The Selma Times-Journal

On a chilly night in Camden, Stuart McGraw, Drew Bozeman and Jason Ray combined for more than 436 yards rushing in Wilcox Academy’s 49-26 victory over South Choctaw. Bozeman finished with 109 yards and two scores on 10 carries. Ray finished with 186 yards on eight carries and three touchdowns and then McGraw ran the ball 21 times for 186 yards.

Wilcox relinquished the lead one time during the course of the game. With 1:54 left in the first quarter trailing 8-6, the South Choctaw Rebels scored on a long pass and then added the two-point conversion, giving them at 14-8 lead.

Their lead turned out to be of the short-lived variety. Will Albritton took the en suing kickoff 81 yards to the house, tying the score at 14-14 and then 15-14 with the point after.

From there, the Wildcats began to give lessons in running a misdirection offense. McGraw and Bozeman moved the ball down the field, deep inside the Rebel 10-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Zach Kennedy plunged headlong into the pile and across the goal line for the touchdown, pushing the score to 21-14, 22-14 with the point after.

After stopping the charging Rebel offense, Ray took the handoff from Alexander 77-yards around right end for the touchdown, pushing the score to 29-14 with the extra point.

The Wildcats pushed the lead further ahead in the third quarter. Bozeman broke free on a 28-yard scamper through the middle of the defense on a misdirection play. With the point after, the lead swelled to 36-14.

Wilcox got the ball with 4:44 on the clock. Ray took the handoff from Alexander and it was dj vu for the Rebel defense. The junior wingback carried the football 57-yards around right end for the touchdown, pushing the score to 43-14 with the point after.

The Rebels battled back with a pair of scores, cutting the lead to 43-26 with 11:10 left in the game. Bozeman put the game on ice with a 20-yard run through the defense and into the end zone, making the score 49-26 after a botched point after snap. That turned out to be the final as the Wildcats were able to run down the clock. The Wildcats will be back in action Friday night playing host to the Edgewood Academy Wildcats to end the season.

The Wildcats join Pickens and Tuscaloosa in a three-way tiebreaker.