MONTGOMERY – Spring Garden’s Cooper Austin and Piedmont’s Jack Hayes, Jakari Foster and Sloan Smith were all recognized Wednesday evening for their second round football playoff performances in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Football Playoff Spotlight.

Austin caught five passes for 86 yards, including a 43-yard pass at the Red Bay 1-yard line that set up a Ryley Kirk score with 25.2 seconds remaining in the first half of the Panthers’ 27-2 win. Austin also had an interception and tipped another pass that was intercepted in the win.

The Panthers (11-1) host North Sand Mountain (11-1) this Friday in the Class 2A quarterfinals.

Hayes accounted for four touchdowns in leading the defending Class 3A state champion Bulldogs to a 46-7 victory over Plainview. He completed 14-of-26 pass attempts for 172 yards and three touchdowns (20, 7, 11 yards) and also ran for 75 yards on 10 carries with a 6-yard score.

Piedmont (11-1) also had a pair of special teams performances earn recognition in Foster and Smith. Foster returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Smith connected on field goal attempts of 23 and 20 yards in the Bulldog victory.

Piedmont hosts Region 5 rival Saks (9-3) this Friday.

In other statewide performances, Fyffe senior Ike Rowell rushed for 160 yards and passed for 48 – accounting for six touchdowns as the Red Devils beat Walter Wellborn 42-13 in the second round of the Class 3A state football playoffs to grab the AHSAA State Football Playoff Spotlight for Round 2.

Rowell rushed for four TDs on runs of 72, 6, 5 and 8 yards and passed for two – 15 and 33 yards – as Fyffe (12-0) won its 42nd straight contest dating back to 2018. It was also the 48th straight home win for the Red Devils (12-0) of Coach Paul Benefield.

Fyffe’s 42-game winning streak ranks eight best all-time, but ranks second behind Clay County’s all-time record (55) involving streaks accomplished without a tie and including the state playoffs. Fyffe currently has won its last 12 state playoff games and won the Class 2A state crown the last two years.

Tuscaloosa High School set the mark for the longest streak without a loss (64), going 61-0-3 from 1925-1931. Andalusia (57-0-1) also had a stretch of 58 games without a loss from 1972-1978 – with the only tie coming in the Class 3A state championship game.

The Red Devils travel to Ohatchee (11-1) Friday in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state playoffs.

Walter Wellborn senior quarterback, running back, linebacker/defensive back and punter Jett Smith also had an outstanding game versus Fyffe recording 20 tackles in the setback. The game was the 44th straight game he has started for the Panthers (9-2). He finished his season with 154 tackles four caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two blocked punts and one interception returned for a TD.

Jett Smith had 624 tackles for his career, which ranks second all-time behind Spanish Fort linebacker Thomas Johnston, who had 675 in a career spanning from 2013-16, and moved Smith ahead of Blount defensive tackle Demarco McNeil, who totaled 622 from 1996-98.

Jett Smith is now in an elite group of just four players with 600 or more tackles in their career, according to the AHSAA Record Book. Matthew Forester also had 612 tackles in his prep career at Briarwood Christian from 1006-98. Forester is now the Lions’ head football coach.

Smith also finished the season with 1,271 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on 140 carries, completed 16-of-31 pass attempts for 173 yards and two more TDs. His high school coach was his dad Jeff Smith, who was also an outstanding linebacker in high school at Walter Wellborn.

MILESTONES
R.J. HAMILTON, HOOVER: Caught five passes for 171 yards and two scores, including the game-winner on a fourth-and-5 in the final quarter, as the Bucs (11-1) beat Oak Mountain 24-21 to advance to the large-school state playoff semifinals for the 13th straight year and for the 20th time (in 21 years) since 2000. The Bucs will meet defending 7A state champion Thompson in the Class 7A semifinals Friday at Warriors Stadium in Alabaster.

FAITH ACADEMY’S BROADUS SWIPES 4 INTERCEPTIONS: The Class 5A Rams beat previously unbeaten Demopolis on the road 31-6 in the 5A playoffs with Faith Academy’s Gabe Broadus intercepting four passes on the night. He had three in the first half.

His four picks puts his performance in the AHSAA Record Book – tying 19 others with four in a single game. Four others hold the record (5) – set most recently by J.B. Pennington’s Devyn Murphree in 2006 in a 27-3 win over Falkville.

Phillip Williams of Meek had five in a 33-7 win over Phillips in 2001; Georgiana’s Charlie McCoy had five picks in a 26-14 win over Florala in 1981; and Tuscaloosa County’s Justin Little had five interceptions in a game versus Bob Jones in the Class 7A state playoffs in 2014.

The last previous player with four swipes in a game was Mars Hill Bible’s Joseph Hanson in a 41-27 state playoff win in 2018. He had 126 return yards with his four interception returns.

In other top performances reported from the second round of the state playoffs:

PASSING
GRIFFIN HANSON, MARS HILL BIBLE: Was 6-of-6 passing for 241 yards and five touchdowns as the Panthers beat Westbrook Christian 56-20 in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs. The freshman also had three rushes for 36 yards and totaled four tackles and an interceptions on defense.

TREY HIGGINS, OXFORD: Led the defending 6A state champion Yellow Jackets to a 35-14 state playoff victory over Oxford with an 11-of-16 passing performance that netted 235 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 98 yards and another score on 23 carries and now has more than 3,500 yards passing and 40 TDs on the year.

AVERY SEATON, MADISON ACADEMY: Completed 13-of-18 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a third TD in the Mustangs; 28-21 Class 4A playoff loss to Northside.

ZYQUEZ PERRYMAN, PLEASANT GROVE: Completed 19-of-24 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown and ran for 21 yards and another score as the Spartans (9-2) handed Guntersville (10-1) its first loss of the season in the 42-21 Class 5A playoff win.

KARSON GREEN, SARALAND: The senior quarterback was 12-of-21 passing 181 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth score to lead the Spartans to a 31-0 win over Lee-Montgomery in the Class 6A playoffs.

CONNER HARRELL, THOMPSON: Completed 14-of-22 passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns and added 100 yards rushing on 12 runs in the defending Class 7A state champions’ 42-16 victory over Hewitt-Trussville.

BRENDON BYRD, SPANISH FORT: The sophomore quarterback was 14-of-23 passing for 184 yards and three touchdowns as the Toros beat Helena 40-7 in the 6A playoffs. He also ran for two scores in the win.

RUSHING
KELSTON FIKES, LEROY: Piled up 267 yards rushing on 33 carries and scored three touchdowns as the Class 2A Bears advanced in the state playoffs with a 26-16 win over Geneva County.

JALEN CLARK, ALABAMA CHRISTIAN: Had 30 carries for 214 rushing yards with TD runs of 1 and 61 yards and completed 14-of-23 passes for 188 yards as the Eagles beat Jacksonville 31-21 in the Class 4A playoffs. He finished with 402 total yards.

EVAN SMITH, OAK MOUNTAIN: Ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries in the Eagles’ 24-21 Class 7A loss to Hoover.

ERIC WATTS, OPELIKA: Rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 28-0 in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs. He had 3 rushes 36 yards. He also added 4 tackles and an interception on defense.

JOSEPH McKAY, CENTRAL-PHENIX CITY: Ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries to lead the Red Devils to a 30-24 Class 7A playoff win over Theodore. Teammate Caleb Nix also rushed for 110 yards on 11 carries.

RANDY GLANTON, ABBEVILLE: Sparked the Yellow Jackets (10-1) to a 56-34 win over B.B. Comer with 173 yards rushing and one TD on 10 carries. He also had five receptions for 63 yards and a TD and returned a kickoff 51 yards for another score.

PASS RECEIVING
ARMANI DIAMOND, BLOUNT: The Alabama All-Star selection returned a punt 75 yards for a score, brought another back 40 yards to set up second Leopards’ TD and caught five passes for 128 yards as the Leopards beat Eufaula 41-28 in the Class 6A playoffs.

NOAH FULLER, OHATCHEE: Caught two TD passes covering 24 and 54 yards and rushed for two more scores on runs of 1 and 61 yards as the Indians beat Winfield 54-27 in the Class 3A playoffs.

RIVER HELMS, WEST LIMESTONE: Scored two touchdowns — one rushing and one receiving — and recovered a fumble in a 21-12 Class 4A playoff win over Good Hope.

DEFENSE
BROCK PAYNE, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Had 12 tackles on defense for the Spartans and had an interception in the final seconds in the end zone to seal a 6-0 win over Gardendale in the Class 6A playoffs.

TREVON MOORE, OPELIKA: Had 11 tackles with 1 sack and 3 tackles for a loss in the Bulldogs’ 28-0 shutout win over Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in the Class 6A state playoffs.

GRADY TRANTHAM, ALEXANDRIA: Had eight tackles, including two sacks, and broke up three passes as the Valley Cubs advanced in the 5A playoffs with a 32-21 win over Parker.

IVONTE DAVIN, ALEXANDRIA: Picked off two passes in the Alexandria’s 32-21 win over Parker in the 5A state playoffs.

SPECIAL TEAMS
COLBY STAFFORD, UMS-WRIGHT: Scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 95-yard kickoff return with 1:08 left after Pike Road had scored to take the late lead. UMS-Wright picked up a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and ran it in for another score as the Bulldogs advanced in the 5A playoffs with a 28-17 win. Pike Road closed its season at 11-1.

JAQUEL FELLS, PINSON VALLEY: Had four rush attempts for 101 yards and a touchdown, caught four passes for 66 yards and added a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Indians’ 48-16 Class 6A playoff win over Shades Valley.

JEKOVAN RHETTA, PARKER: Ran a kickoff back 90 yards for a TD in Parker’s 32-21 Class 5A playoff loss to Alexandria.

CONNER WARHURST, RUSSELLVILLE: Blocked a punt that was returned for a TD and rushed for two more scores and Russellville advanced to the third round of the 5A state playoffs with s 35-14 win over Leeds.