Arab Knights Sports

Whether you’re an athlete or a sports fan, there’s no doubt that the Arabian Knights football team is one of the best teams in the country. The team is led by head coach Steve Ayres, and the Knights have enjoyed some great success in the past. They’ve made it to the playoffs six times in the past seven years and have made the state championship game twice. Hopefully, that trend will continue in 2010.

Auburn

Having defeated both local rivals Boaz and Brewer, the Asbury Arab Knights advanced to round three of the playoffs for the first time in school history. Coach Oscar Glassock is making his debut as head coach for Arab, after serving as a defensive coordinator for Hartselle, Mountain Brook, and Cullman.

The Knights also defeated the 7A Albertville Tigers, as well as region foes Pell City and Southside-Gadsden. They finished the season at 5-6 for the first time in program history and were led by the playmaking of Jordan Franklin and Mathew Turnage. The latter was named an offensive MVP, as well as a top three All-County honoree. He also finished his career with 4,016 rushing yards.

The game was close early, but it was Arab’s offense that really stepped up. The Knights took advantage of a turnover and drove a long scoring drive. This one lasted seven minutes and included a touchdown pass and an extra point. This was the longest drive in a game by the Knights since they defeated Pinson Valley in the first round of the 6A playoffs.

The Knights also had a good defense. In fact, they held Moody to just 21 yards in the second half. The Knights also won the field position battle, as they held the Blue Devils to just three first downs in the second half. They were able to put the ball in the end zone three times, and their third touchdown run came with 33 seconds to play.

The Arab High School football program has played over 400 games. It’s also had some SEC players, as well as several All-County honorees. Some of the players who made the All-Marshall County team included Mathew Turnage and Kadin Bennefield from Boaz, as well as Jack Harris from Guntersville. The team also had a star on their defensive side of the ball. Davenport also returned to Asbury as assistant coach. In fact, he is a former Blue Bishops star. He also helped the Arab football program win its first round playoff game in school history.

Moody

Neither Moody nor Arab have won more than one game in the series in the past, but Saturday night’s battle between the two ended with a win for Arab. They advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the first time in school history with a 42-20 victory.

Both teams started the game with their offenses on the field, but the Moody defense made it tough for the Blue Devils. Arab led 21-14 at halftime, but Moody had a 21-20 lead with seven minutes left in the third quarter. After the Blue Devils turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, Arab put together an 11-play drive that culminated with a touchdown run from Jordan Franklin. The score was Franklin’s third touchdown run of the night.

Moody’s offense started the second half with a big drive, but ended with a loss. The Moody defense forced a punt, but Arab recovered the punt at the seven-yard line. After the Blue Devils turned the ball back over, Arab sped up and scored on a 78-yard touchdown drive.

Arab’s defense held Moody out of the end zone on its next drive, but a fumble and a kick-catch interference penalty gave the Knights great field position. The ball went back to the offense midway through the fourth quarter. The Knights then added two more touchdown runs from Fraklin and Drew Williamson. With 4:12 left in the third quarter, Williamson scored his fourth touchdown run of the night. Wooten’s extra point made it 35-20.

Arab took a 21-14 lead with 33.5 seconds left in the second quarter. The Knights then took advantage of a turnover three plays later. Franklin ran for a 3-yard touchdown and a 33-yard run. Franklin then capped the scoring drive with an 11-yard run up middle. Moody’s defense held Arab out of the end zone most of the second half, but the Knights’ offense stepped up after the break and ran for a touchdown to put the game away.

The Arabian Knights will now travel to Pleasant Grove in round three of the playoffs for the first time in history. The winner will advance to the state quarterfinals.

For Payne

Despite their recent loss to Gadsden City 18-0, the Fort Payne Wildcats are looking forward to the competition on display at the Blue Grass State Fairgrounds this weekend. A pair of unbeaten teams are meeting in the final week of regular season play and it will be interesting to see which team comes out on top. The Wildcats will host Lee-Hunsville and Arab will travel to Crossville to take on the Lions.

The Fort Payne Wildcats have a good chance of making the playoffs if they can beat the Arab Knights on Friday. The Wildcats have won 20 of the last 31 meetings between these two programs. They are also a Class 5A team, which puts them on a par with their rivals. Fort Payne is 5-0 at home and 4-1 on the road. It’s no secret that the Cats are a ferocious defensive unit. Despite their stumbling start to the season, the Cats have made a lot of noise in the conference. They will likely play for a conference championship for the third straight season and look to improve on their 8-1 record.

The biggest drawback to the Wildcats is their lack of playmakers. The Cats will need to step up their game if they expect to take down the Knights. Two of the Cats’ most important weapons are quarterback Kaden Dubose and wide receiver Dylan Kirkland. A pair of starters, tailback Jordan Brock and center Cody Eldridge, left with injuries in the first quarter. In their place, the Knights opted to go with a mixture of formations and a backup quarterback in Evan Brock. Despite the absence of their top two offensive linemen, the Knights showed off a stout defense.

The Wildcats are going to have a tough time knocking off the Knights, if the Knights can put up more than the usual number of points. The Wildcats are also looking forward to hosting Lee-Hunsville next week, which will give them the opportunity to extend their streak of home wins to seven. Both teams are looking to play in the playoffs and the head coaches are looking forward to the challenge.

Football

Despite a loss to East Limestone in the opening round of the playoffs, Arab defeated Moody in round two to advance to round three. The Arabian Knights have now won 11 games in a single season, which is the most wins in a single season in school history. Arab will play For Payne on Friday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m. in a non-regional game. The game will be played in Brindlee Mountain stadium, located near Asbury high school.

After a first-quarter scoreless tie, the Arabian Knights took the lead with a touchdown run by Jordan Franklin in the third quarter. His third touchdown run of the night gave Arab the lead for the first time. During the second half, Arab outscored Moody 21-6. With just under three minutes to play in the third quarter, the Arabian Knights took advantage of a turnover. They scored three plays later. This gave Arab a 28-20 lead.

Moody tried to extend its drive and ended up getting the ball to start the third quarter. However, the defense gave the ball back to the offense midway through the fourth quarter. The Knights defense held the Blue Devils out of the end zone, and Arab’s offense stepped up after that. They went on a scoring drive and tied the game. The final score was 42-20.

After the second half, the Arabian Knights were unable to score more points. The Blue Devils scored on a touchdown pass with three minutes to play. However, Jordan Franklin’s third touchdown run with 33 seconds to play gave Arab the lead for the first time. The Knights’ defense held the Blue Devils to no points in the second half, and Arab’s offense stepped up and put the game away. This is the first time Arab has advanced to round three of the playoffs in school history. Hopefully, they can match this start next year.

Arabian Knights football coach Oscar Glassock is entering his first season as head coach of the Arabian Knights. He has a lot of experience in the defensive department, having coached at Hartselle, Mountain Brook, and Cullman.