Linden falls in semifinals at Maplesville

November 27, 2015 Jeremy D. Smith

MAPLESVILLE — Linden kept it manageable through three quarters Friday night before Maplesville’s overpowering offensive and defensive lines made the difference in the fourth quarter. The Red Devils hung 27 points on the board in the game’s final period for a 50-19 win in the Class 1A semifinal round.

“They beat us on the line of scrimmage. You lose the line of scrimmage, nine times out of 10 you lose the game. They had a good plan,” Linden coach Andro Williams said. “The turns of the game early on kind of dictated itself. It came down to the line of scrimmage at the end of the day and they won the line of scrimmage and beat us up front on both sides of the ball.” The Red Devils held the Patriots to just 32 yards on 24 carries, forcing Linden almost exclusively into a passing game in the second half. Maplesville countered with 486 yards on 49 carries, allowing junior tailback Terence Dunlap to run wild to the tune of 285 yards on 26 rushes.

“I was very proud of our kids. They came out and executed what we wanted them to do,” Maplesville coach Brent Hubbert said. “Up front, the offensive line they made a statement the last three weeks and let’s hope they can continue it next week.”

Dunlap scored six touchdowns on the night, but none more pivotal than a third quarter run in which he scampered 62 yards on the only play of the drive after Linden’s own possession stalled at the Maplesville 38. The score put the Red Devils up 23-7.

In the fourth quarter, Dunlap wrote a similar tail, running 86 yards on the only play of the possession just seconds after Linden’s drive sputtered at the Maplesville 14. That run made it 37-13 in favor of the Red Devils.

Maplesville went on to add two more scores in the contest, besting an effort that saw Linden quarterback C.J. Robinson throw for 277 yards on the night. Linden’s inability to stop Maplesville also squandered a 113-yard receiving effort from tight end DeVonta Poole. Linden’s Dequan Charleston also turned in an impressive effort, recording 11 total tackles with an interception on defense while catching seven passes for 77 yards and scoring two touchdowns on offense.

Linden got its first touchdown on a 27-yard pass from Robinson to Charleston. The Patriots scored again on a bizarre play in which Robinson hit Poole for a 30-yard gain before the Red Devils stripped the ball out. The loose ball bounced into the end zone where Charleston dove on it for a touchdown. The final Linden touchdown came when Robinson hit Jaleel Jones for a 68-yard touchdown strike.

Kevin Greene had nine total tackles while James Jones had six tackles and an interception in Linden’s final game of the season.

Maplesville (12-1) advances to face Cedar Bluff (13-1) in the Class 1A state title game Thursday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Linden ends its season at 10-3.

SCORE BY QUARTER

LHS 7 0 6 6 19

MHS 14 2 7 27 50

SCORING SUMMARY

MHS – 1ST – 8:46 – TERENCE DUNLAP 1 RUN (JOHN SCHOENER KICK) 0-7

LHS – 1ST – 4:58 – DEQUAN CHARLESTON 27 PASS FROM C.J. ROBINSON (ISAIAH SCOTT KICK) – 7-7

MHS – 1ST – 9.8 – TERENCE DUNLAP 4 RUN (JOHN SCHOENER KICK) – 7-14

MHS – 2ND – 3:15 – SAFETY – 7-16

MHS – 3RD – 5:58 – TERENCE DUNLAP 62 RUN (JOHN SCHOENER KICK) – 7-23

LHS – 3RD – 2:33 – DEQUAN CHARLESTON FUMBLE RECOVERY (PASS FAIL) – 13-23

MHS – 4TH – 9:24 – TERENCE DUNLAP 9 RUN (JOHN SCHOENER KICK) – 13-30

MHS – 4TH – 8:18 – TERENCE DUNLAP 86 RUN (JOHN SCHOENER KICK) – 13-37