown pass from Connor Short to Josh Jackson.
Bob Jones took a 10-7 lead after returning an interception 55 yards for a score. Hoover rebounded when B.J. Shaw scooped up a Patriot fumble and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown. The extra point attempt failed, and Hoover led 13-10.
Another Bob Jones touchdown late in the first half gave the hosts a 17-13 advantage at intermission.
Hoover took the lead for good in the third quarter when Short connected with Sterling Thompson for a 54-yard touchdown bomb. The Bucs’ final score came on a four-yard touchdown run by Caleb Sims.
Second-ranked Hoover, now 11-1 for the season, visits undefeated Hillcrest of Tuscaloosa.
Briarwood 24,
Fort Payne 14 (Class 5A)
The Lions battled back from a slow start to take a second round victory over the Wildcats.
After Fort Payne took a 6-0 lead, Briarwood struck back when Ben Craft passed 17 yards to Michael Lathem for a touchdown. Ben Mulvaney’s kick gave the hosts a 7-6 halftime lead.
In the second half, Craft passed 28 yards to Daniel Robert for a touchdown. Mulvaney booted a 35-yard field goal. Craft also scored on a one-yard run late in the game.
Briarwood, now 11-1 for the season, will host Muscle Shoals Friday night.