Hanceville coach Ryan Brewer has told his players in recent weeks: “Don’t get weary.”

Don’t get weary of doing good work, he says. Don’t get weary of doing things the right way.

“The guys are believing it, and they’re doing a great job,” he said.

Though Hanceville’s season will end next week without a playoff bid, Brewer continued seeing positive signs during his team’s 35-3 rout of winless Fultondale.

“They’re learning how to compete in the ways we’ve been talking about for the last year and a half,” Brewer said.

Following a scoreless first quarter for both teams, Hanceville (3-6, 2-4 Class 4A, Region 6) used the rest of the game to pull away.

Brosnan Ward had three touchdown runs, two short ones and one for 43 yards, for the Bulldogs.

Zach Campbell opened the scoring with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Marquies Leeth, who later in the night returned an interception 94 yards for a score. Keiton Whatley and Braxton Broad also intercepted passes.

Hanceville has lost three games this year by a touchdown or less, including a region game against Good Hope. The Bulldogs last made the playoffs in 2013.

“It’s really good to be able to watch the guys be able to see some success happening,” Brewer said. “It’s fun to watch their confidence grow.”

Hanceville will close its season next week at home against East Lawrence. Brewer said a win would be big for the program and community as the Bulldogs look to carry momentum into next year.

“We’re building something,” he said. “The kids need to have some success in the process, so hopefully we’ll get that Friday night.”

Class 1A, Region 8 Addison 45, Phillips 12

A year after missing the playoffs, this November is shaping up to be a whole lot more fun for Addison.

Jed Wilkins and Braden Luker each rushed for two touchdowns, and Addison rolled past Phillips to secure a first-round playoff game at home in two weeks.

The Bulldogs (7-2, 5-1 Class 1A, Region 8) will now host a first-round game for the ninth time in 11 years.

Wilkins’ TDs went for 35 and 17 yards. He found Briley Hayes for one 2-point conversion and Brian Berry hit Briley Holt for the other. In between those touchdowns, Peyton Holland hit a 20-yard field goal.

Berry’s 25-yard touchdown run put Addison up 25-0 before a pair of scores for Phillips (6-3, 4-3), but Luker had a 20-yard TD run and Holt scored from 15 yards out as time expired in the third quarter. Josh Netherton made a conversion after Luker’s score. Luker added a 30-yard TD run in the fourth.

Class 4A, Region 6 Oneonta 49, Good Hope 21Colten Whatley connected with Kmal Bell on a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes, but Oneonta took over in the second period and never looked back on the way to a 49-21 win over Good Hope.

The Raiders (5-5, 3-3 Class 4A, Region 6), who saw their three-game win streak snapped, will have next week off and then have a playoff game.

Whatley’s TD passes to Bell went for 52 and 7 yards, and Good Hope led 14-7 with five minutes left in the first quarter.

But Oneonta (8-1, 5-1) notched six straight touchdowns – three of them before halftime – before Good Hope responded.

Whatley threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Cone in the fourth quarter for the Raiders’ final score.

Class 5A, Region 8 Brewer 22, West Point 21

One final minute of football Friday night cost West Point a spot in the Class 5A playoffs.

Minutes after Hunter Hensley put West Point a touchdown ahead with a 99-yard pass to Eli Sims, Brewer scored a touchdown on a pass with 45 seconds left and followed with a game-winning 2-point conversion pass.

The result will keep West Point (3-7, 2-4 Class 5A, Region 8) – which would have qualified for the playoffs with a win – out of the postseason. Brewer improved to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the region.

Garit Roberson’s two touchdowns stood as West Point’s offensive output until the Hensley pass with three minutes left. The first was a 1-yard run at the end of the first half to tie the game at 7. After a scoreless third quarter, Roberson’s 8-yard run put the Warriors up 14-7 with 11:20 to go.

Brewer tied the game with 7:02 remaining.

Class 2A, Region 6 Cleveland 40, Holly Pond 6

Damian Raymond ran for a 25-yard touchdown late in the first quarter for Holly Pond, but Cleveland’s rushing game was too much for the Broncos in a 40-6 Cleveland win.

Five of the six touchdowns for Cleveland (6-3, 5-1 Class 2A, Region 6) were rushing scores. All came before halftime. Because of a power outage just after three quarters were complete, the rest of the game was called off.

Holly Pond (0-9, 0-6) finishes its season at home next week against Vinemont.

Class 2A, Region 5 Tuscaloosa Academy 41, Cold Springs 22

Hank Harrison scored on a 5-yard run early in the second quarter, but Cold Springs closed its season with a loss to Tuscaloosa Academy.

A year after going 0-10, Cold Springs finished the 2022 season with a 4-6 record overall under first-year coach Brendan Voce. The Eagles went 1-5 in Class 2A, Region 5 games.

Tuscaloosa Academy (7-2, 5-1) responded to the Harrison score with four touchdowns before Cold Springs scored again. Matt Williams and Dylan Smith claimed touchdown runs of 3 and 25 yards, respectively, in the fourth quarter. Victor Laurentius and Smith handled the 2-point conversions.