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Sylvania rumbles to victory over Ohatchee
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Sylvania rumbles to victory over Ohatchee

By Roger Scott | For Southern Torch

SYLVANIA, Ala. — Sylvania used balanced offense and a stout defense to overwhelm Ohatchee 42-14 in a 3A, Region 6 matchup Thursday night.

The Rams piled up the points and yardage while building a quick lead over the Indians in the first half.

Sylvania’s first drive covered 70 yards in just over 2:30. Aiden Parham found running room behind the Rams’ line three times and caught a 22-yard pass from Jaxon Smith. Parham then punched it in from three yards out with just under 9:30 left in the first quarter. Conner Andrade’s PAT was good to give Sylvania the 7-0 lead.

The Rams’ defense forced a three-and-out on Ohatchee’s first possession.

On Sylvania’s next drive, freshman Landon Watkins gained seven yards around right end before Parham took it to the house on a 76-yard scamper. Andrade made the score 14-0 with 6:33 left in the first quarter.

After the kickoff, Sylvania’s defense went to work again as sophomore safety Josh Scott intercepted a pass from Ohatchee quarterback Bryce Noah and returned it to the 3-yard line. Two plays later Smith found Watkins for the touchdown with 4:50 left in the first quarter. After the PAT, the Rams led 21-0.

“Overall, we graded fairly well on the offensive side of the football, a lot of guys executed well and finished blocks up front,” said Sylvania head coach Tyler Vann.

“Our backs did a good job running the ball well… I felt like the things we did early kept [Ohatchee] off balance.”

“Defensively, our guys played pretty well. We stopped the run early and got up 21-0,” Vann said.

On its next drive, Ohatchee gained multiple first downs on the ground behind Noah and senior running back Devin Howell. Noah then bounced outside for a 20-yard gain early in the second quarter to move the ball to the Sylvania 9-yard line. Nathan Jones drove it in to give the Indians’ its first score with 8:09 left in the second quarter. The PAT was no good.

“The double teams did get to us late in the first quarter and second quarter and they were moving us up front a little more than we would have liked,” Vann said. “We’ve got to do a better job keeping the intensity the entire game on defense no matter the score and get to the ball and tackle better,” Vann said.

After the kickoff, behind Parham and sophomore receiver Roman McKeehan, the Rams quickly moved the ball into the Indians’ territory. Parham then scored his third touchdown of the night on a 23-yard run with 5:50 left in the second quarter. Andrade’s PAT gave Sylvania the 28-6 lead.

Ohatchee punted on its next possession with 3:00 left in the half, and Smith completed consecutive passes to Watkins, senior tight end Brant Kittle and McKeehan to move the ball to the Ohatchee 27-yard line. Scott hauled in a pass from Smith with :09 seconds left, but the touchdown was negated by a blindside block penalty. Sylvania held a 28-6 lead at halftime.

At top, Aiden Parham looks for room to run against Ohatchee.  Above, Sylvania's defense swarms to the ball. Photos courtesy of Mandy Helton

Ohatchee couldn’t move the ball into scoring position and turned the ball over on downs with its opening possession of the second half. Sylvania didn’t capitalize on the good field position, however, as Noah picked off Smith’s pass with 4:25 in the third quarter.

“We have to do a better job taking care of the football; we threw one interception on fourth down and we fumbled one in the end zone that Ky [Shankles] was able to jump on,” Vann said.

The Rams’ defense was solid again and forced another Ohatchee punt. Vann said he was pleased with how his younger guys are playing on defense.

“We missed some tackles, and some guys weren’t in the right spot, but that’s what happens when you’re playing a lot of young guys,” Vann said.

“They’re growing up and I’m glad to see them getting a lot of reps. It’s good experience.” 

Watkins then took a short pass from Smith and sprinted 49-yards to the Ohatchee 5-yard line. Parham finished the drive with a touchdown, and Sylvania led 35-6 at the end of the third quarter.

“Special teams were really good. Andrade was a bright spot; he kicked the ball well. We lost contain one time on kickoff and we were perfect on extra points,” Vann said.

Ohatchee moved the ball in the fourth quarter and added their next score with 7:38 left in the game on a pass from Noah to Howell. Noah added the two-point conversion for the 35-14 score.

Scott recovered Ohatchee’s onside kick attempt, and Smith completed a 21-yard pass to Watkins to move Sylvania into scoring position. Parham got hit while crossing the goal line, and Ky Shankles jumped on the ball for the final Sylvania touchdown with 5:38 left in the game.

Sylvania’s defense forced another punt and the Rams ran out the clock on offense.

Sylvania finished with more than 450 yards of offense, with 249 coming on the ground. Smith finished 12-15 for 204 yards with one touchdown and one interception, Parham rumbled to 161 yards on 16 carries and four touchdowns, and Watkins had 97 yards receiving and a touchdown.

This week, Sylvania visits Geraldine in a key region game, while Ohatchee hosts Piedmont.

Sylvania offense, defense dominate first half in victory over Saks
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Sylvania offense, defense dominate first half in victory over Saks

Sylvania running back Braiden Thomas carries the ball against Saks
Sylvania running back Braiden Thomas stiff-arms a Saks defender. | Mandy Helton / Special to Southern Torch
RAMS' defense controls line of scrimmage; offense gains 400 yards

By Roger Scott
For Southern Torch

SYLVANIA, Ala. –  The Sylvania Rams used a first half of balanced offense and smothering defense to build a lead over Saks that carried the team to a win.

Saks, from 3A, Region 4, visited Rams Stadium after beating Ohatchee in Week 1.

Sylvania head coach Tyler Vann said he saw some good things from his team after playing North Jackson in a jamboree game.

“Overall, in all three phases, there were a bunch of positives, and also some negatives that we have to get cleaned up,” said Vann.

Sylvania received the kick and opened its drive behind senior running back Braiden Thomas’ 15-yard run and 30-yard reception from junior quarterback Jaxon Smith.

After a Saks face mask penalty and another Thomas gain on the ground, Roman McKeehan took a screen pass from Smith 18 yards to open the scoring for the Rams with 9:50 left in the first quarter. The extra point was no good.

Sylvania’s defense clogged the middle on the Wildcats’ first drive and forced a punt at 7:28 left in the first quarter, as Saks couldn’t find much room to run.

The Rams chewed up more yards on the ground behind Smith, Thomas, and sophomore Aiden Parham. A 20-yard Smith completion to senior tight end Brant Kittle moved the Rams down to the 5-yard line.

Zack Anderson then took a handoff and ran around right end for the score. The extra point by Connor Andrade was good, bringing Sylvania’s lead to 13-0 with 3:32 left in the first quarter.

“Offensively, we moved [the Saks defense] well up front early in the game,” Vann said.

The Rams’ defense pressured quarterback Gavin Doss into a couple of incomplete passes on Saks’ next possession. The Wildcats punted with just over 1:00 left, and the quarter ended 13-0 in favor of Sylvania.

After runs by Thomas and Parham and a completion to Anderson, sophomore receiver Josh Scott hauled in a 29-yard pass from Smith for the touchdown.  The extra point was no good, and Sylvania held a 19-0 cushion.

With 6:40 left in the second quarter, Saks picked up its first first down of the game on a Gavin Doss pass and then pushed to the Rams 40-yard line on a run up the middle. The Wildcats’ offense couldn’t gain more yardage and were forced to punt.

Saks’ defense then forced a short punt on Sylvania’s possession and started a drive at the Rams’ 30-yard line. Doss completed a pass to receiver Trent Hopkins for a 10-yard gain.  The Wildcats pushed to the Sylvania 2-yard-line for a critical fourth-and-2 with :25 seconds left in the first half.

A host of Rams pressured the Saks quarterback into another incompletion and forced the change of possession. At the half, Sylvania led 19-0.

“We made them one-dimensional, which is what you want to do on defense,” Vann said. That was key to our success.”

Sylvania defensive players take a break during an injury timeout.
Sylvania defensive players take a break during an injury timeout. | Mandy Helton / Special to Southern Torch

The second half featured missed opportunities for the Sylvania offense. The Rams moved the ball to the Saks 15-yard line behind Thomas and Parham, but holding and false start penalties stalled the drive. Sylvania turned it over on downs at the 31-yard line with 4:30 left in the third quarter.

“The offense played really well at times, we just have to clean up penalties,” Vann said.

“We have to learn to fight through it and finish drives. We should have put up more points  than we did.”

The Rams’ defense again pressured Saks after a few short Wildcat gains to force a punt.

McKeehan, a sophomore, gained 38 yards on a pass from Smith, and Parham took a flip from Smith and moved the Rams to the Saks 6-yard line. Smith couldn’t connect on a pass to Kittle in the end zone, and another holding penalty stalled the drive. Andrade was a little short on a 38-yard field goal attempt and Sylvania again turned it over on downs.

Griffin Haygood made a diving interception on the next play to end Saks’ drive and shift momentum back to Sylvania just before the end of the third quarter.

“I thought we tackled well, and made some tackles in space,” Vann said.

In the fourth quarter, Sylvania just missed a scoring toss to Thomas and again turned the ball over on downs with 9:57 in the fourth quarter.

Saks found room to move the ball in the fourth quarter. Doss, a junior, completed a pass to Hopkins for the touchdown with 8:09 left in the game. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 19-6 in favor of the Rams.

The Wildcats stopped the Rams offense on its next possession, but Saks was pinned on its own 4-yard line by Drenon Townsel’s 50-yard punt.

Saks again moved the ball with a long pass to Hopkins, but the Wildcats couldn’t finish the drive and were forced to punt.

Sylvania then ran time off the clock, punted, and closed out the game on defense.

“There are things that we have to clean up… but we will take a win over a loss any day of the week,” Vann said.

The Rams totaled more than 400 yards of offense. Thomas led Sylvania’s ground attack with 126 yards on 22 carries, while Parham earned 69 yards on 10 carries. Smith finished with 172 yards through the air. Anderson scored a rushing touchdown, and McKeehan and Scott each finished with a touchdown reception.

Sylvania goes on the road for a critical 3A, Region 6 matchup at Piedmont this week. Saks will host its Region 4 foe Beulah.

Sylvania outlasts North Jackson in preseason jamboree
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Sylvania outlasts North Jackson in preseason jamboree

At top: Sylvania Head Coach Tyler Vann discusses strategy with the players during a break in the action. Above: Ram defenders make a tackle against North Jackson. | Photos courtesy of Mandy Helton
QB Smith tosses three TDs; sophomore trio score three of four touchdowns in 28-26 victory over the Chiefs.

By Roger Scott
Southern Torch Guest Contributor

SYLVANIA, Ala. — Sylvania won a back-and-forth battle over North Jackson Friday night in a jamboree matchup between the 3A and 4A squads.

On its opening drive, the Chiefs chewed up more than five minutes on the clock before punching it in off right tackle with a two-yard score by sophomore Diego Holt to go up 6-0. The PAT was no good.

Senior running back Braiden Thomas opened Sylvania’s first drive with a 5-yard gain to the 35. The Rams missed on a third-down pass and were forced to punt.

Sylvania’s defense held the Chiefs to only three yards on its next possession. Junior Ashdon Cooley had a quarterback pressure on the drive and a tackle for loss by Aiden Parham forced a North Jackson punt.

Junior quarterback Jaxon Smith completed a 15-yard pass to Thomas for a first down. After the Chiefs stuffed a run, sophomore receiver Josh Scott broke free for a 42-yard pass from Smith for Sylvania’s first score at 1:50 in the first quarter. The PAT was good, making the score 7-6 in favor of the Rams.

North Jackson punted on its next drive to open the second quarter. Smith completed a 63-yard touchdown pass to Zack Anderson and freshman Connor Andrade nailed the PAT to put Sylvania up 14-6 with 10:54 left in the half.

After a two-yard gain to open its possession, the Chiefs turned a short pass caught by junior Johnathan Linderman into a 54-yard gain to the Sylvania 12.

Another short pass led to a scoring scamper by Holt to bring the visitors with two points at 14-12. Junior defensive back Jonah Gurley intercepted the Chiefs’ 2-point attempt.

After the kickoff, Thomas broke a 40-yard run up the right sideline with 8:45 left in the half, and sophomore receiver Roman McKeehan hauled in a 30-yard pass from Smith for a score at 8:20 in the 2nd quarter. Andrade’s PAT increased the Rams lead to 21-12.

North Jackson countered with runs of 35, 17 and 16 yards to the Sylvania 2-yard line and then pushed in for the score. The 2-point conversion was good to make the score 21-20 with 6:40 left in the half.

Neither team moved the ball well and traded punts on the next possessions.

Near the end of the half, Griffin Haygood snagged a 14-yard pass on a Smith scramble for a first down, but Andrade missed a field goal from 34 yards out with 1:00 left. The halftime score remained 21-20 in favor of the Rams.

Sylvania received the kick and opened the second half with a short gain on a Thomas run and a 10-yard dart from Smith to Scott. The Rams were forced to punt after a false start penalty and a couple of incompletions.

On the next possession, the Rams forced a fumble that defensive back Haygood recovered at the Chiefs 34-yard line with 7:50 left in the 3rd. On the next play, Parham went around right end for a 20-yard gain, but the Rams couldn’t capitalize as they fumbled on the drive.

North Jackson returned the favor with a fumble of its own to give the ball back to Sylvania.

Parham then scampered through a huge hole in the middle for a 20-yard touchdown. The PAT was good, giving the Rams the 28-20 lead.

After the kickoff, North Jackson junior quarterback Nick Jernigan scrambled for a 27-yard gain to the Rams’ 40.

A 19-yard loss on a bad snap backed up the Chiefs’ drive with 2:30 left in the 3rd  quarter, but Jernigan was hit late on a pass attempt. The penalty yardage kept the drive alive, and North Jackson then converted the 3-and-10 on a pass to the right sideline for a first down.

Two short runs up the middle then led to a 16-yard touchdown pass for the Chiefs, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving the varsity score 28-26 in favor of Sylvania at the end of the 3rd quarter.

The JV squads played to a 0-0 draw in the 4th quarter to close out the game.

Smith finished with 205 yards passing. Thomas and Parham each rushed for more than 50 yards, while Anderson, McKeehan, and Scott all had a touchdown reception.

Sylvania and North Jackson are both off this week. The Rams open the 2022 regular season on Aug. 26 by hosting 3A, Region 4 Saks. North Jackson opens at home vs. Scottsboro.