LEXINGTON — Lexington scored two touchdowns late in the third quarter to break a halftime tie and pull away from region rival Hatton for a 21-7 win Friday night.

The Golden Bears (3-3, 2-2) had what coach Jason Lard called a flat start in the first half, during which they racked up more than 100 yards rushing but turned the ball over three times.

Late in the third quarter after a short Hatton punt, Lexington drove 48 yards in five plays, with the key play being a 43-yard scramble by quarterback Brandon Putman on third and 13. Running back Andrew Davis took it in from 9 yards out to give Lexington a 14-7 lead.

Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Lexington forced a Hatton fumble and scored in two plays, with the touchdown coming on a 34-yard touchdown run by Putman.

The defense took over from there and made the 14-point lead stand up.

“We talked at halftime about not shooting ourselves in the foot,” Lard said. “We moved the ball up and down the field in the first half, but had the turnovers. We wanted to come out in the second half, pound the ball and execute.”

Lexington opened the scoring on the first drive of the game, scoring on a 43-yard pass from Putman to Joshua McNutt. Hatton scored late in the half on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Dakota Bishop to Nicholas Farley.

“They are huge up front and run the ball well,” Lard said of Hatton (2-4, 2-2). “I give Coach (Randy) Ratliff a lot of credit for devising the defensive plan that held them to seven points.”

Tanner 69,

Colbert Heights 13

TANNER — Tanner left little doubt in the minds of Colbert Heights’ players and coaches about why the Rattlers are ranked as the state’s best 2A team.

Tanner scored 56 first-half points and the game’s first 69 points in slamming the Wildcats 69-13 to remain unbeaten on the season and in region 8 play (6-0, 4-0).

Tailback Hayden Stephens rushed for 150 yards on eight and scored four times. His scoring runs came on plays of 31, 27, 24 and 38 yards. Teammate Greg Machlin also provided a big hand. He caught a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback John Fletcher and also returned a fumble 25 yards for a score.

The impressive effort included holding Colbert Heights to a minus 15 rushing yards.

Tanner plays at Sheffield next week in what could be a Region 8 championship clinching game.

The Rattlers scored four times in the first quarter, with Stephens’ 31-yard run off right tackle capping the opening drive. After a short punt, Stephens scored on a 27-yard run, and then Machlin grabbed a 16-yard pass from Fletcher. Stevens later added a 24-yard scoring run.

Machlin’s 48-yard reception and 25-yard fumble recovery and fumble return pushed the lead to 42-0. Reserve runners Fred Rick scored from the 3 and Ronald Taylor had a 9-yard run for the 56-point halftime lead.

Stephens and Ty Mayberry (25 yards) had third-quarter scores for Tanner.

Colbert Heights got its two scores in the fourth quarter, a 1-yard sneak by Cole Claunch and a 29-yard pass from Claunch to Adam Hunter.

Phil Campbell 28,

Cherokee 21

CHEROKEE — Cory Potter intersected a Cherokee pass inside the Phil Campbell 20 yard-line with seconds left to play to hold off the Indians for the win.

Phil Campbell (2-4, 1-3) left most of the game until Cherokee tied the score at 21-21 in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Dakota Blystone.

Phil Campbell came back to go up 28-21 when quarterback Jacob Hamilton passed to David Sparks for 27 yards and the score.

Cherokee (2-4, 0-4) sustained two drives late in the game both ending deep inside Phil Campbell 20 yard line. One drive ended on downs while the last one ended when Potter incepted the pass.

Hamilton passed to Jamie Dorroh for 69 yards and the games first touchdown in the first half. Tristen Godsey added a 1-yard touchdown run, which was set up by a 43-yard Hamilton to Dorroh pass. Hamilton also added a 11-yard touchdown run.

Jeffrey Patrick scored two Cherokee touchdowns on runs of 57 and 20 yards.

Hamilton 56, Vinemont 49

VINEMONT — Mitch Stults and Jessie Box had a little fun Friday night in leading unbeaten Hamilton to a 56-49 win over Vinemont.

Stults rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown, passed for 236 yards and three touchdowns, returned a fumble for a 25-yard score and also had a 2-point conversion run.

Box had all three touchdown receptions on plays of 70, 13 and 41 yards. For the game, he had six catches for 169 yards. And he is also the defender who created the fumble that Stults scooped up and ran in.

Vinemont, despite trailing 56-35 with 7:37 remaining, never stopped applying the pressure against the ninth-ranked Aggies (6-0, 4-0). Ty Jones carried the Eagles with 256 rushing yards on 34 carries, an effort that included three scores.

Jones had scoring runs of 10 and 39 yards in the first quarter that were sandwiched between Hamilton touchdowns turned in by Quinton May’s 14 yard run and Box’s 70-yard catch.

May scored from the 3 with 10:29 left in the second quarter, but Vinemont blocked a punt for a

touchdown moments later. Box’s 13-yard and 41-yard catches put the Aggies back ahead 35-21, but Jones answered with a 50-yard run late in the half.

Stults’ 25-yard fumble return and a 51-yard run on a keeper around left end staked Hamilton to a 49-35 lead.

Garrett May got the Aggies last score on a 2-yard run at the 7:37 mark of the fourth quarter.

Vinemont returned a punt for a score and connected on a long touchdown pass in the final minute.