Top 5A team knocks out Hartselle
Nance and Jackson accounted for a touchdown apiece in the first quarter. Then Levi Fell had a blocked punt and returned it 1-yard for a touchdown. That was Fell’s seventh blocked kick of the season.
A questionable pass interference penalty led to the Trojans’ final TD of the half. Jackson stayed with a tipped pass and caught a 33-yard touchdown from quarterback Ryan Ware, giving Muscle Shoals a 28-0 lead.
Hartselle didn’t give up. Senior Blake Slayton had a 61-yard touchdown run on third-and-14 with less than a minute before halftime. Jack Waterman added the extra point to make the halftime score 28-7.
The Trojans took control of the game again on a Nance 40-yard touchdown run.
Hartselle answered with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Deacon Aldridge to Sidney Steele. Waterman’s extra point made it 35-14.