Lions score another thrilling win
BIRMINGHAM — It was another dramatic, last-minute victory for the Briarwood Christian School football team on Friday night.
Exactly one week after leading a game-winning touchdown drive against Spain Park, senior quarterback Christopher Vizzina ran it back, this time marching it 68 yards in a little more than a minute to survive at home against Chilton County, 36-29.
The Clemson pledge pushed in for the game-winning score with eight seconds remaining. That 1-yard keeper improves the seventh-ranked Lions to 2-1 overall and starts off Class 6A, Region 3 play with a win.
When asked if this two-week trend of close victories is becoming a new tradition for his program, Briarwood head coach Matthew Forister said, “I sure hope not, but it was a lot of fun. It’s great to have our community out supporting us… and I just love how our guys finished at the end. They keep fighting and they keep doing their responsibilities and it’s fun to watch.”
The Lions are now 2-0 at Lions Pride Stadium after starting the season with a road loss at No. 1 Clay-Chalkville.
“It’s a young season, there’s still a lot to prove, so I really look forward to seeing our growth and our development,” said Forester. “We’re still not the team we want to be, but we’re getting better each week and that’s the goal.”
Much like last week, Briarwood surrendered a go-ahead score with less than two minutes remaining Friday night. Chilton County constructed an 80-yard touchdown drive thanks in part to three third-down conversions, including a third-and-31 from back near its own end zone, to claim a 29-28 advantage with 1:21 left in the fourth quarter.
The touchdown — a 2-yard run from Jakeveon Bolding — cut the Tigers’ deficit to 28-27, and the two-point conversion — a reverse pass to quarterback Cannon Miller — put them out front 29-28 late.
But the excitement was short-lived. The Lions went to work, Vizzina completed a couple long passes — a 41-yarder to Brady Waugh and a 17-yarder to Cooper Higgins — and finished it off with a couple goal line carries to round out another memorable night in Birmingham.
The big righty finished 14-for-29 passing for 223 yards, two scores and two interceptions. He also ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
Briarwood's fourth score of the night came on a 2-yard run by Higgins, which gave the home team a 28-21 cushion midway through the fourth quarter.
But it was all Chilton County early on, as the visiting Tigers scored less than one minute into the contest after Briarwood Christian fumbled a punt attempt inside its own end zone and Tigers sophomore J’quin Barbour smothered it for a 7-0 advantage with 11:18 remaining in the first.
Chilton County immediately followed with a three-and-out stop on defense, resulting in first-and-10 from midfield. Two third-down conversions and 10 plays later, senior Rashard Childers charged 12 yards between the tackles for a two-touchdown lead with 6:25 left in the first.
However, much like they did last week in a come-from-behind victory over Class 7A Spain Park, the Lions clawed back. Briarwood rolled off 14 unanswered to even the halftime score at 14-all thanks to back-to-back touchdown strikes from Vizzina to Robert Beason, who snuck behind the coverage for a 42-yard strike with 4:02 remaining in the half and bounced right back for a 13-yard TD snatch less than two minutes later.
Briarwood is scheduled to visit Pelham next Friday in another Region 3 tilt while Chilton County welcomes Helena.