Hartselle rallied late to slip past visiting Oxford 22-21 at J.P. Cain Stadium on Friday to notch its fifth straight victory and win the battle of two Top 10 Class 6A programs. The loss was Oxford’s first in six starts this season.

Hartselle junior quarterback Noah Lee, pressed into the starter’s role after an injury to Landon Blackwood last week, got the game-winning 2-point conversion with 3:52 left in the game as the No. 6 Tigers overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Hartselle scored what would have been the game-tying touchdown (assuming a successful point-after kick) on a Ri Fletcher run. No. 8 Oxford was offsides on the PAT try and Lee scored the conversion on a keeper.

Lee also threw a TD pass to Markus Tapscott in the final quarter to narrow Oxford’s 21-7 lead.

Hartselle (5-1, 2-1 in Region 7) will host No. 5 Muscle Shoals – a 42-28 winner over 7A James Clmens on Friday – next week in region play. Oxford (5-1, 4-0 in Region 6) will host Pell City.

– Jimmy Lay