Earlier this year, the East Limestone Indians football team played in the state playoffs for the first time in their school’s history. The team compiled an impressive season and finished the regular season at the number one spot in the Class A South. They were a tough team to beat, and their performance in the playoffs will have fans and opponents talking for years to come.
Taking on the East Limestone Indians, the Arabian Knights rolled to a 54-14 win to advance to the second round of the AHSAA football playoffs. The win was the Knights’ second playoff victory in school history, and it marks the first time they have won in the second round since 2010. The Arabian Knights closed out their region slate with a 6-0 record and are looking to go 9-0.
The Knights got off to a good start, and the defense held on to the ball. Jordan Franklin led the running game with 160 yards on 28 attempts. Jeremiah Cobb added a 68-yard run in the second half. Drew Puccio returned the kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, and he also threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Brody McCain.
The defense continued to shut down the Indians, but it was the offense that led the charge in the second half. Drew Puccio had two touchdown passes, and he had six receptions for 100 yards. The Knights scored on three of their first four drives, and the offense piled up 433 yards of total offense.
The Arab defense forced turnovers on downs in the first quarter. They also threw a pass interference penalty, and then backed up to the 27-yard line on their next play. The Indians took a first-down on a three-yard run, and then they picked up a first-down through the air. The defense also intercepted a pass at the 38-yard line, and the Knights held the Indians to a 1-yard run.
Arab scored on their first play of the second half, and they led 27-3 by the end of the third quarter. Drake Franklin capped a 71-yard drive with a touchdown. Jordan Franklin sprinted past the goal line twice, and Jordan Franklin led the rushing attack with 160 yards on 28 carries.
The Arab Knights won their first region championship since 1993. The Knights will host Moody in the second round of the state football playoffs. They will be looking to continue their momentum against the Bulldogs. The game will be held Friday night at 7 p.m.
Despite being one of the better programs in the area, the East Limestone Indians haven’t made it past the first round of the playoffs in recent memory. They’ve had a solid year so far, with nine wins and just one loss, but head coach Jeff Pugh is still looking for a few impact players to step up. He hopes they can do so against Arab in the first round of the playoffs.
The first quarter was a razzle dazzle for the Arab Knights. Drew Puccio ran for 85 yards on the opening kickoff, and he was followed by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Aide Cox. The Arab defense was impressive as well, forcing five turnovers on downs.
The first quarter was also the first time the Knights got to see the ball. Maceo Booker scored five yards on a keeper, and Hayden O’Reilly added eight yards on a run. The first quarter ended with the Knights on their way to a 33-6 lead.
The Knights used the same method to score their other three touchdowns. Heath Burchfield threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Miles Whitlow in the second quarter, and Drake Franklin ran for 15 yards to give the Knights a 6-0 lead with 7:25 left in the opening period.
The other notable statistic is the fact that the Knights were able to hold East Limestone to just 99 total yards. That is a significant improvement over the 66 yards they allowed in the regular season, and is a good sign for the future.
Despite the win, the Knights had to settle for second place in the 5A Region 8 and will play Moody or Jasper for the final playoff spot. The first round of the playoffs begins this weekend. While there is a lot to like about this year’s group, it will still be tough to beat the top teams in the region. It will be interesting to see what they can do in the second round. Hopefully they can continue to show that they’re the best in their division.
Having moved to East Limestone after a stint in Madison, Woodfin and his family are making their mark on the Emerald Coast. Their new home is the aforementioned aforementioned incarnation, and they are about as close to the Limestone County Courthouse as you can get in this neck of the woods. Woodfin is a former Madison High School and Madison University football player and his wife is an educator. They attend the aforementioned aforementioned Lindsay Lane Baptist Church in Athens. Their newest addition is a one year old named Jaxson who is expected to be a top notch athlete in the near future. One of Woodfin’s first orders of business is to upgrade the school’s infrastructure, and in the process he has also found time to rekindle a smoldering relationship with the local booster club. In the name of altruism, Woodfin has also been known to drop by the local pizzeria to chat with friends and foes. He is also in the know when it comes to football, and he was able to snag the last two slot in the annual Limestone County High School football playoffs.
The name of the school’s aforementioned football program spelled out Woodfin’s name, and the school has been known to play the odd ball game, but the school has been the epicenter of the local football buzz for years. In addition to the football games, the school has hosted numerous sporting events, including a state wide baseball tournament. The aforementioned aforementioned aforementioned Lindsay Lane Baptist School football program has been crowned as the kings of the hill, and the school will host another state wide tournament in the near future.
Despite falling behind early, the East Limestone Indians played a great game against the Lawrence County Knights on Tuesday, winning the game by a score of 54-13. The Indians have won all three games against the Knights this season, and could move into a tie for second place in the region by season’s end.
In the first quarter, East Limestone jumped out to a 17-yard touchdown pass from Landon Cochran to Alexander Mason. The Indians also had touchdown runs of 29 yards from Landon Cochran, and a 14-yard run by Alexander Mason. Throughout the game, the East Limestone defense held Lawrence County to a total of four runs on 30 attempts, and only four total yards.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Indians scored eight points in the fourth quarter. During the fourth, East Limestone turned the ball over on their first three plays of the quarter, and Brewer capitalized by scoring two touchdowns on their next two drives. Landon Cochran and Hayden O’Reilly each ran for touchdowns in the fourth, and Alexander Mason finished the game with a six-yard run and a kickoff return for a touchdown. Despite having a few key players graduate, the Indians played a good game, and could be moving up the region rankings.
The Arab Knights’ defense forced several turnovers on downs, and their offense scored on its first two drives of the game. In addition, Puccio returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, and Franklin added a three-yard score to give the Knights a 26-7 lead. After Brewer took a 17-point lead with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Childers to Burney, the Indians responded with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Cochran to Mason in the fourth. Despite allowing a touchdown, Brewer had a chance to win the game, but Childers’ pass was picked off in the end zone by Austyn Holmes with time expiring. The Indians’ only other turnover came on a pass interference penalty in the first quarter, and the game was tied at 14-14.
The East Limestone Indians will play in the Class 5A Region 8 championship game on Friday, September 7, at the Capshaw Sports Complex, and will face the Madison County Knights on November 14. The Indians will have a chance to reclaim first place in the region, as they host the fifth-ranked Russellville Golden Tigers on November 8. Despite the loss to Lawrence County, the Indians have won three of their last four games, and are averaging 38 points per game.
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