No. 1 Maplesville Pulls Away Late to Beat No. 2 Luverne, 35-20

Maplesville leaned on a punishing ground game and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to knock off Luverne 35-20 on Friday night at Glenn Daniel Stadium, settling a heavyweight clash between two of the state’s top-ranked teams.

The Class 1A No. 1 Panthers (3-2) traveled into hostile territory and outlasted the Class 2A No. 2 Tigers (5-1), who had opened the season with five straight wins. A game that stayed tight into the final quarter tilted decisively toward Maplesville down the stretch.

Panthers Strike First

Maplesville set the tone in the second quarter. Ty Bailey found Ethan Rencher for a 22-yard touchdown, and Draden Brown followed with a 13-yard scoring run to build a 14-0 lead.

Luverne answered before the break. Ja’Daveon McCreary connected with Elliott Harris on a 47-yard touchdown strike, trimming the deficit to 14-8 at halftime.

Tigers Rally in the Third

Luverne carried that momentum into the second half. Harris capped the surge with a 4-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, tying the game at 14.

The deadlock did not last. Nehemiah McCary broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run to put Maplesville back in front, 21-14. Luverne countered again when McCreary hit DaeVon Smith on a 22-yard scoring pass, drawing the Tigers within 21-20.

McCary, Bailey Seal It in the Fourth

The Panthers took control in the final quarter. McCary punched in a 2-yard touchdown run, and Bailey added a 3-yard scoring run to stretch the lead to 15 points and put the game out of reach.

Brennan Harrison was perfect on the night, connecting on all five extra-point attempts.

McCary powered the effort on both sides of the ball. He rushed 14 times for 127 yards and two scores while adding six solo tackles and three assists on defense.

Looking Ahead

Maplesville turns its attention to Calhoun next week as the Panthers look to build momentum. Luverne returns home to face Monroe County, aiming to bounce back from its first loss of the season.