Top Ranked Saraland Downs Chelsea 42-3 to Advance to Round Two

SARALAND, AL – The Saraland Spartans, ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, knocked off the Chelsea Hornets with a decisive 42-3 first round playoff victory on Thursday night in South Alabama.

The Region 1 champion Spartans improve to 11-0 and extended their state leading home-winning streak to 31 games.

Standout signal caller K.J. Lacey made an immediate impact by connecting with C.D. Gill for a stunning 78-yard touchdown pass on the game’s first play, putting coach Jeff Kelly’s team ahead early.

After forcing Chelsea into a three-and-out, Saraland executed a 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by an 8-yard pass from Lacey to Santae McWilliams.

Capitalizing on a loose ball recovery during the subsequent kickoff, Lacey once again found Gill for another touchdown.

Chelsea managed to gain some momentum before halftime by successfully converting a fake punt, culminating in a 24-yard field goal by Luke Miller, bringing the score to 21-3 at halftime.

Click here to check out the full Thursday night Alabama high school football scoreboard.  

After the break, the Spartans maintained their dominance with scoring drives highlighted by a 55-yard pass from Lacey to Deshawn Spencer, and touchdown runs of 29 and 3 yards by McWilliams.

Spartans quarterback and University of Texas commit K.J. Lacey had an outstanding performance, completing 12-of-24 passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns. Spencer contributed significantly with 132 yards on five receptions, while Gill secured four catches for 128 yards and a pair of scores. McWilliams added 88 rushing yards on 12 carries.

The season comes to a close a 6-5 for head coach Todd Cassidy’s Hornets.  

The 2023 Class 6A state runner-up Spartans advance to the second round, where they will face the winner of Friday night’s matchup between the McAdory Yellow Jackets and Wetumpka Indians.