SPRING GARDEN – Gaston spoiled homecoming here Friday night by dominating the ground game and outscoring the Panthers 28-7 in a Class 1A Region 7 contest.

The Bulldogs (2-2, 2-1) took charge early in a game that featured two ground-based offenses, outpacing Spring Garden 275 yards to 245 yards rushing. Jackson Bogle led the Bulldogs with 92 yards on eight carries. He had a 58-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that put the Bulldogs in the lead for good.

Braxton Collins began the scoring for Gaston on a 15-yard run with just over 9 minutes left in the first quarter. Spring Garden (1-3, 1-2) answered on the final play of the quarter when workhorse tailback Forrest Livingston bounded in from the 3 to tie the game at 7-7.

Livingston carried 29 times for 158 yards for the Panthers and was intercepted on the Panthers' lone pass attempt of the night. Spring Garden will visit Donoho Friday night. Gaston will host Notasulga.

Cedar Bluff wins
BY RYLIE JOHNSON — Friday night’s cat fight between the Tigers wasn’t much of one, as Cedar Bluff trampled Valley Head 53-6.

Less than two minutes into the game, Cedar Bluff quarterback Levi Mintz connected on a 45-yard touchdown pass to Rihied Harris. Before the end of the first, Mintz connected on his second touchdown pass of the night for 73 yards to DeAngelo Hardy. The second quarter was highlighted by hammering runs from Henderson and Dallas Plummer.

By halftime, Cedar Bluff had lit up the scoreboard with 33 points, including a 15-yard run by Robert Henderson.

The second half was dominated by the Cedar Bluff defense. After Cedar Bluff recovered a fumble, Henderson scored on a 24-yard run with 6:31 left in the third. Cedar Bluff’s defense did not allow a first down until late in the second half.

Jonathan McWhorter’s team scored the final touchdown of the night on an 8-yard pass from Dalton Cosby to Alex Hairston; the score was set up by a series of runs by Hayden Hackett. Curtis Abernathy and Rihied Harris split PAT duties throughout the night.

With 1:57 left in the game, Valley Head finally got on the board as a result of a 65-yard touchdown pass.

Mintz was 8 of 14 for 193 yards and two touchdowns, and added two more on the ground. Cedar Bluff’s leading rusher was Henderson who gained 154 yards on 15 carries, with two touchdowns. Leading receivers were Hardy with two catches for 86 yards, and Harris who caught two for 58 yards.

Cedar Bluff (2-2, 2-0) will host Douglas for homecoming Friday night.

Warriors top Butler
HUNTSVILLE — The Warriors traveled north Friday night and came home with a 48-15 win over Class 4A Region 7 foe Butler. But they came home without one of their top defenders.

Sophomore Tre Reese tore his ACL in the game and will miss the rest of the 2011 season.

Ty Green rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Tanner Young completed 8 of 14 passes for 132 yards to lead Cherokee County (3-1, 2-1). The Warriors travel to Cleburne County Friday night in the second of four consecutive road games.

Piedmont goes to 4-0
FIELD OF CHAMPIONS — Steve Smith’s No. 1-ranked Piedmont Bulldogs shut out another opponent Friday night, defeating visiting J.B. Pennington 45-0. The goose egg on the scoreboard marked the 16th consecutive quarter the Bulldog defense has held an opponent’s running attack out of the end zone.

Quarterback Cade Bradley started things off for the Bulldogs (4-0, 4-0) on a 34-yard run. Bradley passed 20 yards to Sloan Garner a few minutes later for the second score of the night.

Landon Pruitt’s punt return extended to lead to 21-0. The Bulldogs added two more scores before halftime to extend the lead to 35-0. Darnell Jackson closed out the scoring on a 68-yard run in the fourth.

Piedmont travels to Glencoe Friday night.