Wenonah Slips Past Briarwood Christian 20-14

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Wenonah Dragons handed Briarwood Christian its fifth consecutive loss of the season with a thrilling 20-14 victory in a Class 5A, Region 5 showdown Friday night at Lion’s Pride Stadium in North Shelby County.

Wenonah (3-1 overall, 1-1 in region) showcased a strong performance, highlighted by a touchdown pass from quarterback Neil Brown to wide receiver J’Sean Bailey and a defensive touchdown from cornerback Deionte Stevenson.

Brown completed 13-of-21 passes for 107 yards, throwing one touchdown but also conceding two interceptions. Bailey stood out with five receptions for 68 yards alongside five tackles and one interception on defense. Running back Makhi Fowler contributed with 12 carries for 86 yards.

Stevenson’s defensive prowess was on full display as he registered two tackles, forced and recovered a fumble, and broke up a Lions pass. Linebacker Tyler Moore also excelled with eight tackles, including two for a loss, and two sacks. Eldridge Shelton added five tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for a loss.

The game reached its climax when Wenonah returned a late Briarwood fumble for a touchdown, clinching the 20-14 win.

Briarwood Christian, now 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the region, hasn’t seen such a challenging start to the season since 1992.

The Dragons struck first with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jamar Lee, taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The score remained unchanged until the fourth quarter when Briarwood equalized with a 7-yard touchdown run by Brooks Allred. Wenonah reclaimed the lead with Brown’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Bailey.

Briarwood responded with a 6-yard interception return for a touchdown by Asa Harris, tying the game at 14-14. However, Wenonah’s Stevenson sealed the victory with a 59-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the final two minutes.

Briarwood quarterback Charles Dedmon completed 8-of-16 passes for 64 yards, adding one interception. Eli Thompson led the Lion rushing attack with 46 yards on nine carries, while Dane Whitehead caught three passes for a team-leading 35 yards.

Looking ahead, Wenonah will host Huffman on Friday, while Briarwood (0-5, 0-3) will welcome the Leeds Green Wave to Hwy 119.