Gardendale (2-1, 1-0) bounced back after a tough loss last week, as they defeated Huffman (0-3, 0-1) 31-21 in Driver Stadium to kickoff region play.

“We just kept playing hard all night. It was kind of an ugly game, [we] had a lot of penalties, but we kept overcoming those and made some plays on defense late in the game,” Rockets head coach Chad Eads stated after the game when asked what the main aspect was to the victory.

The game was back-and-forth until the very end. It started with Huffman fumbling in the end zone and many Gardendale defenders falling on the football, which gave the Rockets the first score of the game with 7:32 left in the first quarter. The two teams would exchange scores throughout the half, but a missed PAT for Huffman gave Gardendale a 14-13 halftime lead.

With the ball in Gardendale’s hands to start the second half, the Rockets crafted a 64-yard scoring drive, with quarterback Goose Crowder (who has returned this week from an injury) and tight end Bailey Parsons connecting on three passes, and with running back Jayson Brooks capitalizing the drive with a 4-yard touchdown carry. This would give Gardendale an 8-point advantage.

Late in the third quarter, Huffman would spark a drive of its own. Vikings quarterback Tacoby Trammell threw a mere-perfect 42-yard pass to Caleb Tillman, which placed Huffman in the red zone. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Trammell found Michael Lockhart wide open at the 5-yard line, and Lockhart trucked the defender as he bulldozed into the end zone.

After the score, Huffman converted on a 2-point conversion to deadlock the score at 21, but that would be it for the Vikings offensively.

With a 28-yard field goal from Landon Erbrick, a powerful 39-yard touchdown run by Jayson Brooks, and Kendale Allen’s game-sealing interception, Gardendale ran away with a region victory at home.

Rockets running back Jayson Brooks was relentless all night long. The junior running back had 23 touches for 139 yards and three touchdowns.

“Offensive line, I gotta give it to them. They opened holes up for me, and I just got through them. They opened up holes long enough for me to get through and get the touchdowns,” said Brooks following the game.

Goose Crowder was out with an injury last week, but he returned as the starting quarterback for the Rockets against Huffman. Crowder threw the ball 19 times and accumulated 88 yards through the air.

Vikings quarterback Tacoby Trammell had an outstanding game throwing the ball. The senior completed eight of 11 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Trammell and his go-to guy Caleb Tillman connected deep downfield three times for 49 yards, 44 yards, and 42 yards. Gardendale will travel to Pell City (2-1, 0-1) in another regional game next Friday night. Huffman will seek their first win of the season against Shades Valley (0-2, 0-1) next Saturday night, as the Vikings seek their first win.