Sports

Coming off of four straight blowout wins, it looked like the Fayette County Tigers might sprint through the rest of its schedule this season. After all, the Tigers had outscored their last four opponents 191-14. Fayette County had its hands full on Friday night, however, as it outlasted the Oakman Wildcats 13-10 in a defensive slugfest that came down to the very last play. 

The Berry Wildcats were looking to get back on the winning track as they hosted the South Lamar Stallions for Homecoming.  Big plays by South Lamar would be the deciding factor as the Wildcats fell to the Stallions 52 - 18.

Traveling south to Reform on Friday night the Lions visited the Pickens County Tornadoes. Following the coin toss, Hutch Miles' opening kick was recovered by Damian Giles at the 48-yard line. The Lions defense stood strong on the opening possession with Cruz Kizzire sacking Jacobe Plott on first down for a 4-yard loss. Four plays later, facing fourth and 16 from the 36-yard line, William Latham's punt rolled dead at the 32-yard line. 

2,597 days. It was quite a long wait for the Fayette County Tigers to finally reclaim victory from the Winfield Pirates, which it did in dominant fashion in a 54-14 win on Friday, Oct. 9. With Hurricane Isaias looming above, the Tigers showed up with seven years’ worth of payback, scoring on every one of its offensive possessions for a season-high 54 points. “It’s a rivalry game and it’s always good to win that,” Fayette Head Coach Jared Porter said. “I know it meant a lot to the players to beat them, especially these seniors.” 

The Hubbertville Lions welcomed cross county rivalry Berry Wildcats to Wiley Hollingsworth Stadium on Friday night. Due to tropical storm warnings from hurricane Isaias the much anticipated game kicked-off at 6:00 p.m. 

The Hubbertville Lions traveled to Sulligent on Friday night to battle with the Blue Devils. Winning the coin toss the Lions elected to receive sending Landon Dodd and Kayne Rushing back for the opening kick. Sulligent recovered Saige Coleman’s kick at the Lions 47-yard line setting Johnwil Spruiel and his offensive front up with their opening possession.

The Berry Wildcats looked to get back in the win column as they traveled to Brilliant to face the Tigers.  The Wildcats got off to a quick start and never looked back as they cruised to a 45 - 12 victory in the Region 5 matchup.

With frogs on the hearts and minds of the town, the Fayette County Tigers leaped to its third straight victory as it took down the Haleyville Lions 40-0 on Friday night. After being defeated 40-0 in its matchup with Hatton on Sep. 4, Fayette County has scored 137 straight unanswered points in its last three contests. “Altogether, this team has responded to [the coaches] challenging them after the Hatton game,” Head Coach Jared Porter said. “They have started playing with the physicality it takes to win games.”

Bevill State struggled to overcome an early deficit Friday, Sept. 25, falling 10-2 to Freed-Hardeman University. Freed-Hardeman jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, using a single and two doubles to bring four runs across the plate. The Lions added another run on a solo home run in the third and continued to build their advantage on the way to the eight-run victory.

The Berry Wildcats traveled to Oxford to face the Hope Christian Saints for the first time, but penalties proved costly as the Saints controlled the game and took a 28-8 victory. Hope Christian won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. The Wildcats returned the opening kickoff to the Berry 44-yard line. The Berry offense put together a four-play drive but turned the ball over after failing to convert on fourth-and-5 from the Berry 49. Hope Christian began its first drive at the Wildcat 49 after the turnover on downs.

The Hubbertville Lions traveled south to Bibb County for a non-region contest with the West Blocton Tigers. Winning the coin toss, the Lions elected to receive, sending Landon Dodd and Kane Rushing back deep. Brandon Hernandez’s kick was fielded at the 13-yard line by Dodd, who advanced to the 32 to set up quarterback Blaize Wakefield and the Lions offense with their opening possession. Utilizing the ground game of Gavin Hubbert and a pass completion to Rushing, the Lions quickly moved into Tigers territory with a first down at the 33.

Fayette County wasted little time taking control Friday night, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter and adding 23 more points in the second on the way to a 50-0 shutout victory over Danville. The Tigers dominated on both sides of the ball, holding Danville to minus 44 yards of total offense while piling up 290 yards of their own. Fayette County finished with 116 yards rushing and 174 yards through the air. After the two teams traded possessions early, Fayette County broke through with 8:06 remaining in the first quarter.

Traveling to Guin on Friday night, the Lions met up with the Marion County Red Raiders. Winning the coin toss and electing to receive, the Lion offense wasted little time putting the first points on the board. The opening kick by Griffin Pyron sailed out of bounds, setting quarterback Blaize Wakefield and the offense up at the 35-yard line. First down brought Gavin Hubbert with the handoff for a 23-yard gain, moving the ball across midfield. Sticking with Hubbert in the running game, the Lions quickly advanced to the 33-yard line.

Bevill State baseball picked up a win over Freed-Hardeman University as part of a three-game slate last week. The Bears also fell to Wallace State and split Friday’s two games against Freed-Hardeman. Bevill State jumped out to an early lead against Wallace State on Sept. 15 but could not hold off a big inning by the Lions in an 11-6 loss. The Bears put four runs on the board in the top of the second inning. Clay Johnson doubled to drive in the first run before Jack Wright added an RBI single. Dylan Bishop followed with a single that brought home two more runs.

The Berry Wildcats continued their 2026 football campaign by hosting the Sulligent Blue Devils for the first time since 2019. The Wildcats and Blue Devils played a close game early, but in the end, Sulligent took the 34-point victory. Sulligent won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. The Wildcats returned the kick to the Berry 37-yard line to begin play. On the 10th play from scrimmage, Zack Hollingsworth connected with Drayke Parr for a 13-yard touchdown strike.

In boxing, sometimes you get two finesse fighters who dance and jab at each other, and other times you get fighters who stand toe to toe and trade huge punches. Berry and Lynn fell into the latter category Friday night. As the Wildcats faced their first road test of the season, the two teams traded big drive after big drive before Berry took a 30-22 win in the game’s closing seconds. Lynn won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. The Bears returned the kick to their 48-yard line, and on the fourth play of the drive, Jon Jordan scored on a 22-yard run.

The Fayette County High School Tigers bounced back in a big way Friday night, Sept. 11, shutting out Curry 47-0 behind a strong rushing game, several big plays and a defense that kept the Yellow Jackets off the scoreboard. Fayette County wasted little time taking control. Dezmon Harris fielded the opening kickoff and raced 95 yards for a touchdown, putting the Tigers on the board just 15 seconds into the game. The extra-point attempt failed, leaving Fayette County with an early 6-0 lead.

The Lions traveled to South Lamar High School Friday night to take on the Stallions, coming away with a 28-13 region victory. After winning the coin toss, the Lions elected to receive, with Kaiden Tucker’s return setting them up at the 34-yard line. Utilizing Hutch Miles in the running game and Kane Rushing in the passing game, the Lions quickly moved the ball deep into Stallions territory. Facing fourth-and-1 from the 16-yard line, Gavin Hubbert took the handoff straight up the middle for a first down at the 5.

Bevill State baseball continued its fall schedule last week, playing four games against Lawson State, Calhoun and Snead State. The Bears split a pair of games against Lawson State on Sept. 8 before dropping two games Sept. 11, falling to Calhoun and Snead State. Bevill State outhit Lawson State 10-7 in the first game Sept. 8 but was unable to turn those hits into enough runs in a 4-2 loss. The Bears struck first in the second inning when a wild pitch allowed a run to score. Lawson State answered in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 1.

Celebrating homecoming, the Lions welcomed the Brilliant Tigers to Wiley Hollingsworth Stadium. The Tigers won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kick, sending Tyson Lee and Michael Yielding back to receive. Hutch Miles’ kick was recovered at the Lions’ 48-yard line by Mac Brasher, setting Blaize Wakefield and his offensive front up with great field position. Four plays later, with a first down at the Tigers’ 42-yard line, Miles took the handoff over left tackle, rambling to the end zone and putting the Lions on the scoreboard.

Fayette County struggled to find an offensive rhythm Friday night as Hatton handed the Tigers a 40-0 loss in their Class 3A, Region 5 opener. The Tigers entered the Sept. 4 contest coming off a 33-6 victory over Lamar County, but Fayette County was held to 155 yards of total offense as Hatton used a strong rushing attack and several big plays to pull away. Fayette County received the opening kickoff and began at its own 39-yard line.

Berry picked up a big early-season victory Friday night as the Wildcats defeated Marion County 46-12 to open region play on a winning note. For a young Berry squad still finding its footing early in the season, the victory was an encouraging response after opening the year with a loss to Hale County. The Wildcats combined an efficient passing attack with a strong performance on the ground and pulled away from the Red Raiders in the second half. “This is a really big win for us,” Berry head coach Danny Raines said. “Our kids played a great second half.

Fayette County overcame an early deficit and pulled away from Lamar County Friday night, Aug. 28, earning a 33-6 victory behind an efficient passing attack and a defense that shut out the Bulldogs over the final three quarters. Lamar County struck first, but Fayette County answered with 33 unanswered points, including 19 in the second half. Neither team found the end zone during the opening quarter, and the Bulldogs put together the first scoring drive of the night early in the second.

The Hubbertville Lions jumped out to an early two-touchdown lead Friday night, but Tuscaloosa Academy rallied to score 32 unanswered points and hand the Lions a 32-14 loss at Wiley Hollingsworth Stadium. After forcing the Knights to punt on their opening possession, Hubbertville put together a scoring drive highlighted by quarterback Blaize Wakefield’s connections with Cruz Kizzire. Kizzire hauled in a pass and fought his way to the Tuscaloosa Academy 3-yard line, setting up the Lions near the goal line.

The Hubbertville Lions added one more piece of hardware to their historic 2025 baseball season Friday night. Members of Hubbertville’s Class 1A state championship baseball team were presented with their championship rings Aug. 28 during a special pregame ceremony before the Lions’ football game against Tuscaloosa Academy.

The Hubbertville Lions opened their regular season Friday night with a hard-fought 28-22 victory over the University Charter Trailblazers at Wiley Hollingsworth Stadium. Winning the coin toss, the Lions elected to receive, sending Landon Dodd and Kane Rushing back for the opening kickoff. Rushing returned the kick 10 yards to the Lions’ 30-yard line. Hubbertville wasted little time finding the end zone. After Charles Keeton gained 7 yards on first down, quarterback Blaize Wakefield connected with Rushing for a 63-yard touchdown with only 57 seconds gone from the game clock.

The Berry Wildcats kicked off their 2026 campaign by hosting the Class 3A Hale County Wildcats. After graduating a large senior class last year, Berry had a lot of new faces playing in key positions on both sides of the ball. The young Berry Wildcats played Hale County close for most of the game, but a couple of late touchdowns handed them a 42-22 loss. Berry won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Berry returned the kickoff to its own 30-yard line to begin play and put together a 13-play drive that took up more than half of the first quarter.

The Fayette County Tigers opened the 2026 season with a fight to the finish Friday night, trading the lead with Gordo before the Green Wave pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 33-27 victory. Fayette struck first, weathered a 19-point second-quarter surge by Gordo and reclaimed the lead in the third quarter before a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns put the Tigers in a hole they could not quite overcome. The Tigers received the opening kickoff and immediately began moving the football.

The Fayette County High School Tigers got their first taste of action under the Friday night lights on Aug. 14, hosting a four-team football jamboree at John Morgan Brown Stadium. Fayette County was joined by Mars Hill Bible, Tuscaloosa Academy and Bibb County for the preseason event, giving the teams an opportunity to put weeks of summer workouts and preseason practices to the test before the start of regular-season play. The Tigers made the most of the opportunity, shutting out both of their opponents while scoring a combined 33 points during four quarters of jamboree action.

The Hubbertville Lions football team traveled to Curry High School on Friday night to participate in a fall jamboree at Travis Hudson Stadium. The Lions took to James Earl Hubbert Field along with Curry, Dora and Holly Pond to kick off the season. Each team played two games consisting of two 12-minute quarters. The Lions opened against the Holly Pond Broncos, whose first possession was stopped by the Hubbertville defense. Hunter Rochester, Lane Barnes and Charles Keeton were among those making stops, with Keeton recording a sack on quarterback Grayson Baggett.

The final out unleashed a celebration years in the making. 

Players sprinted toward the mound. Gloves flew into the air. Fans rose from the stands inside Jacksonville State University’s Rudy Abbott Field, cheering as Hubbertville players piled together in celebration.

Hubbertville swept Spring Garden in the second round of the AHSAA playoffs on April 30, earning a spot in the third round.
Hubbertville 8,
Spring Garden 5
The Lions opened the series with an 8-5 win, using a strong offensive performance and aggressive base running to take control early.
Hubbertville scored four runs in the first inning, highlighted by a double from Kane Rushing and a single from Carter Brand. The Lions added to their lead in the second when Rushing delivered another hit to extend the advantage to 5-0.

Fayette County’s postseason run came to an end April 30, as the Tigers dropped both games in the second round of the AHSAA playoffs to Alexandria, finishing the season with a 19-16 record.
Alexandria 7, FCHS 0
In the opener, Fayette County fell 7-0 and was held without a hit.
The Tigers kept the game close early before Alexandria built its lead over the middle innings. Fayette County was unable to generate offense against a strong outing on the mound.

After a tough extra-inning loss to Brookwood Panthers, the Fayette County High School Tigers responded in dominant fashion, sweeping Dora in the opening round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs. Fayette County fell 9-6 to Brookwood despite out-hitting the Panthers nine to five. Porter and Unger led the Tigers with two hits each, while Porter, Stowe and Armstrong drove in two runs apiece. The game was tied late before Brookwood erupted for six runs in the eighth inning to pull away.

The Hubbertville Lions bounced back from a late-season loss to open the postseason with a hard-fought series win over Pickens Academy Pirates in the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs. Hubbertville dropped its final regular-season game, falling 13-7 to South Lamar Stallions. The Lions battled back to tie the game early but were undone by a seven-run sixth inning from South Lamar. Kane Rushing led Hubbertville with two RBIs, while Bryce Afshar, Carter Brand, Ceth Hollingsworth, Rushing, Blaize Wakefield and Gavin Hubbert each recorded a hit.

Berry High School delivered a pair of dominant performances on March 31, sweeping Brilliant in a doubleheader with 11-0 and 16-0 victories. In the opener, the Wildcats were powered by a standout all-around performance from Walker Edmonson, who collected three hits and struck out 12 batters in four and two-thirds innings of no-hit baseball. Berry took an early lead in the first inning and added to it in the second behind a home run from Lake Norris and an RBI double from Edmonson.

Fayette County High School put together an explosive offensive showing, sweeping Curry in a three-game stretch March 30–31. The Tigers opened with a 16-0 win, using a balanced attack and strong pitching to set the tone early. Fayette County scored in every inning, highlighted by a four-run third that included an inside-the-park home run by Wade Jackson. Brayden Unger earned the win on the mound, allowing just one hit over four innings while striking out seven. Jeremiah Stowe led the offense with three hits, while Jackson, Brayden Unger and Brady Stocks each drove in two runs.

Hubbertville softball picked up a dominant win over Pickens Academy before falling to Berry in recent action. The Lady Lions cruised past Pickens Academy with a 15-0 win on March 30, powered by a big day at the plate from Anna Sophia Walker, who drove in four runs on four hits, including three doubles. Hubbertville jumped out early and never slowed down, scoring in each of the first three innings.

Bevill State opened the week with a split against Jackson State Community College before dropping a series to Wallace-Dothan in recent action. Bevill State rolled to a 6-0 win in the opener on March 31, powered by a dominant performance at the plate from Cole Payne, who went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two singles. The Bears struck early and added insurance in the third inning with RBI doubles from Payne and Nicholas Peters.

Hubbertville continued its strong run with a pair of decisive wins over Marion County on March 31 and April 2, outscoring its opponent 34-2 across the two games. The Lions opened with a 20-0 rout on March 31, fueled by a huge performance from Kane Rushing, who drove in four runs on three hits, including an inside-the-park home run. Hubbertville broke the game open in the first inning, sending multiple runs across the plate, and never looked back.

Berry High School softball picked up key wins over Brilliant and Hubbertville before going 2-2 in Bulldog Classic play in recent action. Berry opened the stretch with a 4-3 win over Brilliant on March 31, using a late rally to secure the victory. With the game tied in the seventh inning, Maylon Keeton delivered the go-ahead triple to score the winning run. Alivia Morrison drove in two runs earlier in the game, while Rylee Hill earned the win in relief, striking out nine over four and two-thirds innings.

The Bevill State baseball team put together a productive stretch against Bishop State, splitting a four-game series with a mix of timely hitting and high-scoring performances. Bevill State opened the series March 26 with a 9-4 win, using late offense to pull away. After falling behind early, the Bears tied the game in the third inning and took the lead for good in the fifth on a double by Kyle Nunnally.

The Hubbertville Lions turned in a dominant week on the diamond, going 4-0 behind a powerful offense and steady pitching, including a pair of wins at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham.

The Fayette County High School baseball team put together an impressive stretch of games last week, highlighted by explosive offense, aggressive base running and standout pitching performances. The Tigers went 3-1 during their trip to the Gulf Coast Classic and finished the stretch 3-2 overall. Fayette County also recognized its senior players prior to its March 20 home game against Sulligent. Honored were seniors Brayden Unger, Parker Lindsey, Tucker Scott and Ty Sawyer, all of whom have played four years for the Tigers.

The Fayette County varsity baseball team split a pair of games last week, falling to Gordo before bouncing back with a decisive win over Sulligent. The Tigers dropped a 10-6 decision to Gordo on March 17 despite building an early lead.

The Berry varsity baseball team went 2-1 over a recent three-game stretch, earning wins over Carbon Hill and Dora after a loss to Lamar County. Berry opened with an 11-0 loss at Lamar County on March 17. Lamar County scored three runs in the first inning and steadily pulled away, adding runs in each of the next two innings.

The Berry varsity softball team came up short in three games March 21 at Hubbertville, falling to Hubbertville, Fayette County and Carbon Hill despite strong offensive efforts. Hubbertville 8, Berry 6 Berry opened the day with an 8-6 loss to Hubbertville, out-hitting the Lions 8-4 but unable to hold a fourth-inning lead.

Bevill State baseball split a four-game set with Reid State last week, earning a pair of wins in a competitive series. Bevill State opened with an 8-3 victory on March 19, breaking the game open with a four-run fifth inning. Hayden Craycraft, Cameron Simpson, Gresham Baker and Cole Payne each drove in runs during the game.

The Hubbertville varsity baseball team went 1-3 over a recent stretch, highlighted by a high-scoring comeback win over Addison. Winfield 7, Hub 2 The Lions opened with a 7-2 loss to Winfield on March 17. Winfield built an early lead with runs in each of the first three innings.