Scottsboro erases 12-point fourth-quarter deficit for key region win over Arab
Teams combine for more than 1,000 total yards; Scottsboro win, Guntersville loss renews Scottsboro's region title hopes
Jason Bowen
yler Vann took a deep breath.
“I’m going to try not to get emotional,” he said.
Scottsboro’s first-year head coach collected his emotions after the Wildcats collected a thrilling 50-47 Class 5A Region 8 win over visiting Arab Friday night.
The Wildcats trailed by 12 points with less than five minutes remaining, but Scottsboro got a defensive stop before Jake Jones scored the winning touchdown on a 4-yard run with 30 seconds left.
“That’s why every rep matters, every play matters,” Vann said. “When you’re trying to build a culture…this is what you want them to do. It’s good for them to see what happens when you just keep playing the next play. You just continuously fight in a game. So proud of the guys who stayed in their and just kept fighting regardless of how bad it was. Offense just to keep making play after play. Defense needed that one stop and gave us enough time (to score). The community should be proud of the fight these guys played with.”
The win’s importance was magnified more when Boaz finished off a 42-35 upset of region-leading No. 2-ranked Guntersville. That put Scottsboro (7-2, 5-1), which finished region play this week, back into region title contention a week after losing at Guntersville. Scottsboro would win the region next week with losses next week by Guntersville and Boaz. Meanwhile, a Boaz win at Arab coupled with a Guntersville win over Douglas would force a three-way tie for the region crown that Vann said favors Scottsboro. A Boaz loss and a Guntersville win means Guntersville wins the region title and Scottsboro would finish second and host a first-round playoff game.
“This region, top to bottom, is really tough,” Vann said. “These guys went 5-1 in a tough region, because how they of the fight and how they play and how they practice every day. I’m glad to see it pay off.”
Scottsboro and Arab (5-3, 3-2) combined for 1,032 total yards (531 for Scottsboro and 501 for Arab) and 46 first downs while the 97 combined points are the second most in series history.
Jones posted 348 total yards for Scottsboro, rushing for 105 yards and six touchdowns on 21 carries while also finishing 11-of-17 passing for 243 yards and one score. Jacobi Edmondson added 138 rushing yards on 19 carries, while Cohen Thompson had five catches for 113 yards, Antonio Brocks had three catches for 69 yards and Tyler Shelton had two catches for 48 yards.
Arab quarterback Drew Puccio ran for 313 yards and seven touchdowns on 27 carries while completing 8 of 15 passes for 168 yards, and Arab receiver Landon Strickland caught six passes for 123 yards.
Puccio got the Knights on the scoreboard first with an 18-yard touchdown two plays after teammate Lawson King blocked a Scottsboro punt, and Aiden Wooten kicked the first of his five PATs for a 7-0 lead. Scottsboro countered with a 32-yard touchdown run and the first of Cole Raeuchle’s six PATs to tie it 7-all. The Knights moved back in front 14-7 on Puccio’s 32-yard touchdown run, but Scottsboro tied it again with 1 second left in the first quarter on Jones’ 47-yard touchdown pass to Thompson.
After Puccio gave the Knights a 20-14 lead on a 48-yard touchdown run — JC Heikkinen blocked Arab’s extra-point attempt — Scottsboro took a 21-20 lead on Jones’ 20-yard touchdown run with five minutes left in the half. Arab went back in front 26-21 on Puccio’s 42-yard touchdown run, and the Knights reached the Wildcats’ 2-yard line with 5 seconds left in the half. But Arab passed on a field-goal attempt, instead trying in vain for a touchdown as Puccio’s pass was intercepted by Scottsboro’s Quincie Franklin in the end zone.
The Knights did extend their lead to 33-21 on Puccio’s 4-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. But Scottsboro answered with Jones’ 2-yard touchdown run to pull the Wildcats’ within 33-28 after three quarters, and after Puccio’s 10-yard touchdown run made it 40-28 Arab with 9:56 remaining, Jones found the end zone from 7 yards out to cut it to 40-35. Puccio’s 43-yard touchdown run with 5:39 gave the Knights a 47-35 lead, but Scottsboro answered again with Jones’ 8-yard touchdown run with 4:06 left. The Wildcats converted a fourth-and-five from their own 22-yard line to keep that drive going when Jones hit Thompson for 34 yards.
The Wildcats finally got the defensive stop they needed, forcing an Arab three-and-out from near midfield following an unsuccessful onside kick. The Wildcats took over after the punt and started their game-winning drive with a 52-yard pass from Jones to Brocks, and after runs of 11 and 4 yards from Edmondson and Jones, Jones scored from 2 yards out and then threw a two-point conversion pass to Thompson for a 50-47 Scottsboro lead with 30 seconds remaining.
“Defense got us that stop we needed, and there was no doubt our offense would score,” Vann said. “(Brocks’ catch) set it all up…73 Switch, it was there earlier, we decided to go back to it. O-line gave (Jones) time to throw. They made a play.”
Arab completed two passes to reach the Scottsboro 39-yard line with 5 seconds left, but Puccio’s Hail Mary Pass fell incomplete well short of the end zone on the final play, sparking a spirited Scottsboro celebration.
“So proud of these guys,” Vann said. “Proud of these seniors, to do that on senior night. The whole team kept fighting, kept playing, and now we may win the region after all.”
