STAFF REPORTS
SOMERVILLE — Behind a gritty defensive effort and a pair of second-half takeaways, the Boaz Pirates held off a late surge from Brewer to secure a 23-19 Class 5A, Region 8 victory Friday night at James Tucker Stadium.
The win pushes Boaz to 6-1 on the season, with a 3-1 record in region play. The Pirates extend their winning streak to four games and remain very much in the mix for a region title.
Boaz struck first just 46 seconds into the game when Sage Bennett hit Jay Patterson on a deep strike down the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown, giving the Pirates an early 7-0 lead.
Brewer answered midway through the second quarter with a 12-play, 87-yard drive capped by Cole Drinkard’s 3-yard touchdown run, but a missed PAT kept Boaz in front 7-6 at halftime.
The Pirates seized momentum early in the third quarter when Dayton Porter scooped up a Brewer fumble and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown. Moments later, Acson Aristhene drilled a 44-yard field goal to make it 17-6 heading into the final period.
Brewer refused to go quietly. The Patriots rallied with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns — an 18-yard pass from Drinkard to Hunter Knighten and a 65-yard interception return by Cam Ballenger — to momentarily take a 19-17 lead with 7:33 left.
But Boaz responded with championship composure. The Pirates marched 71 yards on 14 plays, chewing more than five minutes off the clock, and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run from Presley Fant to reclaim the lead with just over two minutes remaining.
Boaz’s defense sealed the win from there, batting away a fourth down pass in the end zone with 39 seconds remaining to close out a hard-fought road victory.
Fant led the ground game with 70 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, while Beau Bennett and Sage Bennett combined to complete 16-of-21 passes for 206 yards and a score. Patterson paced the receiving corps with three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, and Jaxxon Taylor added four receptions for 47 yards. Sage Bennett had five catches for 32 yards, Fant had two catches for 16 yards, Bradyn Bennett with 11 yards, and Dayton Porter with 4 yards.
Defensively, the Pirates forced two key fumbles and notched a pair of sacks, with Porter’s fumble return touchdown serving as one of the night’s turning points.
Boaz finished with 259 total yards to Brewer’s 222, converting five of 12 third downs and controlling the ball for more than eight minutes in the fourth quarter.
Next week, the Pirates travel to Guntersville (6-1, 3-1) next week for what’s expected to be a Class 5A, Region 8 thriller.
