Sheffield has controversial end to game

SALEM - Sheffield's coaches and players were confident they were going to get the opportunity to kick what would have been a game-winning field goal with less than two seconds to play.

What ensued was confusion when officials started the game clock after quarterback Demarcus Barnett spiked the ball to stopping the clock.

According to the officials, the spike came before the ball was marked ready to play and the officials restarted the game clock and the Bulldogs never got the opportunity to attempt the field goal in a 22-21 loss.

Sheffield coach Chris Tucker said officials did not offer an explanation as to why, if the ball was spiked before being marked ready for play, they did not throw a penalty flag for delay of game.

"He (referee) stood over the ball and then picked it up said the game was over," Tucker said. "We had our field goal team out there ready to go. I would feel a lot better if we had at least had a chance to kick the field goal. We might not have made it, but at least we would have had a chance."

Tucker said he would file a report with the AHSAA, but didn't expect the final play to be overturned.

It was the second win by West Limestone (3-1, 2-1) against a team from the Shoals after edging Colbert County in the second week of the season.

Tevin Jackson scored the first Sheffield touchdown on a 5-yard run in the first quarter. Barnett threw a 2-point conversion pass to Davion Liner.

After West Limestone went ahead 15-8, the Bulldogs tied it on Laquintus Armstead's 56-yard run.

Trailing 22-15, Armstead scored on a 1-yard run to pull the Bulldogs within 22-21 with less than four minutes to play. But the 2-point conversion was stopped short of the goal line, setting up the final sequence.

Madison Academy 35, Lauderdale County 7

ROGERSVILLE - Richard Lindsey passed for 205 yards and a touchdown, Timothy Menees hit three field goals and Madison Academy rolled up 376 yards of total offense en route to an easy win over Lauderdale County in front the Tigers home crowd on Friday.

Menees got Madison Academy on the board first, hitting a 29-yard field goal on the Mustangs' second possession of the night.

Lauderdale County (1-3, 1-2) answered late in the quarter, taking the lead when quarterback Joseph Patterson broke free of the Madison Academy defense for an 81-yard touchdown run. The Tigers converted the extra point, taking a 7-3 lead with 2:00 left in the quarter.

The lead wouldn't last, however, as on the first play from scimmage following the ensuing kickoff Madison Academy quarterback Richard Lindsey connected with Zayne Riggins for a 65-yard score, giving the Mustangs a lead they would never relinquish.

A 28-yard field goal by Menees with 3:37 left to play in the second quarter pushed the Mustang lead to 12-7 at the break.

Madison Academy came out strong in the second half, scoring on it's first offensive possesion when Timothy Hamlett took a handoff from Lindsey into the end zone from three yards out.

Menees connected on his final field goal of the evening, a 25-yard attempt, on Madison Academy's final drive of the third quarter, pushing the Mustang lead to 22-7.

A 60-yard touchdown run by Kameron Jackson and a 14-yard interception return by Jordan Kerr rounded out the Mustang scoring in the fourth quarter, giving Madison Academy a 35-7 lead, improving their season record to 4-0, including a 3-0 record in Class 3A, Region 8.

The loss was the second straight for the Tigers and drops their overall record to 1-3, including a 1-2 record in region play.