Boaz ices No. 3 spot from 5A Region 8 with win over Arab
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Behind a four-touchdown night from Presley Fant and a dominant second-half effort, the Boaz Pirates defeated county and region rival Arab 37-22 on Friday night inside L.F. Corley Jr. Stadium to secure the No. 3 playoff seed out of Class 5A, Region 8.
Boaz (7-2, 4-2) set the tone early, marching downfield on its second possession before Fant powered in from four yards out to take a 7-0 lead. Arab (4-5, 3-3) answered later in the quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run from Dallas Helton, tying the game at 7-all.
From there, Boaz controlled much of the night. Fant scored again midway through the second quarter on a 19-yard burst, and Acson Aristhene added a 42-yard field goal as time expired in the half to give the Pirates a 17-7 lead.
Arab opened the third quarter with a scoring drive capped by N. Stephens’ 3-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Kirkland, cutting the lead to 17-14. But Boaz answered immediately — this time with Sage Bennett’s 55-yard touchdown run — pushing the lead to 23-14 after the extra point failed.
Arab pulled within one point in the fourth quarter when Stephens again connected with Kirkland, this time for a 27-yard score, followed by a successful 2-point conversion to make it 23-22.
But Boaz finished strong. Fant scored on runs of 9 and 4 yards over the final three minutes to seal the 37-22 win and close out region play on a high note.
Fant led all rushers with 123 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries, adding 11 receiving yards and a 33-yard kickoff return. Bennett added 62 yards and one touchdown on four carries.
Quarterback Beau Bennett went 7-of-14 passing for 90 yards, spreading completions among Dayton Porter (three catches, 35 yards), Jay Patterson (one-28), Jaxxon Taylor (one-14), Fant (one-11), and Bennett (one-2).
Boaz totaled 282 yards of offense (192 rushing, 90 passing) while holding Arab to 230 yards. Cooper Whorton came up with a key interception for the Pirates, and the defense also forced a fumble.
The win marks Boaz’s second straight victory over Arab after last year’s 31-21 triumph, trimming the Knights’ all-time series lead to 44-19-1.
As the No. 3 seed, Boaz will travel to play Region 7, No. 2 seed Russellville (6-3) in the opening round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Arab, the No. 4 seed, will travel to play against Region 7, No. 1 seed Fairview (9-0).
Next week, the Pirates will close out the regular season at home against Oneonta (5-4) before the playoffs begin.
Sage Bennett (12) had a 55-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to help Boaz to a 37-24 victory over Arab on Friday night at Dr. L.F. Corley Jr. Stadium in Boaz. Bennett finished with 62 yards rushing and 2 receiving. The Pirates play Oneonta on Friday to wrap up the regular season, then open the postseason Nov. 7 in Russellville. Photo by BENTLEY GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY
