PAGE 8 September 2022
Week Zero Highlights By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger The 2022 high school were recognized for their performance against Albertville. Drake Franklin had 154
Quarterback Ian Garner ran for three touchdowns and threw a five yard scoring pass in the win. The Sardis Lions also had a historic season opener, as the program picked up a 16-14 victory over DAR in head Coach Chris Stephenson's debut. Blaze Gerhart helped Sardis earn the win with 134 yards rushing and a touchdown. The Crossville Lions closed out week zero with a trip to Ider on Saturday, August 20. The game turned out the be one of the closest battles of the weekend, as Ider slipped past the visiting Lions 8-6.
football season kicked off for many teams during Week Zero on August 18- 20. One of the first rival matchup's of the season came on Thursday, August 18 as the Albertville Aggies welcomed Marshall County foe Arab. The visiting Knights improved to 1-0 with a 47-14 win over the Aggies. Each week the AHSAA spotlights athletes and historic milestones from around the state and two Arab players
yards and three touchdowns. Teammate Drew Puccio made five catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Aidan Cox. The Arab quarterback finished the game with 195 yards passing. Another highlight from week zero is Brindlee Mountain High School's season opening 26-20 win over Cherokee. The win snapped the Lions 43 game losing streak, as it was the program's first victory since September 22, 2017.
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Arab Senior Caleb Perkins chases Albertville quarterback Andy Howard during the 2022 season opener on August 18. Arab defeated Albertville 47-14.
Etowah Senior Briggs Freeman tries to break away from a Springville defender during the Blue Devils 35-0 season opening victory. The win marked the first for the program under new Head Football Coach Matt Glover. Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Ider attempts to recover a fumble against Crossville during the 2022 season opener. Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Week One Highlights
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger Several area rivals faced off in week one of the 2022 football season. In Marshall County, the Albertville Aggies traveled to Boaz and sailed away with a 41-30 victory over the Pirates. Albertville quarterback Andy Howard completed 14-of-21 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns in the win. The victory improved the Aggies’ lead in the series to 58-23-1. The series was first played in 1938 and has been played annually since 1952. Gavin Smart earned AHSAA honors after setting a single-game school record 14 receptions in the Pirates’ loss to the Aggies. Smart finished the game with 105
yards and a touchdown. In another Marhsall County rival matchup, the Douglas Eagles soared to a 56-7 win at DAR. Jonathan Fountain paced Douglas with 156 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score and caught a 28-yard touchdown pass in the win. In DeKalb County, the Crossville Lions traveled down Sand Mountain to Collinsville to battle the Panthers. The Lions fell to 0-2 with a 33-7 loss. Collinsville’s Keaton DeBoard earned AHSAA honors after rushing 14 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the win. One of the most anticipated games of the week was a Sand Mountain
showdown between Top ranked Fyffe and the Geraldine Bulldogs. The Bulldogs defeated Fyffe last year to snap the Red Devils 51 game winning streak. That was not the case this year, as Fyffe quickly took care of business picking up a 34-6 win over Geraldine. Other key highlights from DeKalb County include Valley Head’s 26-20 overtime win over Section and Sylvania’s 19-6 season opening win over Sakes. Fort Payne improved to 2-0 with a 26-14 win over Etowah. Perhaps the biggest surprise of week one was Cherokee County’s 21-14 victory over Piedmont. Cherokee County senior quarterback Cade Hopper was 14-of-17
passing for 176 yards and threw a 50-yard strike to senior receiver Malachi Horton with 1:16 remaining to lift the Warriors (2-0) to the win. Horton had seven catches for 104 yards. Tristan Brown had an interception with 51 seconds left to seal the win. The Cherokee County victory snapped Piedmont’s 10-game winning streak over the Warriors. Their last victory over Piedmont, coached by Steve Smith, came in 2009. Both teams went on to win the Class 3A and Class 4A state titles that season. With the win, the series, which was first played in 1925, is now tied at 38-38-3 and is the longest series in both schools’ history.
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Douglas Senior Teammates Dakota Stewart (#16), Braxton Lindsey (#3), and Jonathan Fountaine (#17) wait for a play during the Eagles' game at DAR on August 26, 2022.
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Sardis' Blaze Gerhart (#9) looks for running room on this play at New Hope.
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Boaz Senior Gavin Smart attempts to make a play against the Albertville Aggies during AHSAA football action on August 26, 2022. The visiting Aggies held on to defeat the Pirates 41-30. With the win, Albertville improved to 1-1 overall, while Boaz also evened its record a 1-1.
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
DAR Quarterback Trey Bolt (#9)
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