Nick Crayton caught two touchdown passes as Class 7A Austin beat 6A No. 3-ranked Hartselle 28-17 in the season opener for both teams.

The senior scored on a 65-yard catch-and-run from Judd Bailey and a 6-yarder from J.L. Davis. Davis also threw a 14-yarder to Jaxon Potter. The host Black Bears led 21-7 at halftime.

Austin’s defense preserved the win when senior defensive tackle Nathan Taylor had a 45-yard scoop-and-score fumble return in the final minute. Senior linebacker Solomon Lyle sacked Hartselle quarterback Landon Blackwood to force the fumble.

Ri Fletcher had a 28-yard touchdown run for the visiting Tigers. Noah Yates kicked a 25-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Blackwood’s 13-yard pass to Noah Lee, and Yates’ extra point, pulled the Tigers within 21-17 with 3:47 left.

“First I’m proud of our guys,” Austin coach Jeremy Perkins said. “They had to fight for four quarters and handle some adversity.”

Play of the game: Down 21-17 with 1:14 left, Hartselle had a fourth-and-4 on the Austin 43. The Austin defense blitzed and Lyle’s sack led to Taylor’s decisive fumble return.

Stat sheet: Austin – Crayton had three catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterbacks Davis and Bailey combined to go 11-for-15 for 215 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Gavin Fuqua had 20 carries for 73 yards. Kenneth Joshua had five carries for 32 yards. Hartselle – Fletcher had 11 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. Blackwood, a senior making his debut as the starting quarterback, went 15-for-28 for 100 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.

By the numbers: 312 – Austin total yards with 97 rushing and 215 passing. … 258 – Hartselle total yards with 158 rushing and 100 passing. … 7 – turnovers combined as Hartselle had four and Austin had three. … 24 – Austin wins against Hartselle as the Tigers lead the all-time series 32-24-1.

Game ball: Lyle made the big hit causing the fumble that led to the clinching fumble return TD.

Coachspeak: “We’ll hopefully take this and build on it, correct some mistakes and hopefully grow and get better.” – Perkins

“I thought we could’ve cashed it in with the issues in the first half. But we came out in the second half and got the ball back down by four with a chance to win the game. And I’m proud of the resilience and fight of this team. We’ll grow from it.” – Hartselle coach Bryan Moore

They said it: “It was a blitz. Solomon came off the edge, hit the quarterback, he fumbled. I took it to the crib.” – Taylor

“I knew in my mind I had to make a big play, change the game around a little. Hard work always pays off. But the job’s not finished. Next week we have a big game against Decatur. We have to come back Sunday, watch film on this game, fix our mistakes and be better next game.” – Lyle

“First of all, we did it with a packed house. And then got to give a lot of credit to our defense. And a lot of credit to the coaching staff for a great game plan.” – Bailey

“It’s a great win to finally beat Hartselle after a while. We prepared as a team because we practiced. We’ve been preparing for a while. The defense clinched after we struggled in the second half.” – Davis

“It started with our team chemistry with our quarterbacks. Just preparing all week, fighting through the heat, fighting through adversity. The quarterbacks trusted me to make a big play and be a playmaker.” – Crayton

Next week: Hartselle travels to Jackson-Olin while Austin visits city rival Decatur.