Lady Pirates season ends in state semifinals
By TAYLOR BECK, Sports Editor
BOAZ — The No. 5 Lady Pirates saw their historic season and playoff run come to a close Wednesday night at L.F. Corley Jr. Stadium, falling 28-14 to top-ranked Moody in the Class 1A–5A state semifinals.
Moody opened the game in dominant fashion, scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions to build a 21-0 halftime lead. Quarterback Serenity Rutledge powered the surge, finding Zoey Terry for an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Early in the second, Rutledge connected with Peyton Harry on a 10-yard scoring strike to extend the advantage. With 5:12 left in the half, Rutledge ran in a 4-yard touchdown to make it 21-0.
Meanwhile, Boaz struggled early to establish rhythm. The Lady Pirates punted on their opening drive, and a promising second possession ended when quarterback Peyton Hall was intercepted near the goal line. Boaz’s final first-half drive ended with a turnover on downs.
The Lady Pirates did find a spark defensively before the break. As time expired in the half, Raina Underwood intercepted a Moody pass, giving Boaz life heading into the locker room.
Boaz carried that energy into the third quarter. Hall threw a 30-yard pass that was tipped and then hauled in by Underwood for a touchdown, trimming the deficit to 21-7. But Moody responded quickly. Rutledge connected with Terry again — this time for a 34-yard score — to push the lead back to three touchdowns with 2:17 left in the third.
Both defenses traded interceptions in the fourth quarter. Hall was picked off with 11:30 remaining, but moments later she returned the favor, intercepting Rutledge to give Boaz another chance.
Hall later powered in an 11-yard touchdown run with 2:53 left to make it 28-14, but Moody ran down the remaining clock to secure the win.
“We had chances to make plays here and there, and they [Moody] made them and we didn’t, and that’s part of it sometimes,” said Boaz head coach Will Penton. “It just doesn’t bounce your way. Overall I’m proud of the way they competed for four quarters. The first time we played them, when they got up we didn’t really compete for four quarters and tonight we did — all the way down till the clock hit zero. So yeah, I’m proud of this group.”
Boaz finishes its stellar season 14-2. In just their second year of flag football, the Lady Pirates advanced to the Final Four — one round further than their inaugural season when they reached the quarterfinals.
Penton credited his team for its growth throughout the year.
“The biggest thing they’ve just grown in confidence in their self and what they know they can do… They’re a resilient bunch. They love to fight. They don’t mind getting hit — they’ll hit back.”
Moody (21-3) advances to the Class 1A–5A State Championship on Dec. 3 in Birmingham, where the Blue Devils will face Montgomery Catholic in a rematch of last year’s title game.
Wednesday’s semifinal was also the latest chapter in the budding rivalry between the two programs. The meeting marked the second matchup of 2025 — Boaz’s only regular-season loss was a 31-0 defeat to Moody on Sept. 8 — and Moody eliminated the Lady Pirates in the playoffs last season as well.
For Boaz, falling short of the state championship ends another memorable year — and another step forward for a program on the rise.
“I’m so excited about the future. I told them [after the game], there’s no doubt in my mind that this core group can win a state championship together. We have everybody coming back except for one senior, and we’re gonna miss her a lot. But this group coming back still has unfinished business.
“We’ve taken steps every year that we’ve played, so now it’s looking forward to next year taking that next step.”
Boaz’s Peyton Hall looks for running room against Moody during their state semifinal matchup. TAYLOR BECK l The Leader
