No. 2 Saraland Blanks Murphy 55-0, Securing Coach Jeff Kelly’s 200th Career Victory

SARALAND, AL – Saraland delivered a commanding performance Thursday night, defeating Murphy 55-0 in a Class 6A, Region 1 matchup at Spartan Stadium. The victory marked a significant milestone, earning head coach Jeff Kelly his 200th career win.

Spartans signalcaller Jamison Roberts was flawless, completing all eight of his pass attempts for 133 yards and five touchdowns in the first half alone. Sye Byrd was a primary target, catching two touchdown passes of 3 and 9 yards. Roberts also connected with Leslie Nobles for a 3-yard score, Deshawn Spencer for a 35-yard touchdown, and Eric Scott for a 38-yard score.

Saraland’s offense was unstoppable, scoring on eight of its nine possessions. The ground game also contributed, with Larry Edwards punching in a 6-yard touchdown run and Ian Franklin adding a 3-yard score. Backup quarterback Roman Woods joined the action, throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Brady Cole.

With this win, Saraland improves its perfect record to 8-0 on the season and 7-0 in the region. The Spartans are now positioned to clinch the region title with a victory over Theodore next week.

The game proved to be a difficult one for Murphy, who remains winless at 0-9 overall and 0-7 in the region. The Panthers’ offense struggled significantly, finishing with negative total yardage and suffering six sacks.

Saraland established dominance early, jumping to a 27-0 lead in the first quarter. Following a quick touchdown pass to Byrd, Saraland recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, leading to another Roberts-to-Byrd score. A partially blocked punt and an interception by Derick Durgan set up two more first-quarter touchdowns, putting the game out of reach.

Looking ahead, Saraland will host Theodore (5-2, 5-0) next Friday night in a crucial region matchup. Murphy will take the week off before wrapping up their 2025 campaign with a road trip to Gulf Shores (3-4, 2-3) on October 31st.