Jacksonville, AL – Oxford is bursting with excitement to record a huge first half to end the regular season on a impressive performance against the rival Calhoun County power Jacksonville in the playoff opener for both teams..
Scoreboard
THURSDAY, Nov. 2
Munford 35, Ashville 21
Weaver 47 Pleasant Valley 0
FRIDAY, Nov. 3
Central-Clay 29, Wetumpka 7. FINAL
Fort Payne 21, Cherokee County 14, FINAL
Cleburne County 28, Wellborn 22, FINAL
Cedar Bluff 45, Donoho 6, FINAL
Glencoe 48 West End-Walnut Grove 28, Glencoe 48, FINAL
Sardis 42 Hokes Bluff 20 FINAL
Oxford 36, Jacksonville 7, FINAL
Beauregard 37 Lincoln 7. FINAL
Sylacauga 32, Piedmont 31, FINAL
Randolph County 49, Ranburne 21, FINAL
Saks 29, Talladega 27, FINAL
Southside 45, Etowah 27, FINAL
Wadley 56 Woodland 21 FINAL
Westbrook Christian 45, White Plains 16, FINAL
Open: Alexandria, Anniston, Handley, Ohatchee, Spring Garden.
By Joe Medley
There was something about the manner Camare Hampton kept running by Jacksonville’s secondary, and catching catches.
There was something special about Jaydon Thomas’ commanding performance with the Golden Eagles.
Oxford is placed at No. 8 in the Class 6A, was in the game on Friday’s the Class 4A team No. 7. Jacksonville determined to avoid the same fate as last year’s epic game between the two teams The Yellow Jackets swarmed into the playoffs by winning 36-7.
Oxford (8-2) Oxford (8-2) no. two seed in Class 6A Region 6 The team will play host for Athens during Athens in Yellow Jackets’ playoff opener next week.
Oxford wins two games times in two games, beating Center Point to earn the region’s No. 2 seed in the playoffs, and then Jacksonville in a non-regional matchup.
“We’re performing well,” running back Jaydon Thomas declared. “If we can keep the momentum going and get started every game with this kind of enthusiasm and keep it going, then we’re in good shape.
“If we perform at our best there’s no reason to stop us.”
Jacksonville (8-2) Jacksonville (8-2) No. two seeded team in the Class 4A Region 4 is awaiting the outcome of a tiebreaker that is three ways in Region 1 to find out the opponent for the first round, which is the Golden Eagles will play at home.
Jacksonville was a team that had already won six consecutive games after losing 32-24 at Handley on September. 8 and scored at least 51 points in each of them. Jacksonville’s Golden Eagles broke 60 twice.
Jacksonville Coach Clint Smith said his team “needed this game.”
“The great thing is that our youngsters have had lots of reps however, since last night’s Anniston game, we’ve been unable to play four minutes of the game with our starting players,” he said. “We had to play this game to get us back into that fighting-style mentality we’re likely to get into within the next couple of weeks.
“They were very physical and had a good game strategy, so we had for this match to be into the mode we played in together with Handley and Anniston, early on. We’ve been away for six weeks and haven’t been able to compete at that level.”
Jacksonville was pushed by Oxford before losing in a classic match of 34-28 on Lamar Field a year ago. In the year 2000, the Yellow Jackets came to Golden Eagle Stadium with those fond memories and a new sense of motivation.
“There was one outlet that predicted we would be a loser in the game of today,” Oxford coach Sam Adams stated. “We demonstrated that to our players early in the week and felt that we had something to show that we were a bit.”
Oxford was leading 27-0 at halftime, and the team held Jacksonville to just one touchdown. Troy University commit Jim Ogle’s 51-yard touchdown pass to Ky’dric Fish during the third quarter.
Jacksonville entered the game with an average of 49.9 points.
“If I had been told prior to the game that we’d be able to win and had only conceded seven times, I’d have taken this,” Adams said.
Mason Mims threw touchdown passes of 42 and 6 miles to Hampton making it 13-0 early in the first quarter.
“Going to this particular week, I was aware I would be getting an opponent who was one-on-one and my coaches had told me to play the game,” Hampton said. “That’s the thing I was born to do, to make plays.”
Thomas added a five-yard touchdown jog and D.K. Wilson hit a 28-yarder in the goal line at the end of third quarter. Wilson added an additional 14 yards in the fourth quarter, and Wilson scored a 14-yarder in the fifth quarter. Yellow Jackets tackled Zae English for a safety after kicking at the Golden Eagles down to their 1-yard line.
Mims was a force on with her team, throwing 17 passes in total for two touchdowns and 216 yards two of which went to Hampton who took four passes for the distance of 81 yards. Nick Richardson added five catches for 50 yards.
Thomas ran 23 times, gaining 130 yards with a score and Wilson carried 115 yards in seven carries. Thomas also received five passes for 44 yards, and Wilson two times for 32 yards.
“We were a bit worried going to this game,” Smith said. “Oxford’s has a great team and it was evident that tonight. They did a fantastic job at using what we provided and making it work.
“Hats on them for a fantastic game and they’re likely to make a splash during the finals.”
Oxford-Jacksonville updates
Oxford to be the first team to be the first to receive the kickoff.
FIRST Quarter
The scoring starts for Oxford in the first half of the game … Mason Mims to Camare Hampton 42 yards and the score of a touchdown. PAT in 9:05 minutes: Oxford 7, JACKSONVILLE 1
The two teams connect With Hampton again, this time for 6 yards to score an TD. PAT not working at 6:41. OXFORD 13 JACKSONVILLE 0,
SECOND QARTER
Jaydon Thomas’s 5-yard TD rout plus a PAT boosts the lead of Oxford at 8.09 minutes: OXFORD 20, JACKSONVILLE 0.
DK Wilson’s TD run of 28 yards and PAT increases Oxford’s lead at 3:03. OXFORD 27, JACKSONVILLE 0.
THIRD QARTER
The Jacksonville team is on the scoreboard … Jim Ogle passes to Ky’dric Fisher, who scores an 81-yard TD to the right at 10:20. Good PAT. OXFORD 27 JACKSONVILLE 7
The Oxford team responds to D.K. Wilson’s 14-yard en route to an TD in 7:54. PAT is good. OXFORD 34 JACKSONVILLE 7
Fourth Quarter
The Oxford punts Jacksonville to 1, then they take on Zae English, resulting in an injury as well as a safety around 10:26. OXFORD 35, JACKSONVILLE 7
