Smiths Station falls to Auburn, fails to earn playoff berth
SMITHS STATION, Ala. -- The door was open, but the Smiths Station Panthers were not able to walk through it, as they lost a must-win game to the Auburn Tigers, 31-7.
Smiths Station entered the game needing to win and get help from R.E. Lee, which was playing Prattville. Lee won 48-28, but the Panthers couldn't do what they needed to do.
"They made plays and we weren't able to get off the field," Smiths Station coach Jason Dukes said. "We couldn't get going offensively."
At the same time, Dukes praised the effort by the Tigers (5-4, 4-2 Class 7A Region 2). "They're a really good football team, and they're in the playoffs for a reason," he said.
The Tigers were paced by Jocobi Smith's 88 yards on 13 carries, and timely passing and Bradley Northcutt's timely passing, as he went 10-for-15 for 147 yards.
The Panthers (6-4, 2-4) struck first, with Dalton Sinquefield finding Tyson Toliver open over the middle for a 9-yard touchdown. The Harrison Jones PAT put Smiths Station up, 7-0, late in the first quarter, but they would not score again.
Auburn responded quickly, with the running of Jacobi Smith taking them down the field and into the end zone on a 7-yard run. The PAT by Sage Ledbetter tied the score at 7-7.
Smiths Station was able to field Ledbetter's onside kick, but Stevie Pringle fumbled the ball, so Auburn recovered it at its own 48.
A 10-yard Garrett Morris run capped the short drive, and Auburn took a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
Hayden Williams of Auburn intercepted a Sinquefield pass to snuff the following Smiths Station drive. Smiths Station was able to keep the Tigers out of the end zone, and Ledbetter missed a 45-yard field goal with about a minute left in the half.
Smiths Station was not able to get a first down, and successive Auburn timeouts caused a Panthers punt, which the Tigers were able to fair catch at their own 49.
According to high school rules, a team that makes a fair catch on a punt can attempt an immediate free kick, and the Tigers did just that.
With the advantage of a free kick (and impressive leg strength), Ledbetter was able to kick a 61-yard field goal, giving Auburn a 17-7 lead heading into the half.
Auburn was able to take the second-half kickoff and mount an impressive drive, mainly on the ground.
Octavius Whitfield finished it off with a 1-yard run, putting the Tigers up, 24-7, with 7:04 left in the third quarter.
A 28-yard pass from Sinquefield to Austin Taylor brought the Panthers to the Auburn 39-yard line, but the drive stalled after a sack, and Auburn took over with 3:05 to go in the third quarter.
The Tigers pretty much ended Smiths Station's playoff hopes after another impressive drive ended with a 16-yard pass from Northcutt to Noah Barnes, putting Auburn up, 31-7.
Smiths Station could not put together any drives after that, and Auburn brought in its second string.
The game ended with a fourth-down sack of Sinquefield with the Panthers at the Auburn 5-yard line but unable to score.
Sinquefield finished 25-of-35 passing for 165 yards and an interception.
K.J. Johnson rushed for 84 yards on 12 carries.
Friday at Panther Stadium
Auburn 0 17 7 7--31
Smiths 7 0 0 0--7
First Quarter
SS--Tyson Toliver 9 pass from Dalton Sinquefield (Harrison Jones kick), 1:33
Second Quarter
A--Jacobi Smith 7 run (Sage Ledbetter kick), 11:55
A--Garrett Morris 10 run (Ledbetter kick), 8:54
A--Ledbetter 61 free kick FG, 0:04
Third Quarter
A--Octavius Whitfield 1 run (Ledbetter kick), 7:04
Fourth Quarter
A--Noah Barnes 16 pass from Northcutt (Ledbetter kick), 10:01
Team records: Auburn 5-4, 4-2 Class 7A Region 2. Smiths Station 6-4, 2-4. Next: Smiths Station, season over.
This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 11:51 PM with the headline "Smiths Station falls to Auburn, fails to earn playoff berth ."