CORNER —
It was a case of “last score wins,” and the last score of the night went to Corner’s Austin Sanford in a very big way.
Just seconds after visiting Oak Grove had tied the game in the fourth quarter, Sanford took the subsequent kickoff and ran back 81 yards for the game-winning score, as the Yellow Jackets bested the Tigers 35-28 Friday night.
Sanford’s final touchdown, his second of the night, was the third score in a span of 34 seconds. It started when Corner quarterback Blake Byrd finished off a lengthy drive with a 3-yard scoring run to take a 7-point lead with 8:35 left to play.
But on the second play of the Tigers’ following possession, Stephen Hooper threw a halfback-option pass to Daniel Murkerson for 56 yards and a touchdown to knot the game at 28-28, setting up Sanford’s winning TD.
Oak Grove opened the scoring with a 27-yard run by Trey Prestridge late in the first quarter. But Corner answered quickly on the following drive, when quarterback Blake Byrd fired a 35-yard pass to Kerry Smith for the tying score.
Hooper then followed with a score on a 33-yard run, but Sanford countered with a 62-touchdown ramble with 1:19 left in the first half.
Hooper grabbed the lead right back for the Tigers (1-5, 1-3 region) on an 11-yard scoring run four minutes into the second half.
But the Jackets (3-3, 2-2 region) tied and then took the lead on a pair of 3-yard scoring runs, the first by Deshay Averhart and the second by Byrd which set the late scoring frenzy into motion.
Sanford finished the night with 94 yards rushing on seven carries.
Byrd was 7-for-10 passing with one interception. Smith caught three receptions for 72 yards.
Prestridge led Oak Grove with 121 yards on 23 carries; Hooper ran for 94 yards on 18 rushes.
Tiger quarterback Austin Lawrence was 6-for-9 passing with one pickoff for 61 yards; Hooper’s touchdown toss on the trick play was his only pass attempt.
On defense for Corner, John Bassett had five tackles with two sacks, and knocked down two Lawrence passes. Zac Yasko had five tackles and seven assists.
Local Sports
Football: Corner 35, Oak Grove 28
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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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Gardendale athletes sign scholarships at annual ceremony
Eleven graduating senior athletes at Gardendale High School were honored Thursday night in the school's annual scholarship signing ceremony.
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