Lions roll on to 2nd round
BIRMINGHAM — Briarwood Christian School made quick work of Fort Payne on Friday night in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.
The Lions scored touchdowns on five of their eight drives and cruised to a 35-12 victory at Lions Pride Stadium.
Quarterback Christopher Vizzina scored on touchdown runs of 43, 17 and 2 yards, while running back Luke Reebals added scoring runs of 2 and 14 yards for the Lions (10-1).
“The two of them are pretty dynamic coming out of the backfield,” said Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester. “Whether it’s a pass play and we scramble or whether it’s a designed run, whatever it is, the two of them do a lot in the backfield. Excited about what they did tonight.”
Vizzina finished with 91 yards on 11 carries while Reebals added 54 yards on 13 rushes.
Fort Payne (6-5) put the first points on the board when Auburn commitment Alex McPherson booted a 28-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. Reebals answered on the next drive with a 2-yard run, a drive largely based on a 51-yard completion from Vizzina to Nic Dicen on third down. McPherson split the uprights from 49 yards on the ensuing drive to cut the deficit to 7-6.
Reebals scored from 14 yards out in the second quarter to give Briarwood a 14-6 advantage. Fort Payne’s Darrell Prater scored from 2 yards out on the next drive. A two-point conversion attempt failed, and Vizzina bolted 43 yards five plays later to put the Lions up 21-12 at halftime.
Vizzina added two more rushing touchdowns in the second half, a 17-yard run midway through the third quarter and a 2-yard plunge in the fourth quarter.
Dicen, though he didn’t get into the end zone, was a key target for Vizzina, who finished 19-of-24 for 268 yards and an interception. Dicen hauled in seven receptions for 160 yards. Five of those receptions were for first downs. Dicen missed the first eight games of the season.
“He’s a three-year starter for us,” Forester said. “To get him back playing healthy is a very good thing for the offense. He made a lot of big plays tonight.”
Sophomore defensive back Grey Reebals intercepted two passes for the Briarwood defense, which allowed 207 total yards. The Lions yielded just 49 yards in the second half. Briarwood has held its last five opponents to fewer than 20 points.
“I feel like we gave up a few things early, but we focused and did a good job in the second half,” Forester said. “We came out and performed really well. I’m proud of the defensive line and how hard they fought. That’s a big Fort Payne offensive line. Just trying to be physical, and I felt like our defensive line went toe to toe with them.”
For Fort Payne, quarterback Jake Barnes finished 12-of-27 for 173 yards and two interceptions. His favorite target was Connor Cash, who caught eight passes for 127 yards. The Wildcats amassed just 34 rushing yards.
Briarwood will face top-ranked Clay-Chalkville (11-0) next week at Cougar Stadium in Clay after the Cougars defeated Decatur on Friday. It’ll be the first time the schools have matched up.
“I know Coach (Drew) Gilmer and his staff does an amazing job,” Forester said. “I’m really looking forward to playing a team like Clay. We’re excited for the opportunity but know it’s a tall task to play there.”