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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Luke Reynolds (8) scores a touchdown during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Eli Thompson (19) runs the football during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood SS Rylan Hamm (5), Briarwood LB Asa Harris (31) , and Briarwood DL Eli Stubbs (2) combine to tackle Leeds QB Conner Nelson (8) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Luke Reynolds (8) runs between Leeds defenders during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood SS Rylan Hamm (5) tackles Leeds WR Taylon Gaiter (3) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood WR/QB Ben McNulty (10) runs the football during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Leeds RB Miles Jones (4) attempts to tackle Briarwood RB Eli Thompson (19) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood QB Brayden Robertson (5) pursues Leeds QB Conner Nelson (8) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Luke Reynolds (8) runs the football during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood QB Charles Dedmon (2) attempts a pass during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood cheerleaders perform during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Luke Reynolds (8) runs the football during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood DL Will Clark (3) attempts to tackle Leeds QB Conner Nelson (8) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood LB Asa Harris (31) breaks up a pass to Leeds WR Taylon Gaiter (3) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Leeds DL Jackie Bishop (33) attempts to tackle Briarwood RB Luke Reynolds (8) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood DL Grayson Pewitt (35) tackles Leeds WR Taylon Gaiter (3) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood DB Parrish Prickett (25) tackles Leeds QB Conner Nelson (8) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Luke Reynolds (8) scores a touchdown during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Eli Thompson (19) runs the football during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood LB Brooks Allred (1) tackles Leeds QB Conner Nelson (8) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood DB Rocco Valentinni (29) defends a pass to Leeds WR Taylon Gaiter (3) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Jackson Reyer (39) returns a kickoff during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood QB Charles Dedmon (2) attempts a pass during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Leeds DB Hudson Hollis (21) attempts to tackle Briarwood RB Luke Reynolds (8) during a game between Leeds and Briarwood on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
The course that had been all downhill over the first half of the season for Briarwood Christian School took a sharp turn in the right direction Friday night, as the Lions shocked visiting Leeds 31-14.
Coming in at 0-5 to face the fourth-ranked team in Class 5A, it looked like it might be another long night for coach Matthew Forester’s squad. But thanks to lots of hard running by senior Luke Reynolds and a stellar defensive effort, the Lions pulled the stunner for their first win of the season.
Leeds actually went up 14-0 midway through the second quarter in this one, but from that point Briarwood dominated, scoring the final 31 points to give Forester one of his sweetest victories ever.
“It is incredibly special,” Forester said. “I honestly don’t think we had had a lead in any of our first five games, but there was no give-up. We’ve got to keep getting better. We’ve got to keep fighting. And our kids did that tonight.”
Leeds opened the scoring on its first drive of the game, as senior quarterback Conner Nelson found Brooks Ford for a 25-yard TD pass, and Tyler Vandiver added his first of two extra points on the night. Nelson then helped push the lead to 14-0 as he dashed around right end from six yards out midway through the second quarter.
From there, the Lions went to work with junior QB Charles Dedmon putting them on the board first from two yards out shortly before halftime, and Garrett Heinemann’s first of four successful point-after kicks cut it to 14-7.
Heinemann opened the second-half scoring with a 29-yard field goal to make it 14-10, and then Reynolds took over from there, scoring three rushing touchdowns to finish the game.
Reynolds crashed in up the middle from six yards out to give the Lions their first lead at 17-14 with 1:54 left in the third quarter, then added fourth-quarter scores of 8 and 2 yards to ensure there would be no late tidal surge by the Green Wave.
Reynolds finished with 168 rushing yards on 18 carries, as Briarwood racked up 268 yards on the ground. Brayden Robertson added 61 rushing yards on four carries.
The Briarwood defense was equally stellar, holding a Green Wave offense which had scored exactly 42 points in four of its five wins coming in and 196 overall, to just the two touchdowns and 187 total yards — a good chunk of which came in the first half.
With the win, the Lions avoided starting the season 0-6 for what would have been the second time in school history — 1988 remains the only time it has happened — and now perhaps they can salvage a season that appeared it might be lost.
Forester saluted his players and coaching staff for continuing to work hard through the very difficult start to the year.
“In four out of our five losses, we were in it in the fourth quarter, but tonight we figured out a way to punch it home and win,” Forester said. “Nobody got down or said ‘woe is me’ or ‘we can’t do this because it’s too hard.’ We have been battling all year, and I am really proud of them.”
Briarwood jumps back into Class 5A, Region 5 play next Friday night with a trip to Corner, which improved to 5-0 with a 35-28 win over Jacksonville on Friday night.
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