Category: General

General

Vestavia Hills evens record with big win over Class 6A No. 5 Clay-Chalkville

Charlie Taaffe threw for 237 yards and two scores as Vestavia Hills downed Class 6A No. 5 Clay-Chalkville 28-14 at home on Friday night to close out the regular season at 5-5.

Taaffe added 89 yards on the ground on 11 carries, with a 2-yard touchdown run. The sophomore connected with Bruce Littleton on scoring passes from 33 and 34 yards. Littleton also scored on a 35-yard run and had 71 yards rushing in the win.

General

3 takeaways from Auburn men’s basketball’s 102-70 exhibition win over Florida Atlantic

Friday night felt like a party inside Neville Arena.

It was the first time Auburn men’s basketball played a game in its home arena since March 9 and the game gave fans plenty to cheer for. Auburn defeated Florida Atlantic 102-70 Friday night, finishing its slate of charity exhibitions 2-0.

It’s always wise to be cautious when evaluating a team based off an exhibition game, but Auburn showed promise in its first game of the season at Neville Arena. Now as the regular season begins, the Tigers shift their focus to a matchup with Vermont on Nov. 6.

Here are three takeaways from Friday’s game:

Still shaking off the rust

No one expects everything to look perfect in an exhibition game and that certainly wasn’t the case for either team Friday night.

For Auburn, some early sloppiness kept the game back and forth to start. Auburn had nine turnovers in the first half, leading to seven FAU points.

Many of the turnovers looked to be miscommunications or poor timing on cuts and passes. Those mistakes are somewhat expected in a preseason exhibition like this, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating for the coaching staff.

On the other end, Auburn forced its fair share of turnovers too and played a good defensive game overall. There seemed to be few small miscommunications and bad rotations on defense at the beginning of the game, but like the turnovers, didn‘t look like anything that can’t be fixed.

Auburn’s athleticism makes the defense go

The defense may not be a finished product yet from a scheme and execution standpoint, but Auburn’s athletes will make it hard for any team to score on them.

Auburn’s on-ball defense was one of the highlights of the game. FAU had a hard time finding good matchups on offense, and apart from a few bad switches and miscommunications, FAU scored hardly any easy baskets.

Auburn held FAU to 40% shooting from the field and forced 19 turnovers. More importantly, Auburn scored 26 points off those turnovers, helping widen its halftime lead.

While the overall defensive structure could still use some improvement, the athleticism Auburn has to defend with gives it a high ceiling.

Both freshmen can and will play

Through two exhibition games, both Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard have shown they didn’t need much time to adjust to college basketball.

Each scored in double figures both games and against FAU, both excited the crowd as Bruce Pearl predicted.

Pettiford spent significant time at point guard, playing 16 minutes before leaving the game with what looked to be some discomfort in his right leg. While on the floor, he scored 12 points and had five assists, shooting 3-for- from the floor and 2-for-5 from 3-point range.

Coming off the bench with Pettiford, Howard scored 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Pearl has raved about his athleticism throughout the preseason and it was on full display Friday night.

His quickness affected the game both offensively and defensively. He scored in a variety of ways and was active on the perimeter with four steals.

While it’s understandable for Pearl to want to avoid rushing the freshmen into lofty roles, both made it clear in the exhibitions that they have the talent to contribute.

Mistakes and growing pains are inevitable with young players, but as Pettiford and Howard continue to get experience, it’s going to get difficult to keep them off the floor.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

General

A century after Native Americans got the right to vote, they could put Trump or Harris over the top

RED SPRINGS, N.C. (AP) — Native American communities were decisive voting blocs in key states in 2020, and with the 2024 race remaining stubbornly close both campaigns have tried to mobilize Native voters in the final weeks of the presidential election.

But when it comes to messaging, the two campaigns could not be more different, many Native voters said. It’s been 100 years since Native Americans were given the right to vote, with the passage of the Snyder Act in 1924, and whichever campaign is able to harness their power in this election could swing some of the most hotly contested counties in the country.

In swing states like Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, and Nevada, the candidates — particularly Vice President Kamala Harris — have been targeting Native Americans with radio ads and events on tribal lands featuring speakers like Bill Clinton and Donald Trump Jr.

Native American voters tend to favor Democrats, but they’re more likely to vote Republican than Latinos or African Americans, said Gabriel R. Sanchez, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He said they are one of the least partisan and youngest voting demographics in the country, often motivated by issues that directly impact their communities, like land rights and environmental protections.

In 2020, the Biden administration campaigned in several tribal nations in critical states like Wisconsin and Arizona, and precincts on tribal lands there helped narrowly tip the election for the Democrats. “Arizona was kind of like a textbook example of what that could look like if you make those early investments,” Sanchez said.

As part of a $370 million ad campaign released this month, including on several reservations, Harris said the U.S. should honor treaty rights and uphold tribal sovereignty. Crystal Echo Hawk, CEO of IllumiNative, a nonprofit that works to increase the visibility of Native Americans, said those commitments, along with the economy and environmental protections, are the top issues Native voters have identified in IllumiNative’s surveys.

Echo Hawk said those investments could pay off again for the Democrats. “I haven’t seen the same kind of targeted messaging and outreach from the Trump campaign,” she said. Harris also stands to inherit some of the goodwill left from the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, she said.

Obama increased consultation with tribes on matters like land protections and criminal justice, and Biden appointed more than 80 Native Americans to senior administration roles.

“The minute that the announcement came that Harris was stepping into the race, you saw people organize overnight,” Echo Hawk said. And Trump, she said, will have to contend with his reduction of Bears Ears National Monument by 85% and his revival of the Keystone XL pipeline, both unpopular with Indigenous peoples. “I think a lot of these people remember that,” she said.

On Friday, Biden formally apologized for the country’s support of Native American boarding schools and its legacy of abuse and cultural destruction. While seen as long overdue, it was met with praise from tribal leaders. On Saturday, vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will campaign in the Navajo Nation.

The Trump campaign hasn’t released ads targeting Native Americans, but U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, has stumped for the former president in Native communities in North Carolina, a swing state that was decided by less than one point in 2020.

On a crisp evening earlier this month, Mullin sat alongside Donald Trump Jr. and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat who recently announced she is joining the Republican Party, on a small stage in front of several bales of hay to take questions from an audience of a couple hundred people. They discussed issues ranging from the economy to tribal self-determination.

The event took place on a small farm in Red Springs, North Carolina, part of the traditional homelands of Mullin’s ancestors and current home to the Lumbee Tribe, a state-recognized tribe with about 55,000 members.

The federal recognition of the Lumbee has been opposed by several tribal nations, including the nearby Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Mullin’s own tribe, the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. The Lumbee’s push for federal recognition has become a focal point for both campaigns and a rare issue where both parties agree. Last month, Trump said he would sign legislation granting federal recognition to the Lumbee. Harris called the Lumbee’s tribal chairman last week to discuss the legislation.

“This is an injustice that needs to be fixed when it comes to Lumbees,” Mullin told the crowd. “This is absolutely absurd. It needs to be done. I was so proud to hear President Trump say that he would sign it.”

But Mullin soon touched on one of the many areas where the two candidates differ: energy policy. Highlighting the fact that he believed a second Trump term would mean a better economy and lower energy costs, Mullin laid out Trump’s policy in one recognizable term that was echoed by the audience, “Drill, baby, drill.”

Both the Biden and Trump administrations pushed to produce more oil and gas than ever, including extractive energy projects that were opposed by Indigenous peoples. However, Native leaders have expressed concern that Trump is more likely to further erode protections for tribal lands.

Mullin suggested that if tribal nations are truly sovereign, they should be able to conduct energy extraction without the burden of federal intervention. He said just like the Lumbee’s fight for federal recognition, the rights of tribes to govern their own lands is the victim of federal bureaucracy.

“Why is tribal land treated like public land?” Mullin asked, questioning why the federal government should have any oversight on tribal nations that extract natural resources on their own lands. “You have natural resources being pulled out of the ground right across the fence from reservations. You have private land owners that are extremely wealthy and you have people that are literally starving inside reservations,” he said, comparing some to third-world countries.

He promised Trump would have a deep understanding of tribal sovereignty.

That message resonated with Robert Chavis Jr., a physical education teacher and Army veteran who was at the rally and will be voting for Trump. Chavis, a member of the Lumbee Tribe, said tribal nations aren’t just governments, they’re businesses, and the U.S. is no different. “I feel like you don’t need a politician in there. We need a businessman to run the country like it should be.”

But other Lumbee voters aren’t as convinced. At her art gallery a few miles away in Pembroke, Janice Locklear said Trump promised he would federally recognize the Lumbee last time he was in office, and she had no reason to believe he could accomplish it this time. But looking broader than her community, she said what Trump did on Jan. 6, 2021, represents a nationwide threat to democracy.

“He thought he could actually be a dictator, go in there and take over. Even though he had lost the election; he knew he had lost the election. So what do you think he’ll do this time,” she said.

Locklear said as a woman of color, she trusts that Harris will have a deeper understanding of the unique challenges facing Native Americans. “I’m sure she’s had to face the same problems we face,” Locklear said. “Discrimination, I’m sure she’s faced it.”

— By GRAHAM LEE BREWER Associated Press

General

23-year-old man fatally shot Friday in Montgomery, police say

A homicide investigation is underway after a man was found shot to death Friday afternoon in Montgomery, police said.

Montgomery police and fire medics responded to the 1900 block of Gibbs Drive around 4:25 p.m. Friday on a report of a person shot, said Lt. David Wise.

At the scene, authorities found 23-year-old Montgomery resident Zachary McMeans with a fatal gunshot wound, Wise said.

McMeans was pronounced dead at the scene.

Further information on the homicide was not released.

Police asked anyone with information related to the investigation to call CrimeStopppers at 334-215-STOP, Secret Witness at 334-625-4000 or Montgomery police at 334-625-2831.

General

Charles Henderson fined, forfeits 5 wins because of transfer rule violation

The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced on Friday night that Charles Henderson High School’s varsity football program has been fined and placed on probation for one year for playing an ineligible player in violation of the AHSAA Transfer Rule.

The Troy school also forfeits all games won that the ineligible student participated in, including five region wins – over Andalusia, Eufaula, Greenville, Headland and Carroll-Ozark. The Trojans are now 0-8 overall and 0-6 in Class 5A, Region 2. Charles Henderson had been the second seed behind Montgomery Catholic in region play.

The Region 2 qualifiers now are, in seeding order, Montgomery Catholic, Andalusia, Eufaula and Greenville.

Charles Henderson is the fourth school forced to forfeit games this season, along with Pike Liberal Arts (also in Pike County), Coosa Christian (for the second consecutive season) and Fultondale.

The ineligible player was assessed eight games of restitution plus a preseason contest for the games he participated in while ineligible.

The Trojans were closing out their regular season at Pike Road on Friday.

General

Linebacker Rashaan Evans joins Atlanta Falcons’ active roster

Linebacker Rashaan Evans will be eligible to make his 2024 debut with the Atlanta Falcons after the NFL team signed the former Alabama All-American to its 53-man active roster on Friday.

Evans joined the Falcons’ active roster from Atlanta’s practice squad.

At noon CST Sunday, the Falcons play the Dallas Cowboys at noon CST Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Evans played in nine games for the Cowboys last season.

This year, Evans remained a free agent until the Falcons signed him for their practice squad on Oct. 1. Atlanta released Evans on Oct. 12, then signed him again for the practice squad on Oct. 21.

Evans finished seventh in the NFL with 159 tackles in 2022 with the Falcons, but Atlanta did not re-sign him after the season.

The Falcons signed Evans for their active roster after placing defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro on the disabled list on Friday.

Evans comes up with two linebackers on this week’s injury report. Fifth-round rookie reserve JD Bertrand will miss Sunday’s game because of a concussion. Troy Andersen has missed the past four games because of a knee injury, and his status for Sunday’s game is listed as questionable.

A 2018 first-round draft pick off Alabama’s 2017 CFP national-championship team, Evans played four seasons with the Tennessee Titans before signing a one-year contract with the Falcons in 2022.

In 85 NFL regular-season games, including 68 starts, Evans has 485 tackles, five sacks, 21 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. He returned a fumble 53 yards for a touchdown during the Titans’ 35-32 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 10, 2019. Evans also has started four postseason games.

Evans was the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 6A Lineman of the Year at Auburn High School in 2013 and a first-team All-American selection by the American Football Coaches Association at Alabama in 2017.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

General

SEC top 10 for Week 10: Tennessee ball-carrier takes aim at 95-year-old record

With four ranked teams – Alabama, LSU, Missouri and Texas – on open dates in Week 10, the SEC schedule doesn’t have a ranked-versus-ranked matchup among its five conference contests on Saturday. The league also has two non-conference contests in Week 10 against visitors from New England. Here are 10 stats from SEC Football by the Numbers, along with the schedule, TV and betting lines, to get ready for Week 10:

5 Completions of 40 or more yards by Florida QB DJ Lagway in both of his starts this season – a 45-7 victory over Samford on Sept. 7 and a 48-20 victory over Kentucky on Oct. 19. Lagway has 10 completions of at least 40 yards among his 54 completions in 2024. Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart with 12 and Auburn QB Payton Thorne with 11 are the only SEC players with more 40-yard completions than Lagway. Dart has 173 completions and Thorne 114 this season. With Graham Mertz out for the season, the freshman is now the Gators’ full-time quarterback. Florida plays Georgia on Saturday. The Georgia defense has allowed four completions of 40 or more yards this season.

5 Punts have been returned for minus-15 yards against Auburn this season, the fewest punt-return yards in the nation. The Tigers play Vanderbilt on Saturday. Vanderbilt CB Martel Hight has averaged 17.3 yards per punt return this season, the best in the nation for any player with at least 13 punt returns.

6 Victories for NCAA FCS teams in 305 games against SEC opponents since Division I split into Division I-A and I-AA in 1978. The FCS winners have been The Citadel, which beat Arkansas in 1992 and South Carolina in 2015; Maine, which beat Mississippi State in 2004; Jacksonville State, which beat Ole Miss in 2010; Georgia Southern, which beat Florida in 2013; and East Tennessee State, which beat Vanderbilt in 2021. Maine’s 9-7 victory over Mississippi State on Sept. 18, 2004, came in the Black Bears’ only game against an SEC opponent. On Saturday, Maine will take on its second SEC foe when it visits Oklahoma.

7 Consecutive games for Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson with at least one TD run. Sampson has run for 838 yards and 17 TDs on 144 carries this season. He’s one short of the Tennessee single-season record for rushing touchdowns set by Gene McEver in 1929. The Volunteers play Kentucky on Saturday.

15 Victories and three losses for Georgia when a ranked team of Bulldogs plays an unranked Florida opponent, which will be the case for their meeting on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida. This will be the fourth consecutive season that the Gators will be unranked in The Associated Press Poll when facing Georgia. That hadn’t happened since the 1970 through 1973 seasons. The Bulldogs were No. 1 when they played Florida in each of the previous three seasons and are No. 2 for Saturday’s game. A victory by Georgia would give the Bulldogs their first four-game winning streak against Florida since a six-game streak from 1978 through 1983. The unranked Gators’ victories over ranked Georgia came in 1986, 2002 and 2014.

RELATED: SEC TOP 10 FROM WEEK 9

19 Points are the most that have been scored against Tennessee in the Volunteers’ past eight games. It’s the longest stretch of games without any of Tennessee’s opponents reaching 20 points since doing so in the final nine games of the 1985 season. The Vols have allowed 81 points in their seven games this season, the fewest in the nation and the fewest for Tennessee through seven games since 1972, when it yielded 64. The most recent previous season in which the Vols held each of their first seven opponents in a season to fewer than 20 points came in 1969. The most recent season in which Tennessee has held each of its first eight opponents to fewer than 20 points came in 1966, when none of the Vols’ 11 opponents got there. Tennessee’s Saturday opponent, Kentucky has averaged scoring 19.1 points per game this season, the lowest output in the SEC.

26 Seasons since Texas A&M had a 6-0 conference record, which the Aggies would own again with a victory over South Carolina on Saturday. Off to its first 5-0 league start since joining the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M most recently had a 6-0 record in conference play in 1998, when it won the first seven games on its Big 12 schedule. The Aggies won the conference championship that season.

74 More points have been scored by Vanderbilt than by its opponents this season, the largest margin for the Commodores entering November since 1955. Vanderbilt has outscored its opponents 256-182 in 2024. In 1955, Vanderbilt had a 126-40 scoring advantage entering November – an 86-point margin. The 1955 team ended its season in the first bowl in the Commodores’ history – a 25-13 victory over Auburn in the Gator Bowl. Vanderbilt plays Auburn on Saturday.

236 Yards are needed by Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart to break the school’s career total-offense record. Dart enters Saturday’s game against Arkansas leading the SEC with an average of 362.8 yards of total offense per game in 2024. QB Bo Wallace (2012-14) set the Ole Miss record with 10,478 yards of total offense – 9,534 passing yards and 944 rushing yards. Dart has 9,033 passing yards and 1,210 rushing yards for 10,243 yards of total offense. QB Eli Manning (2000-03) holds the Ole Miss record for career passing yards with 10,119. But because his career rushing total was minus-135 yards, Manning’s total-offense yardage came to 9,984.

333 Rushing attempts apiece during the 2024 season for Arkansas and Ole Miss. Entering their meeting on Saturday, Ole Miss has thrown 269 passes – one more than Arkansas. The Razorbacks have outgained the Rebels on the ground with 1,594 rushing yards to 1,473 rushing yards. Ole Miss has the advantage in passing yardage with 2,832 on 183 completions while Arkansas has 2,266 on 165 completions.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE SEC, GO TO OUR SEC PAGE

This week’s SEC schedule includes (all times are CDT with point spreads from BetMGM):

Saturday

· No. 19 Ole Miss (6-2, 2-2) at Arkansas (5-3, 3-2), 11 a.m. at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas (ESPN). Line: Ole Miss by 7.5

· Vanderbilt (5-3, 2-2) at Auburn (3-5, 1-4), 11:45 a.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn (SEC Network). Line: Auburn by 7.5

· Maine (4-4) at Oklahoma (4-4), 1:30 p.m. at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma (ESPN+). Line: None

· Florida (4-3, 2-2) vs. No. 2 Georgia (6-1, 4-1), 2:30 p.m. at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida (ABC). Line: Georgia by 14.5

· Massachusetts (2-6) at Mississippi State (1-7), 3:15 p.m. at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi (SEC Network). Line: Mississippi State by 18.5

· No. 10 Texas A&M (7-1, 5-0) at South Carolina (4-3, 2-3), 6:30 p.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina (ABC). Line: Texas A&M by 3.5

· Kentucky (3-5, 1-5) at No. 7 Tennessee (6-1, 3-1), 6:45 p.m. at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee (SEC Network). Line: Tennessee by 17.5

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

General

Football High Live: Updates, highlights from Friday’s regular-season finales

Tonight, the door closes on the 2024 high school football regular season. Fear not, the playoffs are just around the corner.

The remaining playoff spots and order will be decided tonight. One of the key statewide games takes place in Mobile where Spanish Fort travels to St. Paul’s with the winner earning the No. 2 seed from Region 1 in the Class 6A playoffs.

RELATED: Week 11 predictions

RELATED: This week in HS Sports

Tonight’s schedule also include some big-time rivalries. Key games around the state include New Hope at Randolph, Scottsboro at Mars Hill, Oxford at Florence, Clay-Chalkville at Vestavia Hills, Spain Park at Gardendale and W.S. Neal at T.R. Miller.

Check back frequently for updates on those games and many more around the state. Also look for the final scores and next week’s official playoff pairings.

8:10 PM, Halfway home: Homewood leads James Clemens 17-3 at the half.

Hartselle 14, Mortimer Jordan 0 (half)

Foley 28, LeFlore 0 (half)

Pike Road 29, Charles Henderson 14 (Rough night for the Trojans with the AHSAA breaking news)

Decatur Heritage 35, Ragland 18 (1:12 2nd)

Dothan 14, Godby, Fla., 7 (half)

Enterprise 7, Choctawhatchee, Fla. 3 (half)

Randolph 27, New Hope 7 (Half)

8 PM, Bouncing Back: After their upset loss at home to McGill-Toolen last week, Spanish Fort is showing no ill affects. The Toros lead St. Paul‘s on Aaden Shamburger’s 2nd TD of the night. It’s 13-0 with 6:28 left in the half in Mobile. Winner gets the No. 2 seed.

Spain Park 14, Gardendale 3 (Half)

Tuscaloosa Academy 7, Bayside Academy 0 (half)

Westminster Christian 14, Madison Academy 14 (half)

Mars Hill 7, Scottsboro 0 (half)

McGill-Toolen 41, Baldwin County 7 (half, Jackets 365 yards of offense)

Oxford 14, Florence 3 (half)

7:55 PM, BREAKING NEWS: The AHSAA has announced that Charles Henderson has been fined and placed on probation for playing an ineligible player in violation of the transfer rule. The Trojans will forfeit five region wins and miss the playoffs. They are playing at Pike Road tonight. More to come on AL.com. Earlier this week the AHSAA announced that Coosa Christian and Fultondale would also forfeit games and miss the playoffs.

7:53 PM, Brock party: Brock Bradley with a 1-yard QB sneak to give Spain Park a 7-3 lead over Gardendale with 2:26 left in the first half. AL.com legend Josh Bean among the VIPs at the game.

Enterprise 7, Choctawhatchee, Fla. 3 (Auburn commit Eric Winters with a 9-yard TD run). Thanks to Jimmie Cummings for Enterprise updates all year.

Chelsea 7, Oak Mountain 0 (4:42 left in the half, Thanks to Laurence “Don’t call me Freddie” Weygand for the updates tonight)

7:49 PM, Patriots pad the lead: Homewood now up 17-3 on James Clemens.

Randolph 20, New Hope 0 (6:04 2nd)

Westminster Christian 14, Madison Academy 7 (2:47 2nd)

Decatur Heritage 21, Ragland 12 (7:29 2nd)

Pell City 21, Southside-Gadsden 7 (5:45 2nd)

B.C. Rain 20, Davidson 14 (3:00 2nd)

Hartselle 7, Mortimer Jordan 0 (4:08 2nd)

Vestavia Hills 14, Clay-Chalkville 7 (Aaron Ousley gets the Cougars on the board with a 3-yard TD run with 1:02 left in the half)

7:44 PM, That‘s 2 for EJ: EJ Harrison’s 2nd TD of the night gives Davidson a 14-12 lead over B.C. Rain with 7:37 left in the half.

Pell City 14, Southside-Gadsden 7 (9:00 2nd)

Cottage Hill 7, St. Luke’s 0

Choctawhatchee, Fla., 3 Enterprise 0 (5:28 2nd)

7:40 PM, Tight one in Mobile: Spanish Fort still leads St. Paul’s 6-0 after one quarter with a home playoff game at stake for the winner. Saints had minus-2 yards in the first quarter.

Oxford 14, Florence 0 (Caleb Wynn TD for the Jackets, 10:21 2nd)

Gardendale 3, Spain Park 0 (Jags miss a short FG to tie the game)

McGill-Toolen 28, Baldwin County 0 (Wow. Jackets turning the lights out early in this one. Andrew Murchison with his second TD of the night)

Chelsea 0, Oak Mountain 0 (2nd)

Decatur Heritage 14, Ragland 12 (10:15, 2nd)

7:35 PM, Rebels on a roll: Max Littleton’s 25-yard TD run gives Vestavia Hills a 14-0 lead over Clay-Chalkville with 10:50 left in the first half.

Randolph 13, New Hope 0 (11:34 2nd)

Decatur Heritage 14, Ragland 6 (11:49 2nd)

Oxford 7, Florence 0 (End 1)

McGill-Toolen 21, Baldwin County 0 (Ladarien Miller 2 1-yard runs, 10:50 2nd)

Gardendale 3, Spain Park 0 (End 1)

North Jackson 14, DAR 0

Section 14, Woodville 0

Susan Moore 13, North Sand Mountain 0

Foley 14, LeFlore 0 (2 TD runs for Jaylon Domingue)

Pike Road 14, Charles Henderson 7 (End 1)

7:30 PM, More than a game: Players from W.S. Neal and T.R. Miller came together to pray for injured T.R. player Ken Lett, who broke his neck in a game at UMS-Wright earlier this year and is now rehabbing at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Myles Johnson with 2 TDs already for the Tigers, who lead it 14-0.

Westminster Christian 7, Madison Academy 7 (9:01 2nd)

Enterprise 0, Choctawhatchee, Fla. 0 (End 1)

7:25 PM, Toros on top: Spanish Fort takes an early 6-0 lead at St. Paul‘s on Anthony Shamburger’s 16-yard keeper. PAT was no good. Winner earns the second seed from 6A, Region 1.

McGill-Toolen 7, Baldwin County 0 (3:35 1st)

Mars Hill 7, Scottsboro 0 (2:53 1st)

Vestavia Hills 7, Clay-Chalkville 0 (End 1)

James Clemens 3, Homewood 3 (End 1)

Decatur Heritage 7, Ragland 6 (1:20 1st)

Randolph 6, New Hope 0 (End 1)

7:20 PM, Checking the scores:

Decatur Heritage 7, Ragland 0 (2:41 1st)

Reeltown 8, Lee-Scott 0 (4:31 1st)

Deshler 7, West Morgan 0 (3:18 1st)

Tuscaloosa Academy 0, Bayside Academy 0 (End 1)

Westbrook 6, Walter Wellborn 6

Guntersville 7, Albertville 0

Saks 12, Locust Fork 6

Susan Moore 7, North Sand Mountain 0

7:15 PM, Mims the word: Mason Mims with a early TD pass for Class 6A No. 3 Oxford. Yellow Jackets lead Florence 7-0 with 7:20 left in the first.

Foley 7, LeFlore 0 (Jaylon Domingue 1-yard run)

Pell City 7, Southside-Gadsden 7 (3:46)

B.C. Rain 6, Davidson 0

Vestavia Hills 7, Clay-Chalkville 0 (Charlie Taeffe 2-yard keeper)

7:10 PM, Not taking any chances: With a playoff bid on the line, McGill-Toolen strikes quickly. Andrew Murchison’s 72-yard TD pass to Christopher Suggs gives the Jackets a 7-0 lead at Baldwin County on the third play of the game. Baldwin County starting QB Hayden Coley is not dressed out for the game.

7:09 PM, Quick scores: Gardendale opens with a 40-yard field goal and leads 6A No. 4-ranked Spain Park 3-0 early in the first quarter.

Ardmore 7, Elkmont 0 (10:40 1st)

Section 6, Woodville 0

Boaz 7, Oneonta 9

Collinsville 7, Valley Head 0

Southside-Gadsden 7, Pell City 0

Walter Wellborn 6, Westbrook Christian 0

Locust Fork 6, Saks 0

7:04 PM, Perfect finish? Class 3A No. 2 Mars Hill trying to finish the season 10-0 against 7-2 Scottsboro.

6:58 PM, High stakes: Gardendale trying to play its way into the playoffs tonight. Spain Park trying to finish its first perfect regular season.

6:55 PM, Gearing up: Reigning 6A champion Clay-Chalkville and 7A playoff bound Vestavia Hills in a final regular-season tuneup for the playoffs tonight in Vestavia.

6:50 PM, The A-Team: Scott Todd, who holds 5 college degrees, and Randy Kennedy, who has a degree from Chelsea, on the coverage of tonight’s biggest game on the Gulf Coast — Spanish Fort at Saraland.

6:40 PM, Cool look: James Clemens sporting new white helmets for tonight’s game at Homewood.

6:35 PM, Rivalry week: The 82nd Battle of Murder Creek happens tonight in Brewton as Class 3A No. 1 T.R. Miller hosts rival W.S. Neal.

6:30 PM, Playoff Bound? Fresh off their upset at Spanish Fort last week, the McGill-Toolen Yellow Jackets can clinch a playoff berth with a win at Baldwin County tonight.

THURSDAY’S SCOREBOARD

Alexandria 28, Munford 21

Autauga Academy 20, Beulah 14

Baker 10, Vigor 9

Bessemer City 10, Wenonah 7

Buckhorn 28, Grissom 6

Dallas County 67, R.C. Hatch 42

Flomaton 6, Northview (Fla.) 0

Geneva County 62, Slocomb 38

Huntsville 31, Lee-Huntsville 6

Muscle Shoals 29, Austin 22

Rogers 42, Lexington 22

St. Michael 35, UMS-Wright 28

Thomasville 56, Clarke County 7

Valley 23, Dadeville 3

Washington County 47, Fruitdale 13

Woodlawn 32, Center Point 20

General

Mark Cuban, Democrats think a strong woman is ‘a transgendered man,’ Gary Palmer says

U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, on Friday said Donald Trump critic and Kamala Harris campaign surrogate Mark Cuban’s committed a major error when he claimed the former president is never seen with “strong, intelligent women” because he’s intimidated by them.

“I think the Harris campaign and her acolytes keep screwing up,” the Alabama congressman said during an appearance Friday on the Jeff Poor Show on FM Talk 1065 in Mobile.

Palmer then took a swipe at Cuban and Democrats, referencing a hot culture war topic.

“I mean, Biden calling Trump supporters ‘garbage’ and then Mark Cuban going on television and saying that Trump doesn’t have strong woman around him, and maybe the definition of a ‘strong woman’ in Mark Cuban’s mind, the Democrats’ mind, is a transgendered man.”

Cuban’s comments on “The View” were seized on by conservatives who say the remark will backfire with women voters.

“Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever. It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him,” said the billionaire entrepreneur who is among the heads of Business Leaders for Harris. “He doesn’t like to be challenged by them and, you know, Nikki Haley will call him on his nonsense with reproductive rights and how he sees and treats and talks about women. I mean, he just can’t have her around. It wouldn’t work.”

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said she was offended by Cuban’s remarks but that women will not be undeterred in voting for Trump.

“These disparaging comments do not hurt our cause they embolden people to speak up and to speak loudly and to say, ‘we know what’s at stake for our nation and we’re willing to fight for it,’” she said during an appearance on Fox News on Friday. “I think that’s what you’re going to see on Election Day coming soon.

“Despite Mark Cuban’s offensive bullying,” she said, “I know that women understand what’s at stake.”

General

Malik Willis on standby again for the Green Bay Packers

Malik Willis won’t find out until Sunday afternoon if he’ll make his third start of the season for Green Bay, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday afternoon.

Quarterback Jordan Love has a groin injury. He practiced on a limited basis on Thursday and Friday and has a questionable designation for his participation status in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

“I think we’re going to do it how we always do it,” LaFleur said. “We’ll give him up to game time to see how he’s feeling.”

Obtained in a trade with the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 26, Willis had to jump into the Green Bay starting lineup for the second and third games of the season, and the Packers defeated the Indianapolis Colts 16-10 on Sept. 15 and Titans 30-14 on Sept. 22.

On Sunday, Willis took the reins of the Green Bay offense when Love left with 11:41 remaining in the third quarter. The Packers scored two touchdowns and kicked a field goal on the game’s final play during Willis’ time on the field during a 30-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“You just got to be able to be ready when the time comes and work hard each day to get better,” Willis said. “I feel like that’s more important than being confident by a couple wins. I mean, these are different teams. Each team is different, and each game is its own game.”

Willis said he’s not thinking about how his success standing in for Love could change his career trajectory.

“I think it’s cool,” Willis said on Wednesday. “It’s fun. I like football. … I mean, we still got a lot of games left in this season. We got a game next week against a really good opponent. I feel like that’s what we got to focus on right now, and anything more than that is pride.”

The former Auburn quarterback was a third-round selection from Liberty in the 2022 NFL Draft. In two seasons with Tennessee, he played in 11 games (with three starts), completed 35-of-66 passes for 350 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions and ran for 114 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries. Since joining Green Bay, Willis has completed 29-of-39 passes for 380 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and run for 137 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries.

“You got to know what you’re doing,” Willis said about the difference in his stats. “You only can do that by getting reps. …

“I got reps when I got here, and I got a chance to go out and show it. And over the last few years, I’ve been getting reps, whether they be on scout team or whatever. You’re going against one of the top — they were the top defense last year, Tennessee. So, I mean, more than anything, just taking those each and every day.”

Willis also thinks persevering in Tennessee has helped him be more productive in Green Bay.

“I feel like those past times were more important than any times I’m going to have in the future, more than anything,” Willis said. “Those times build your faith, literally. I mean, when it’s easy and all going good, you’re not as locked into those things. You’re not even thinking about it. But when those times are hard and you don’t have anybody picking you up, it’s like: What can you lean on? And I found what I can lean on, and I can trust in that regardless — good, better, indifferent — so I don’t look at it, like, as a results basis.

“Sometimes the media may take this, like, you lose, you’re the worst in the world; you win, you’re the best in the world. I kind of just erase both of those and just go out there and have fun and enjoy this opportunity and this platform that God’s given me and try to give him all the glory.”

With the Lions at 6-1 and the Packers at 6-2, the teams will battle for the lead in the NFC North at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

“They’re just doing a good job getting the ball out,” Willis said of Detroit’s defense. “I mean, they’re a good defense as far as you can see. More than anything, they’re winning games, and I feel like that comes from them taking the ball away. And we have to protect the ball as always. I feel like they have a good rush up front. I know they are down a few guys, and we hate to see that. But they’re definitely still good.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.