By Erik Harris
CLAY — No. 2 Clay-Chalkville advanced to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Class 6A, Region 6 play by downing Woodlawn 42-8 at Cougar Stadium on Friday night.
The Cougars held the visitors scoreless offensively. Woodlawn’s Jarvis Armstrong put the Colonels on the board with an 80-yard scoop and score with 1:28 remaining in the game. Armoni Warren converted the two-point conversion to end the night.
[VIDEO: Game highlights and post-game interviews]
Clay-Chalkville completely controlled the game from start to finish. Woodlawn came up just shy of 100 yards of offense, moved the chains only six times and converted one of 10 third-down conversions.
“I hate these kinds of weeks to be honest with you,” said Clay-Chalkville head coach Jerry Hood.
Hood didn’t let his starters take many snaps in this one, but they looked crisp while they were out there.
Senior running back Terrelle West scored from 39 yards out on the second snap of the game. West didn’t wait long to make his next appearance in the end zone. He accepted an option pitch from junior quarterback Tyrell Pigrome and scampered nine yards to paydirt to make it 14-0 in the opening quarter.
Senior Art Smith then made his mark on the contest. Smith got to the end zone on the next two possessions, both short-yardage pushes between the tackles.
Smith finished with 61 yards on six carries and the three scores. West only saw three carries, but two of them were stopped by the end zone. He finished with 69 yards on the ground.
Junior wide receiver T.J. Simmons showed his diversity by snatching a 23-yard ball from Pigrome before rushing the final yard on a jet sweep on the next snap. His 1-yard rush put the Cougars up 35-0 at halftime.
Hood let his offensive backups take the huddle for the entire second half. Junior signal caller Darryien Wilson took the third and fourth quarter snaps. He completed one of his two attempts for 15 yards. Pigrome went 5-for-7 for 84 yards.
The Region 6 crown will be won next week at Gardendale’s Driver Stadium. Clay-Chalkville looks to secure its fourth straight region title, but to do so it will have to take it from the Rockets (5-3, 4-1).
“It’s for the region championship for us for sure if we win and then it goes to a three-way tie if they beat us,” Hood said. “It’s a big deal and if we can do that, that’ll be four straight for Clay.”
The Cougars will likely take the field next week as the top ranked team in Class 6A with Spanish Fort falling to Daphne on Friday night.