FROM STAFF REPORTS

Briarwood Christian School senior kicker Wilson Whorton played a pivotal role for the Alabama squad in its 24-17 win in double overtime Dec. 11 over neighbor Mississippi in the 24th edition of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.

Whorton nailed a 22-yard field goal in the first overtime to keep Alabama alive for a second overtime. Whorton added the extra point following a 10-yard touchdown run by Ameer Abdullah of Homewood in the second overtime to seal the Alabama victory.

Whorton, who has been playing with a stress fracture in his lower back, made 1-of-2 point-after attempts after his kick following an Alabama touchdown in the first quarter was blocked.

The Alabama squad, which won its 17th game in the 24-game series, was coached by Briarwood coach Fred Yancey. Yancey credited his assistant coaches for drawing up the game-winning play in the second overtime.

“I give credit to Coach (Chris) Fancher of Gardendale for the play,” said Yancey. “We put Abdullah in the backfield in the middle and with two on each side. We snapped it directly to Abdullah. He has such great speed and we thought this would be a great play to run in an overtime period if we needed it. Stephen (Rivers) did a good job carrying out the fake as if he got the ball. Our line did a terrific job blocking and Ameer did what we thought he would do. He got it into the end zone.”