FROM STAFF REPORTS

By STEPHEN DAWKINS / The Clanton Advertiser

CLANTON – Five consecutive scoring drives in the second half turned a 14-10 deficit into a 44-21 win for unbeaten Chelsea on Friday.

The Hornets, visiting Chilton County High School’s Tiger Stadium for a Class 6A, Region 3 contest, took advantage of a recovered CCHS fumble to score first in the game, on a five-yard run by quarterback Matt Marquet on third-and-goal from the Chilton County 1-yard line with 5:07 remaining in the first quarter.

Host Chilton County (2-3 overall, 0-3 region) answered with a 49-yard drive set up by a weaving kickoff return by Cade Hatch and capped off by a 14-yard touchdown run by Kidevon McDaniel with 1:57 to go in the first quarter.

The Tigers took a 14-7 lead when Shaun Davis scooped up a fumble and ran about 30 yards for a touchdown, then Colby Barren added his second extra point of the game.

Chelsea’s second-half momentum may have started at the end of the first half, as the Hornets (4-0, 2-0) drove 45 yards in less than 2 minutes to set up Jeffrey Thomas for a 40-yard field goal as the buzzer sounded that cut the lead to 14-0.

The Chilton County defense couldn’t stop Chelsea, especially running back Anthony Jones, in the second half.

Jones scored on a six-yard run, a 22-yard pass from Marquet and a 59-yard run, all in the third quarter, to give the Hornets a 31-14 lead.

“We lost contain on defense,” CCHS coach Brian Bradford said of Chelsea’s long gains. We had a couple of misalignments. On offense, every single drive we had a penalty on first or second down. We just couldn’t get going.

“We just ran out of gas. I thought the guys played great the first half, and the second half, it went sour fast.”

Chelsea added fourth-quarter scores from Zalon Reynolds and Austin Stallworth.

Chilton County added seven points with less than a minute left to play on a 10-yard option keeper by quarterback Kendall Davis.