It was a hot muggy night in Millbrook, and temperatures were running high as neighbors faced off in the Battle of I-65. In a hard-fought game, Prattville used a high-flying first-half attack to knock off the Stanhope Elmore Mustangs, 34-13, in non-region football action.
Although star senior running back Arthur McQueen piled up big yardage, he was stifled in most key moments as Prattville loaded up the box against Stanhope’s most potent weapon. McQueen finished the game with 126 yards on 18 carries, but it was in only the third quarter he found the end zone. And that score was a virtual gift, following a punting miscue by the Lions.
But the Prattville senior combo of quarterback Gavin Rigdon and wide receiver Brodie Bowman carved up the Mustangs all night.
“They did a great job attacking our young secondary with a lot of different things; a lot of different looks, a lot of different route concepts,” Mustangs coach Hunter Adams said. “It was a really good game plan. They challenged us. But I thought our kids played hard all night. I never saw any quit in them, you know.”
Rigdon completed 16 of 22 passing attempts for 218 yards and one touchdown. Bowman caught five passes for 81 yards. His fourth-quarter, 41-yard catch-and-run put the final nail in Stanhope’s coffin.
“These are the kind of self-inflicted things you can’t get over as a young football team,” Adams said. “We’re really young. We’ve got a lot to build on going into region play, and we’ve got the right kind of leaders to keep this going in the right direction.”
Stanhope Elmore opens region play Thursday at Cramton Bowl against Percy Julian High School.
Trailing by three touchdowns early in the third quarter, Adams opened the playbook a bit wider through junior quarterback Zac Holcombe. The usually run-first athlete ended the game 5 of 8 passing, included his first touchdown through the air this season.
“We’ve got to show more confidence in Zac’s ability to do that,” Adams said, “to expand his toolbox and what he can do in a game. Because the more we let him show he can do, the less defenses can take away specific things. It makes us more versatile as an offense.
Holcombe found freshman Dee Barnes on an 11-yard route to open the fourth quarter and awaken the Mustang fans. Other highlights for the Mustangs included a fumble recovery by Joidaden Carter-Stone and a fourth quarter sack for a 16-yard loss
Prattville coach Jason Wallace praised his team for their play in the intense rivalry atmosphere.
“This is always a tough environment to play in, and they played hard tonight,” Wallace said. “I know what the scoreboard indicates, but (Stanhope) came to play, and at any time this thing could’ve flipped. Congrats our guys for keeping their heads no matter what was going on.”
