Jacksonville, AL – For the second time in the history of the school, Jacksonville advances past second round of playoffs. It also earns a the quarterfinals against Catholic-Montgomery on home.
Football playoffs
FRIDAY, Nov. 17
CLASS 6A
A.H. Parker 21 Oxford 14 FINAL
CLASS 4A
Cherokee County 49, Haleyville 14, FINAL
Jacksonville 28, Bibb County 21, FINAL
Booker T. Washington 22, Handley 9, FINAL
CLASS 3A
St. James 41. Randolph County 6, FINAL
Lauderdale County 35, Piedmont 30, FINAL
Class 1A
Wadley 81, South Lamar 27, FINAL
Pairings for the quarterfinals
CLASS 4A
Cherokee County at West Morgan
Catholic-Montgomery in Jacksonville
1A CLASS
Wadley on the way to Pickens County
From East Alabama Sports Today
Centerville — Jim Ogle was an eighth grader when the Jacksonville football team was able to make history by advancing beyond the second round of playoffs for the very first time in history.
The veteran and fourth-year player for the Golden Eagles’ quarterback added more stories to his record Friday, helping them get past the second round for the second time.
Ogle’s touchdown pass of 21 yards to Ky’dric Fish with 48 seconds remaining put Jacksonville ahead 28-21. The Golden Eagles finished off Bibb County on the road on Friday.
Jacksonville (10-2) has earned an opportunity to play Catholic-Montgomery, the top team in the league beating Jacksonville by the Golden Eagles 44-27 in the second round of the 2022 playoffs. Jacksonville will play Catholic (12-0 on the road ) again and with this one in the quarterfinals.
“This team, we had plenty of doubts going to the start of this season specifically following the loss of a number of players on the front line and losing a few players in defense” Ogle said. “I believe we were in need of that each day, starting the month of January, when we started coming into work.
“Even in this particular week everyone has heard about that. Second round, second round, the season’s ended. I believe that the people who are in our locker room as well as inside our field house are the ones who really understand what we have and we went out to practiced and came to the field this evening to complete the task.”
Last time Jacksonville was able to get beyond the second round, they were able to play UMS Wright in the 2019 Class 4A state finals in Auburn.
The AHSAA has re-aligned Jacksonville as a team from 4A North to 4A South following that season. To make it to Tuscaloosa this season it is expected that the Golden Eagles must continue to get through the most difficult half of the bracket 4A.
And then, Jacksonville wound up the final survivor from 4A Region 4. This comes after Handley was knocked out in the second round against Booker T. Washington on Friday 22-9. Anniston along with Cleburne County were the two other Region 4 playoff qualifiers, were eliminated in the first round.
Jacksonville is also advancing as the final squad that comes from Calhoun County still playing. Oxford fell 21-14 to Parker in Friday’s 6A match while Piedmont lost to unbeaten Lauderdale County 35-30 at home.
“It’s an amazing night, making it to the quarterfinals twice for the first time in the history of the school,” Jacksonville coach Clint Smith stated. “That’s huge and this group of seniors has been so important to us. They’ve performed so well.”
In Jacksonville’s match at Bibb the Count on Friday was reminiscent of what happened in the Golden Eagles’ 35-28 victory there in the opening round last year.
Ogle completed 23 of 29 passes, resulting in 4 touchdowns and 197 yards. In addition to his game-winning touchdown pass for Fisher, Olge connected on touchdown passes of 48 yards and 14 yards Damonte Sinclair, and 14 yards in the direction of Jackson Bonner.
Ogle’s game-winning pass to Fisher was scored on a run play. The Troy commit altered the game near the line of scrimmage sending Fisher to a fade route towards the edge of the end zone.
“We initiated a play towards the left of the field. I looked around and saw Ky’dric’s number on one of the fields,” Ogle said. “The safety was a bit too far to the inside and I inspected the safety’s protection and put it up. My guy played.”
