CORNER —
Quarterback Blake Byrd threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, but it wasn’t enough for Corner as they fell to 33-22 to visiting Calera on Friday.
Byrd connected with Kerry Smith for a 60-yard scoring strike in the first quarter, then again for 21 yards in the last minute of the game for the Yellow Jackets (1-3, 1-2 region). Byrd also score on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
But the Eagles got out to an early lead that they never relinquished, getting on the scoreboard three minutes in on a 44-yard pass from quarterback Zachary Reneau to Jordan Bishop. Like Byrd, Reneau also had two touchdown passes and ran for another score.
Running back Sam Adams scored on a 4-yard run for Calera (3-1, 2-1) with about two minutes left to go in the first period, but Byrd’s bomb to Smith came on the first play of the following drive.
Adams struck again with 8:44 left in the half, this time from 44 yards out to give the visitors a 20-7 lead at the half.
Reneau found success again midway through the third, thanks to an 8-yard pass to Ronnie Smith. The two quarterbacks then traded short rushing touchdowns before Byrd’s second scoring pass closed out the game.
Adams ran for 178 yards on 18 carries, beating the entire Yellow Jacket ground game by himself. Reneau was 12-for-16 in passing for 164 yards for the Eagles.
Byrd had 161 through the air with eight completions in 15 attempts. He also led Corner rushers with 61 yards in 15 carries.
Smith finished with 101 yards on four catches.
Middle linebacker Austin Wood had 12 tackles, three of them for losses. Outside linebacker Deshay Averhart added 10 tackles, four of them for losses.
The Jackets host Hayden in their annual rivalry matchup next week.
Local Sports
Football: Calera 33, Corner 22
- Local Sports
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Football: Glover to coach, three Pinson Valley players on North roster of All-Star teams
Three Pinson Valley seniors-to-be were named to the roster of the north team, and Indians coach Matt Glover will be an assistant for the north team at the AHSAA North-South All-Star Football Game in Montgomery.
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Hayden wins AHSAA 5A state softball championship
Brooke Meadows' lead-off home run in the first inning held up as the only run of the game, as Hayden defeated Scottsboro 1-0 Saturday to win the AHSAA Class 5A state softball championship.
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State softball tournament: Hayden advances to championship game with 2-0 win over Scottsboro
All it took was one big hit, and that came off the bat of Katie Parr.
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State softball tournament: Hayden 3, Saraland 2 (10 innings)
Brooke Meadows hit a lead-off double, then scored the winning run when Meleah Hargett bunted her way on base as Hayden defeated Saraland 3-2 in 10 innings in the quarterfinal round of the AHSAA Class 5A state softball tournament.
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State softball tournament: Hayden 12, Shelby County 0 (6 innings)
Hayden has advanced to the winner's bracket second round of the AHSAA Class 5A state softball tournament, thanks to a 12-0 beatdown of Shelby County that ended after six innings.
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State softball tournament: Corner eliminated by Oak Grove
After breezing through their regional qualifying tournament without a loss, then dispensing with a top-10 opponent in the first round of the state tournament, Corner’s softball team showed all the appearances of a juggernaut headed for a big finish to the season.
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Regional softball qualifiers: Corner, Hayden advance to state tournament
Corner took the express lane, while Hayden took the back roads with lots of twists and turns.
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Baseball playoff semifinals: Hartselle 7-10, Pinson Valley 2-0
Pinson Valley’s pitching had no answer for Hartselle’s bats.
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Boys soccer semifinals: St. Paul's Episcopal 2,Pinson Valley 1 (shootout)
Pinson Valley’s boys soccer team has seen this show before, and it wasn’t any better the second time.
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Softball regionals: Tuscaloosa in rain delay
The opening of the AHSAA North Central Regional Softball Tournament will not get started on time, thanks to rain in the Tuscaloosa area.
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