Bobcats defeat region foe Midfield 36-26 to get to .500
The Phil Campbell High School varsity football team improved to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in Class 3A Region 5 play after a 36-26 home victory over Midfield on Friday night. The victory gave the Bobcats back-to-back wins for the first time since the end of last season.
“It was a huge win for us,” third-year Phil Campbell head coach Jacob Hamilton told the Franklin Free Press. “It was huge for our momentum and big for us to get to .500.
“We jumped out on (Midfield) quick and that was great to see,” he added. “Great team win.”
Junior quarterback Hayston Scott led a stellar offensive effort that saw the hosts lead 30-18 at halftime. Scott opened up the scoring in the first quarter with a rushing touchdown and then followed it up with a touchdown pass to senior Hagen Raper whom Hamilton had high praise for after the game.
“He may be our best overall athlete,” Hamilton said of Raper. “He does a ton for us and he’s extremely important to what we do as a team.”
Another athlete, junior Austin Elliott, scored Phil Campbell’s third touchdown, and then Scott rushed for his second touchdown of the evening to close out the first half scoring for the Bobcats. At the halftime break PCHS led Midfield 30-18.
In the second half, each team scored one touchdown. Phil Campbell’s final score sealed the game with around three minutes to play, and once again it was Scott who found the endzone. The junior ended the game with 149 yards rushing on 17 carries and completed four passes on six attempts for 46 yards.
“Hayston is having a great season. He’s our playmaker, he’s only getting better, and we’re really excited about what he’s able to do for us with the ball in his hands,” Hamilton said.
Next to the Bobcats’ ability to end drives in the endzone, Hamilton said a major reason his team was able to pull out the win was because they held on to the football for most of the game.
“We dominated in time of possession. Midfield had possession for about 16 minutes and we had the ball for about 30 and a half minutes, so we had the ball for almost twice as long as them. That was really important in this game,” Hamilton said. “We were able to consistently have possession and continued to run the ball well. It was great to see that.”
When the visitors did have the ball, the Phil Campbell defense came up with some vital stops and created takeaways to get the ball back into the offense’s hands.
“We had some key stops on defense which were critical in helping us get the win,” Hamilton said. “We had two interceptions on defense and were able to get the ball back to our offense. In a 10-point game those turnovers were massive.”
The region win over Midfield puts Phil Campbell in that much better of a position in the race for the playoffs. With a 2-2 record in Region 5 the Bobcats currently hold the No. 4 spot behind Gordo (4-0), Vinemont (4-0), and Winfield (3-1); PCHS has the head-to-head advantage over Oakman (2-2), as well.
Phil Campbell has three region games remaining, starting with the Bobcats’ final road contest at Carbon Hill on October 10. The outcome in those three games will decide whether Phil Campbell can reach the postseason again after missing out last campaign.
“This region is a gauntlet—it’s a very tough region. But we’ve got three region games left, and if we can win two of those then we can get that third or fourth spot and make the playoffs and have a chance of a winning season,” Hamilton said. “We’ve got some tough games ahead and our guys know that, but the good news is we’ve got most of them at home and that’s huge. The school spirit and support from the community this season has been incredible.”
“We’re determined to make the playoffs this season, and we are in a good position to get that third or fourth seed if we keep playing the way we’re playing and continue to improve. We’re heading in the right direction,” he added.