Leroy Claws Past Coosa Christian to Repeat as Class 1A State Champs
By Josh Bean | For the AHSAA
TUSCALOOSA – Leroy High School used an old-school approach to take home a new AHSAA State Championship Blue Map.
After Coosa Christian’s Grant Morgan blocked a Leroy punt and teammate Kylen Johnson recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to tie the game at 21-21 with 6:26 left in the final quarter, Leroy needed to regroup and quickly develop plan for a game-winning drive. It wasn’t complicated.
The Bears (14-0) drove 61 yards in eight plays – all runs – and Class 1A state finals MVP Ja’Kavien Collins’ 1-yard run with 2:01 to play pushed Leroy to 28-21 victory over Coosa Christian in the 2023 Super 7 Class 1A championship game Thursday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Leroy repeated as the Class 1A champ. The win extended Leroy’s current winning streak to 20 in a row heading into next season.
“All five O-lineman looked at me and said, ‘Let’s run the football,’” said Leroy interim coach Chan Lowe, who led the Bears to the last 10 wins of the season.
Senior quarterback Brayden Huebner carried 21 yards on the first play, as he and Collins carried the ball on all six snaps. Huebner nearly battled his way into the end zone on a 6-yard run before being stopped inside the 1, and Collins scored on the next play.
“They wanted to run the ball,” Huebner said, referring to his offensive linemen. “We kept chipping away and getting first downs. We punched it in.”
The victory punctuated a unique journey for the Bears. Veteran head coach Jason Massey led the Bears through preseason practice and the first month of the season before being deployed for active duty as part of his National Guard unit. That thrust Lowe into the interim role, although he and Massey talked constantly throughout the season on the phone. Lowe said he face-timed with Massey on the field just after the game ended. “All the credit goes to Coach Massey because he built a culture here,” Lowe said, “and our kids thrive in this culture.”
Coosa Christian (9-6), coached by Mark O’Bryant, fell one win shy of winning its first AHSAA state football title. Leroy has won seven titles, all since 2004.
Leroy joined Mobile Christian as state champions Thursday, as the Leopards won the Class 3A title in the first game of the day’s tripleheader. The 5A championship game is set for Thursday night, and title games in Classes 4A, 2A and 6A are scheduled for Friday.
Coosa Christian took advantage of two early Leroy turnovers, an interception and a fumble, to build a 14-0 lead. Kanon Wilson scored on runs of 1 and 38 yards.
After Wilson’s 1-yard plunge made it 14-0, Leroy’s Taylor Crumedy returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards to the Conquerors’ 1 yard-line. Collins scored on a 1-yard run to make it 14-7 and, after Leroy forced a quick three-and-out, the Bears drove 75 yards in nine plays and scored on Crumedy’s 2-yard run.
The teams took the 14-all score into halftime and played a scoreless third quarter before Huebner threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to JaQuan Scott in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Leroy had its first lead 21-14.
The blocked punt tied it at 21-all, although officials initially ruled it a safety before a video review changed the call to a Coosa Christian touchdown. That changed the strategy for the game’s final minutes.
If the safety had stood, Coosa Christian would have trailed by 5, but would have gotten the ball after a free kick and may have been able to control the clock. Instead, Leroy ground out the game’s decisive drive.
“We wanted a safety,” O’Bryant said. “We would have been down five and gotten ball at the 40 or near the 50 with five minutes or seven minutes to go, whatever it was. I liked our chances. I wish they hadn’t reviewed it, to be honest with you.”
Collins led Leroy with 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. He replaced starter Malik Howell, who logged three carries but had to leave the game with an ankle injury. Huebner ran 17 times for 79 yards and completed 10-of-20 passes for 117 yards. Scott led the defense with 10 tackles and a strip sack.
For Coosa Christian, Wilson had 18 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Clete O’Bryant, the coach’s son, led the defense with 14 tackles. John David Justus was 8-of-15 passing for 51 yards.
SUPER 7 STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Dec. 6-7-8
THURSDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
CLASS 3A FINALS
Mobile Christian (15-0) 55, Madison Academy (14-1) 28
CLASS 1A FINALS
Leroy (14-0) 28, Coosa Christian (9-6) 21
CLASS 5A FINALS
Gulf Shores (14-0) vs. Ramsay (12-2), Thurs.,, Dec. 7, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
CLASS 4A FINALS
Montgomery Catholic (14-0) vs. Cherokee County (13-1), Fri., Dec. 8, 11 a.m.
CLASS 2A FINALS
Fyffe (13-1) vs. Reeltown (13-0), Fri., Dec. 8, 3 p.m.
CLASS 6A FINALS
Saraland (14-0) vs. Clay-Chalkville (13-0), Fri., Dec. 8, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
CLASS 7A FINALS
Central-Phenix City (13-0) 21, Thompson (11-2) 19
GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS 1A/5A FINALS
Wenonah (17-0) 18, Montgomery Catholic (17-4) 12 (OT)
CLASS 6A/7A FINALS
Central-Phenix City (18-0) 25, Vestavia Hills (17-1) 0
