Sweet Water romps into third round

ALICEVILLE – Sweet Water’s Deion Watters pounded the Aliceville Yellow Jacket defense for 250 first half yards Friday night as the Bulldogs overpowered the Yellow Jackets 54-7 in Class 2A second-round playoff action.

The Sweet Water victory sets up a home game against Lamar County next Friday with a spot in the state semi-finals on the line.

Hard running Deion Watters scores one of Sweet Water’s 8 TD’s in Friday ‘s 54-7 win over Aliceville.

Watters stole the spotlight from Aliceville’s heralded Jeremy McMullen Friday night. Coming off a five-touchdown, 327-yard performance against Elba last week, it looked Friday night as though McMullen would pick up where he left off. The 255-pound sophomore led the Yellow Jackets down the field and to a quick 7-0 lead a mere four minutes into the game. Ironically, it was McMullen’s hands and not his legs that provided the score, as he hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Aliceville quarterback Christopher Crowell.

The scoring drive provided the wake-up call Sweet Water needed, as the Bulldogs quickly countered with a 70-yard drive that ended with a nine-yard Watters run. Taylor Wilson’s extra point tied the score, and the Bulldogs took the lead for good a few minutes later after a failed Aliceville fake punt at midfield led to a Watters’ three-yard plunge.

Sweet Water added to the lead early in the second period on a 14-yard touchdown run by Jakoby Aldridge, and Aliceville answered with a promising drive to the SWHS 10 that ended with an interception by Bulldog linebacker Tra Pritchett.

“That interception was a big play,” said Sweet Water head coach Stacy Luker. “(Aliceville) could have made it 21-14 at that point.”

With Pritchett’s pick turning momentum back in Sweet Water’s direction, the ‘Dawgs marched 90 yards to put the game out of reach for all practical purposes. Key plays in the drive were a 57-yard Aldridge run to the Aliceville 34, and Watter’s 17-yard TD run.

Sweet Water posted two more scores in the first half, a 34-yard Jarvis Lewis scamper and a six-yard Watter’s run with three seconds left before the break.

“They came out a punched us in the mouth on that first drive,” Luker said, “but I was proud of the way we responded the rest of the half. Our kids played with a great effort. We still had too many penalties, but otherwise I was pleased with the effort.”

In the third, Sweet Water stretched the lead to 48-7 on a one-yard Demarcus Gamble touchdown, and added a fourth quarter score on Desmond Retic’s one-yard plunge.

All of Watter’s 250 yards rushing came in the first half. Aldridge added 107 yards on nine carries. Ninety-two of those yards came in the first half in which Sweet Water rolled up 408 yards of total offense.

The Bulldog defense held McMullen to 58 first-half yards and 73 yards rushing on the night.

Luker said he has not had a chance to scout Lamar County, a 41-19 winner over G.W. Long Friday night. “I don’t know a lot about them, but I do know it will be good to be back home,” he said.