Hornets lose lead in playoff loss

OXFORD — The Chelsea High School football team was unable to hold onto an early lead Friday night.

Thanks in large part to three second-quarter turnovers forced by the Oxford defense, two of which were created by Miguel Mitchell, the Yellow Jackets rallied to beat Chelsea 30-20 in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs at Lamar Field.

Chelsea jumped out to a 14-0 lead, thanks to a pair of first-quarter touchdowns. Emerson Russell scored on a 19-yard run and Hayden Garrison threw a 14-yard pass to Cooper Griffin.

Oxford found itself in a hole, but Mitchell picked off a Garrison pass early in the second, setting up Sam Robertson’s 25-yard touchdown pass to D.K. Wilson.

Chelsea took a 17-6 lead midway through the second quarter after a Jack Seymour 38-yard field. Later in the half, with the score 17-13, Garrison swung the ball out to Russell, who raced down the Chelsea sideline, picking up 42 yards before Mitchell ran him down, forcing a fumble that Daevon Larkins recovered. 

Robertson later hit Judd Syer in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown with 10 seconds to play in the half. The ball was initially batted in the air, but Syer was somehow able to corral it, helping the Yellow Jackets turn a 14-0 deficit into a 20-17 halftime lead.

Larkins recovered the opening kickoff of the second half when the Hornets failed to react after the ball found a soft spot. The Yellow Jackets pushed their lead to 27-17 on a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Robertson.

Chelsea got within a touchdown with 11:05 to play on a 43-yard field goal from Seymour, but Oxford went to the ground game late, chewing up over eight minutes of game clock with an 18-play drive that ended in a Rey Barrea 35-yard field goal. 

Chelsea finished the season with a 4-7 record, making the playoffs for the second time in Dustin Goodwin’s four years. 

Oxford (7-4) will travel to Pinson Valley (8-3) for a second-round matchup next week.

- The Anniston Star's Jared Gravette contributed to this report.

- Chelsea stats courtesy of J. Mark McLaughlin.