Marla Jones, Sports Editor
marla@southerntorch.com
FYFFE, Ala.- The No. 1 ranked Fyffe Red Devils (14-0) defeated the No. 8 ranked Pisgah Eagles in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) State Semifinals, 41-14 on Friday night.
Fyffe put the first points on the board on third and three from the 24, with a pass connection from Blake Dobbins to Hunter Machen. The point-after attempt by Yahir Balcazar was good, giving the Red Devils the 7-0 lead with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter. Pisgah recovered a punt with 1:42 remaining in the first. On second down, Evan Chandler and Jake Wooden netted a sack. On third down, Will Arnold collected his own sack, forcing a Pisgah Eagle punt.
Fyffe drove the ball down the field for 59 yards in six plays. Brodie Hicks sailed into the endzone from 3 -yards out with 9:05 remaining in the second quarter. The point after attempt failed, making the score 13-0. Pisgah scored their only points of the first half on a Mason Holcomb 47-yard pass completion to Luke Gilbert. The two-point conversion was broken up by Logan Anderson, making the score 13-6 with 6:49 remaining in the second quarter. Fyffe answered with a 25-yard pass connection from Dobbins to Evan Chandler for the score. The kick by Balcazar, made the score 20-6. After an interception by Ryder Gipson, Logan Anderson snuck into the endzone from 1-yard out. The kick by Balcazar gave the Fyffe Red Devils the 27-6 advantage going into intermission.
The Fyffe Red Devils scored with :23 remaining in the third quarter, after a nine-play, 55-yard drive, with Hicks carrying the ball and scoring the touchdown on a 4-yard sprint into the endzone. The kick by Balcazar gave the Red Devils the 34-6 advantage.
Fyffe scored their final touchdown of the night on a five-play, 69-yard drive capped off by a 33-yard touchdown run by Ryder Gibson. The kick by Balcazar made the score 41-6, with 8:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Eagles moved down the field for 86 yards before scoring with 1:46 remaining in the game on a Holcomb to Gilbert pass completion for 6 yards. The Eagles made the two-point conversion with a pass by Luke Gilbert to Grant Smith, making the final score of the game 41-14.
Brodie Hicks led the Fyffe Red Devils with 115 yards on 22 attempts. Logan Anderson, who was injured in the second quarter, had 63 yards on 13 attempts. Ryder Gipson finished the night with 63 rushing yards on three attempts and one interception.
Logan Anderson had 29 receiving yards on two attempts. Evan Chandler had 25 yards on one attempt. Hunter Machen finished the night with 24 yards on one attempt.
Luke Gilbert led the Pisgah Eagles with 142 receiving yards on 11 attempts
The Fyffe Red Devils will play in the Class 2A State Championship game against B.B. Comer, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn on December 2, at 3:00 p.m.
