By Erik Harris
Trussville Tribune writers Erik Harris, Chris Yow and Kyle Parmley will be awarding Players of the Week in each high school football matchup of the 2015 season. Players or position groups will be awarded based on more than just statistics. The awarded player(s) will also be evaluated based on the timeliness of their performance. Tribune Players of the Week will be announced weekly on Tribune Sports Live.
Spanish Fort 31, Clay-Chalkville 28
Brandon Berry (1) with Clay-Chalkville teammates T.J. Simmons (13), A.J. Walker (5) and Ty Pigrome (8) prior to the Class 6A Super 7 championship game in Tuscaloosa. Photo by Ron Burkett
Clay-Chalkville running back Brandon Berry took an all-gas, no-brakes attitude into the Class 6A state championship game, and despite a 31-28 loss to Spanish Fort, the senior delivered on a statement he made days before the Super 7 contest.
“Last senior game. What do I have to lose,” tweeted Berry on Dec. 1. “Just play all out and go hard every play!”
With the ball or without it, Berry stayed true to his Twitter post on Friday night in Tuscaloosa. He finished the game with a team-high 129 all-purpose yards, 75 of which came on four kickoff returns.
He got the ball in his hands late in the contest and like a man with nothing to lose, Berry bulldozed his way into the end zone to pull Clay-Chalkville to within three with 3:12 remaining. That 22-yard touchdown reception from Ty Pigrome was the final touch of his prep career.
Without the ball, Berry contributed to an earlier Cougar explosion. His shattering block on a Spanish Fort defender paved the way for T.J. Simmons’ 52-yard catch and run in the second quarter. That long touchdown converted a 3rd-and-29 and got the Cougars back into a 14-0 ballgame. It wasn’t possible without Berry, who is awarded by Erik Harris.
Erik Harris is the Sports Editor for the Trussville Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @jeharris2 or email him at jmseharris2@gmail.com.
