Phil Campbell stalls slide with 41-28 region win at J.B. Pennington

After an 0-3 start to its 2026 campaign, the Phil Campbell High School varsity football team got back on track with a 41-28 road win at J.B. Pennington on Friday night, improving the Bobcats’ record to 1-1 in Class 2A Region 7.

Although it ultimately proved to be a successful night for Phil Campbell, the Bobcats got off to an inauspicious start, turning the ball over on each of their first two offensive possessions. The Tigers capitalized on the second one and opened the scoring with a 29-yard touchdown pass to give the hosts a 7-0 lead with 4:48 to go in the first quarter.

PCHS put together a response on its next offensive possession, tying the game up 7-7 via a one-yard quarterback sneak by senior Hayston Scott with 1:32 left in the opening period of play.

From there it was a back-and-forth first-half affair between the Bobcats and Tigers. J.B. Pennington regained the lead, 14-7, on a 32-yard touchdown run with 34 seconds left in the first. Phil Campbell answered back with a 61-yard touchdown drive with less than eight minutes to play in the first half. The scoring drive was capped by a short run by Braxton Downey. The junior running back’s scamper made it a 14-13 ballgame after PCHS missed the extra point attempt.

With under two minutes to play in the first half, another turnover cost the Bobcats. Scott threw his second interception of the night, this one over the middle to a lurking Tiger linebacker who returned it over 60 yards for six points. After the extra point, J.B. Pennington was back up by eight points, 21-13.

Phil Campbell recovered quickly, however, and crafted another touchdown drive while running a two-minute drill. After driving the ball into the red zone, the Bobcats were left with just four seconds before halftime, time for one play before the break—and it was a doozy: off the flea flicker, Scott found senior wide receiver Austin Elliott running in the back of the endzone and made a good pass to put it where only Elliott could catch it.

The touchdown pass and the successful two-point conversion tied the game up at 21-21 as the teams headed back to the locker room for halftime. More importantly, the Bobcats’ game-tying TD as the second quarter clock expired gave them a boost of momentum going into the break.

Phil Campbell got off to a much better start in the third quarter. The visitor’s defense forced the Tigers to punt on their opening possession of the second half, giving the ball back to the offense which was able to march down the field and take its first lead of the contest. Capped by a 31-yard run by Downey, Phil Campbell’s 80-yard touchdown drive put the Bobcats up 27-21.

Not long after that the PCHS offense got the ball back thanks to an interception by Elliott, who returned it over 60 yards before being brought down inside the J.B. Pennington five-yard line. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, though, that red zone opportunity was squandered after a holding penalty and a sack ending in PCHS turning it over on downs.

The disappointing end of the previous drive didn’t hinder the Phil Campbell defense, however. The Bobcat D got forced another stop to put the ball back in the hands of its offense. This time the offense came through when senior Brody Flanagan took the double handoff and sprinted right through the heart of the J.B. Pennington defense for a 42-yard touchdown. Flanagan’s score extended Phil Campbell’s advantage to 12 points with 6:01 left in regulation.

Up 33-21 now, the Bobcats just needed to keep the Tigers caged up; instead, Phil Campbell went for the kill, and it was Scott that delivered the decisive blow.

Following another defensive stop, PCHS all but ended the game when Scott broke free and ran past the Tiger secondary for a touchdown. The 68-yard run gave the Bobcats a 41-21 advantage with 2:02 left to play.

J.B. Pennington added a final touchdown a minute later, but it was too little too late for the hosts. Flanagan recovered the ensuing onside kick and sealed the 41-28 victory for Phil Campbell.

Phil Campbell’s 41 points were the most it has scored so far this campaign. The win also ended the Bobcats’ three-game slide and it’s worst start to a season since 2013. PCHS will aim to continue this new, more enjoyable streak in its next contest, a home region matchup against Colbert County, on September 18.