Featured

Autauga makes AISA history, thrashes 7A Chiles High

by
Griffin Pritchard
August 30, 2021

Story by Griffin Pritchard | Publisher
Photos Courtesy Autauga Academy Athletics | Roland Henry & Chiles Football Touchdown Club

CENTRAL ALABAMA SCOREBOARD OFFICE — The debate has always waged “what would happen if an AISA school played a real high school?” Since Alabama won’t allow that question to be answered Autauga Academy headed to the Sunshine State seeking a resolution. What they found, instead, was a history-making moment for both them and the Alabama Independent School Association.

The No. 3 (AISA) Autauga Academy thrashed Lawton Chiles High (Tallahassee / 7A FHSAA) 42-7 on a rainy night in the Big Bend.

Robert Rose threw for 195 yards and three scores on a 13-of-21 passing night where he dissected the defense like an eighth-grader with a scalpel and a pickled frog. Joshua Palmer became his favorite target with seven receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns (46 and 17 yards, respectively).

Autauga scored twice in the first to go up 14-7. They didn’t look back scoring 28 unanswered over the third and fourth quarters.

Karl Ligon led the Generals’ march through the Timberwolves defense with 211 yards on 15 carries and touchdown runs of 87, 89 and 12.

On both of Ligon’s long-run touchdowns, he made a couple of quick cuts at the line and then was off to the races. Chiles’s defense had no answer.

Defensively, Darryl Cock had a night with four solo tackles, one tackle for loss (a four-yard Timberwolves loss) and a fumble recovery. Caden Henry had four solo tackles, an assist and a caused fumble. Deilmalik Livingston recovered two Chiles fumbles.

O’Ronde Henderson had a four-yard tackle for loss, a sack (resulting in a loss of seven yards) and an assist.

The Generals, after taking September 3 off, next travel to Patrician and then on to Clarke Prep before hosting Bessemer on September 24. Beyond that, it’s back to the Sunshine State and a showdown with Quincy, Florida’s Munroe High.