PREP FOOTBALL: Cullman shut out by Muscle Shoals, misses playoffs for first time since 2004

Published 12:44 am Saturday, October 25, 2014

MUSCLE SHOALS — The stars aligned just right Friday night to keep Cullman out of the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

With the Bearcats’ 28-0 loss at Muscle Shoals and Hartselle’s 34-13 win over Austin, Class 6A, Region 8’s playoff seeding was settled — and the Black and Gold (4-5, 2-4) weren’t included.

Everything worked out much more to the Trojan’s liking. Their victory versus Cullman, coupled with Florence’s against Decatur, assured Muscle Shoals another home game when the playoffs get going in two weeks.

Doc Wells ran for 81 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns, and the Trojan (6-2, 4-2) defense logged its first shutout of the season in the runaway win.

Muscle Shoals scored on its first two possessions and the Bearcats never mounted a threat.

A 48-yard punt return by Dwan Smith set the Trojans up at the Cullman 7-yard line, and two plays later Wells carried it in from 3 yards out for a 7-0 lead. After stopping Cullman on three plays, Muscle Shoals went 79 yards on 12 plays. Quarterback Landon Smothers sealed the drive with a 2-yard scoring run to push the lead to 14.

Cullman never found an answer for the defensive pressure of Muscle Shoals. Hollis Abernathy and Will Kilpatrick plugged up the middle, and the Trojans held the Bearcats to just two first downs and 38 yards in the first half.

Wells added his second touchdown just before the half to make it 21-0. Muscle Shoals ate up seven minutes with a 16-play, 85-yard drive that Wells capped with a 9-yard dash around right end.

The final score came early in the third quarter when Caleb Felton scooped up botched handoff and carried it back 39 yards to put Muscle Shoals ahead by 28.

The victory pushed Muscle Shoals’ home-win streak to 28 games.

The Trojans ran for 259 yards and finished with 319 yards of offense. Carlos Davis added 81 yards on 13 carries.

Cullman finished with 110 yards. Brontae Harris provided the lone spark when he moved to quarterback for the Bearcats in the second half and tallied 59 yards on seven carries.

The Bearcats will head back to Oliver Woodard Stadium to host former 5A region-mate Russellville next Friday.