STAFF REPORTS
DOUGLAS — The Boaz Pirates left no doubt in their county rivalry Friday night, sailing past Douglas 45-14 in a Class 5A, Region 8 contest at Arthur Jarvis Stadium.
Boaz (3-1, 1-1) jumped out to a 13-0 first quarter lead and wasted no time seizing control. Quarterback Beau Bennett connected with Dayton Porter for a 17-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play, 51-yard drive, then Mac Thompson powered in from four yards out.
Douglas (2-2, 0-2) answered midway through the second quarter when Baker Lyles capped a 14-play march with a 3-yard score, trimming the margin to 13-7. But Boaz erupted for three touchdowns in the final three minutes of the half to take full command.
Beau Bennett found Sage Bennett on a 33-yard strike with 2:44 on the clock, then connected with Presley Fant on a 64-yard bomb less than a minute later. Following a defensive stop, Sage Bennett added a 1-yard rushing score to put Boaz ahead 32-7 at the break.
Fant added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and Porter caught his second TD of the night — a 3-yarder from Beau Bennett — early in the fourth to stretch the lead to 45-7. Douglas closed the scoring on Keilan Green’s 7-yard run with 2:53 remaining.
The Pirates outgained the Eagles 390-239, including 235 yards through the air. Beau Bennett was excellent, completing 11-of-14 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns, while Sage Bennett added a completion for one yard.
Fant was Boaz’s biggest playmaker, hauling in three passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, rushing 20 times for 106 yards and another score, and even punting once for 37 yards. Sage Bennett finished with five catches for 87 yards and a TD, while Porter added three grabs for 21 yards and two touchdowns. Thompson chipped in a 22-yard catch along with his rushing score.
On the ground, Boaz was steady, rushing 35 times for 155 yards. Fant’s 106 led the way, with Sage Bennett, Thompson, Porter and Brody McInerney combining for 49 more.
Douglas managed 239 yards of offense, led by Lyles with 74 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries to go with 30 passing yards. Green added 50 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Landon Stewart’s 44-yard reception highlighted the Eagles’ passing effort.
The win marked Boaz’s 10th straight in the series, improving the Pirates’ all-time edge to 36-5-1.
Boaz returns home next week for a big-time, non-region matchup against Class 3A No. 4 Geraldine (4-0), while Douglas hits the road for a non-region game at New Hope (2-2).
