ADDISON – For the last two weeks, the Addison Bulldogs have met the challenge, facing ranked opponents in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) football playoffs.
They have earned the opportunity to play in the semifinals after posting an entertaining and hard fought 30-20 victory Friday evening against the Hubbertville Lions in the 1A quarterfinal round.
Hubbertville was 10th in the state 1A rankings, coming in with 10 victories vs. one loss and ready to try to put the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs out of championship contention.
But Addison was ready, utilizing big plays on offense and defense throughout the evening. The Bulldogs had to deal with a thunderous crowd of Hubbertville fans, who filled their side of the stadium, loaded with cowbells, milk bottles and the high-energy enthusiasm that makes this time of the high school football season so special.
Addison’s last two opponents, Hubbertville and Spring Garden, featured talented running backs, disciplined teams and were 10th- and sixth-ranked in the state poll.
Addison forced Hubbertville into three turnovers that led to a field goal right before halftime and a game clinching touchdown with less than 90 seconds remaining.
That comes a week after the Bulldogs forced Spring Garden to lose the ball, leading to a fumble return by Gage Gilliland to the end zone and an interception by Ben Robinson stopped a potential Spring Garden score in the fourth quarter when the game was up for grabs.
Noah Rice was not ready to leave the football field. The senior who operates David Smothers' Bulldogs offense, once again, showed effectiveness with 107 yards rushing and two huge TD runs of 52 and 32 yards during the second quarter to get Addison on the scoreboard and try to take away Hubbertville's quest to control the game at the line of scrimmage.
Rice intercepted two passes, had a touchdown-saving tackle following his only interception he threw and displayed leadership that has been a trademark for him in 2016.
When the Bulldogs needed big plays from a big man, they turned to Zeb Maze. The fullback roughed up the Hubbertville defense for 60 yards on seven carries in the final stanza and had 78 yards for the night on 11 carries.
His final run was the one that slammed the door shut on Hubbertville's season. On third-and-inches from the Lions' 11, Maze got the first down and never stopped running. He ended it in the end zone and the Bulldogs had the Lions down 30-20, a position from which they could not recover.
Addison got its first ever victory over Hubbertville. The two played each other for the first time since 1949. Now the next assignment for the Bulldogs is an opportunity they want to cash in on.
The Bulldogs will go to the town of Reform on the day after Thanksgiving and battle Pickens County. Addison is 0-4 all-time vs. the Tornadoes, losing to them at home last year in the regular season opener at A.G. Hicks Stadium 35-0.
Pickens County is 10-3, but the three defeats the Tornadoes have suffered have been against larger classifications. The Tornadoes fell to Oakman 63-18 and Aliceville 52-12 on Sept. 16 and 23.
They ended the regular season losing to Gordo 62-12 Oct. 27. Aliceville and Gordo are in the semifinals in Class 2A and 3A, playing in the South Region. Oakman was knocked out of the playoffs Friday by a 34-12 loss at home to Mobile Christian in Class 3A.
The Tornadoes ran roughshod over Decatur Heritage 48-12 in Friday's quarterfinal at West Morgan Stadium. Pickens County led 29-0 into the second quarter and never let up on preventing the Christian academy program in the River City from making a second straight trip to the semis in just their seventh year playing football in the AHSAA.
Two of the four losses by the Bulldogs to Pickens County have taken place in the postseason. Addison fell 27-14 in 2001 and was eliminated by a 38-22 score in 2013.
The last time the Bulldogs visited G.S. Spurill Stadium was in the opener of the 2014 season. Pickens County pulled out a 26-24 decision.
This is the deepest run by the Bulldogs since their state championship quest in 2005.
In the semifinals that year, the Bulldogs clobbered Wadley on the road 46-7, beating the Tigers for the first time ever. Wadley had knocked off Addison 34-20 in the second round the year before.
Smothers and his staff will spend much time studying the game film of the two previous meetings with Pickens County and analyze what the Tornadoes did in round three to set up a challenge with a trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium on the campus of Auburn University awaiting the winner.
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