Vigor shuts out Lions in 2nd round
PRICHARD -- The Briarwood Christian School football team’s season ended after the Lions were shut out by Vigor in Prichard on Friday night, 26-0, in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.
The Lions ended the night with only 27 yards of offense, and gained only one first down. The offense crossed into Vigor territory just once.
“They were a great defense, and had too much pressure on us to be able to operate; give them credit for that,” Briarwood head coach Fred Yancey said.
Senior JR Tran-Reno came in at quarterback when sophomore Jonah Carroll was injured after throwing an interception on the first play of the second half. The interception was the only pass attempt for Carroll. The Lions had four turnovers on the night.
“It meant we had to play JR at quarterback and we like to have him out in the field so we can get it to him,” Yancey said of the injury.
Tran-Reno had 41 passing yards, 35 of which came on one play. With about five minutes left in the third quarter, Tran-Reno found Bryce Perrien to get the Lions across midfield, but the drive ended after Briarwood was unable to convert on fourth down.
The Wolves offense was able to operate in Briarwood territory often thanks to their defense. While the Lions defense was able to force plenty of three-and-outs in the first half, Vigor broke through after converting on two fourth downs in Lions territory late in the first half.
Following the second conversion, quarterback Kyle Walker found Artell Howell for a 13-yard touchdown with 1:30 left in the first half to open the game’s scoring. Walker finished with 167 yards passing on 12 completions with three touchdowns.
Jayland Whitsett scored from 19 yards out to put Vigor up 14-0. Whitsett finished with 83 rushing yards with one touchdown.
Walker found Howell again on the first play of the fourth quarter, and the scoring ended with about six minutes left when Vigor’s James Jackson busted free of the Lions defense for an 83-yard touchdown off a screen pass from Walker.
While the season didn’t end the way Yancey and his team hoped it would, with a return to the state championship game and the chance to win a title after a heartbreaking loss in last season’s game, Yancey said this season was a success.
“I’ve always felt like when you win nine games and have some big wins like we’ve had, and with the kind of effort our guys give, that’s a great season,” Yancey said. “We always wish we’d won the state championship; that very seldom happens. But the guys did everything we asked of them; they gave their best.”
Vigor advances to play Demopolis in the 5A quarterfinals next week. Briarwood’s season ends with a 9-3 record.