Staff Reports

CEDAR BLUFF – The Cedar Bluff Tigers clinched their first football region championship since 2017 with a 30-7 victory over Appalachian on Friday.

The win kept the Tigers’ record unblemished at 5-0 in Class 1A, Region 7. Coupled with Sumiton Christian’s 33-7 win over Coosa Christian, Cedar Bluff secured the title, since it beat Sumiton Christian head-to-head back on Sept. 10.

Jacob Burleson led the Tigers (5-3 overall) by completing 15-of-23 pass attempts for 192 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 57 yards on 11 carries and had two interceptions on defense.

Bucky Leek was Burleson’s top target. He caught five passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Leek also returned an interception 75 yards for a score on the game’s final play.

After a scoreless first quarter, Appalachian (0-7, 0-5) took a 7-0 lead with 10:29 remaining in the second quarter on a 43-yard run, but the lead was short-lived as Burleson tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Kade Browning a minute later to tie the game at 7.

Preston Burt added a 1-yard rushing score just before halftime, giving Cedar Bluff a 14-7 lead.

Nick Clifton extended the Tiger lead to 17-7 with his 24-yard field goal in the third quarter. Cedar Bluff put the game away in the fourth on a Burleson-to-Leek 27-yard touchdown connection, followed by  Leek’s interception return for a score as time expired.

Cedar Bluff travels to Coosa Christian next Friday, while Appalachian hosts Woodville.