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By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal
The Lowndes Academy Rebels advanced to the second round of the AISA (Alabama Independent School Association) Class A state football playoffs Friday night with a historic 36-8 win over the Patrician Academy Saints on the road in Butler, Ala.
Lowndes will face Chambers Academy on the road next Friday in round two of the playoffs, and tickets will go on sale Monday.
A happy Lowndes Academy head football coach Bob Taylor said not only did the team advance in the playoffs, but the win over Patrician in football was the first in the history of the school.
He said, “It was a good win. We had a great game plan. The kids executed to the top.” Taylor also said, “It was just a great job by our coaches, our players, even the cheerleaders… I couldn’t be more proud of them than I am right now.”
He said Jon Johnson and Brandon Reid “just did a great job.” He also said the line did a great job. “We were able to throw it when we wanted to and run it when we wanted to,” Taylor said.
The Rebels amassed a whopping 476 yards of total offense to 146 yards total offense for the Saints on the way to a dominating win.
Lowndes had 192 yards through the air and 284 yards on the ground. The Saints were held to 76 yards passing and 70 yards rushing.
For the Rebels Johnson completed 16 of 22 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. He also carried the ball 14 times for 27 yards and a touchdown.
Reid had 30 carries for 259 yards and a touchdown.
Mason McCurdy caught four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown; Brian Rayburn caught five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown; John Taylor caught three passes for 22 yards and a 2-point conversion; and Ford Rosser caught two passes for 17 yards, a touchdown and a 2-point conversion.
Taylor kicked two points after touchdown. And Rayburn passed for two 2-point conversions.
Defensively for the Rebels, Reid had six tackles, one assist and a tackle for loss; Johnson had five tackles and one assist; Daniel Callaway had five tackles, one assist, a sack and two tackles for loss; McCurdy had three tackles, six assists, a sack and a tackle for loss; and Jimbo Wheeler had three tackles, three assists, a sack and a tackle for loss.
The Rebels opened the contest with a surprise onside kick, which they recovered. The series of plays that followed led to a 45-yard touchdown strike from Johnson to McCurdy and a 2-point conversion pass from Rayburn to Taylor to lead 8-0 at the 11:02 mark of the first quarter.
The Rebels next scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Rosser and 2-point conversion from Rayburn to Rosser to take a 16-0 lead at the 5:14 mark of the second quarter.
The Saints got on the board on a 6-yard run and 2-point conversion to make it a 16-8 Lowndes lead with 1:39 left in the half.
The Rebels would increase their lead 23-8 on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Rayburn and Taylor point after kick at the 6:49 mark of the third quarter.
The Rebels would next stun the Saints on a 68-yard touchdown run by Reid to put Lowndes up 29-8 at the 2:05 mark of the third quarter.
Lowndes Academy would drive the final nail in the Saints’ coffin on a 1-yard touchdown run by Johnson and Taylor kick at the 10-08 mark of the fourth quarter.
The Rebels advance to face Chambers Academy on the road. But Taylor said Friday night, “It doesn’t matter right now. We’re just glad we are 1-0 (in the playoffs) and moving on.”