Late touchdown, two-point play give Scottsboro region title

Wildcats win first region championship since 2016, 10th in program history

Combined Reports

The Scottsboro football team’s quest for a region championship looked out of reach following a Week 7 loss at Guntersville.

But after Boaz upset Guntersville to throw the region into a three-tie atop the standings, Scottsboro did the rest to make sure it was the one claiming the title.

The Wildcats won a second straight game with a closing-seconds comeback, defeating previously undefeated Class 3A No. 2-ranked Mars Hill 22-21 in Florence Friday night.

The win gave Scottsboro (8-2) the Class 5A Region 8 championship and the region’s top-seed for the Class 5A playoffs. The Wildcats host Jacksonville in the opening round next Friday at Trammell Stadium.

“It was a tough night, but our kids found a way,” said first-year Scottsboro head coach Tyler Vann. “Anytime you can win a region championship, it’s special. Happy for our guys, especially the seniors. This is something they will always have. Those (region championship) t-shirts are going to look good.”

It was Scottsboro’s first region championship since 2016 and its 10th area/region title all-time.

Mars Hill (9-1) threatened to end Scottsboro’s title hopes, who came in needing a win to take the region crown via tiebreak “7-L,” defeated non-region opponents combined win total — Scottsboro’s non-region wins were Fort Payne (eight wins), North Jackson (eight wins), and Mars Hill (nine wins). 

The Panthers led 7-0 at halftime, but Scottsboro moved in front following a pair of rushing touchdowns from Jacobi Edmondson. After Mars Hill countered with two unanswered scores to take a 21-14 lead in the fourth quarter, Scottsboro capped a 70-yard drive with Jake Jones’ 28-yard touchdown run with 1:01 left. 

Scottsboro then decided to go for the lead, and Jones delivered on the two-point conversion run to give the Wildcats, who lost on a late Mars Hill two-point conversion in a similar situation last season, a 22-21 advantage.

Mars Hill managed to get into field goal position, but its 44-yard field goal was no good. Scottsboro was called for roughing the kicker, but the Panthers missed the re-do kick from 29 yards out on the game’s final play.

Edmondson finished with 25 carries for 146 yards and two scores for Scottsboro. The junior rushed for 121 of his yards in the second half.

 — The Times Daily in Florence contributed to this report.