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Briarwood faced Fairhope in their final game of the season. (For the reporter/Dawn Harrison)

By LAUREN SEXTON | Sports Reporter

NORTH SHELBY – The Briarwood Lions finished their season at home on Friday, Oct 28. The Lions took on the Fairhope Pirates, who are No. 8 in the 7A classification, during their senior night send-off. The Lions fell short with a score of 44-22.

The Lions had a rocky start in the first quarter of the game that bled into the second quarter. Fairhope’s offense was tough on Briarwood’s defense throughout the majority of the first half. The Pirates managed to lead the Lions 23-0 with less than a minute left before halftime.

Briarwood was able to get the points on the scoreboard before halftime was called. With 52 seconds remaining before the half, the Lions had their first successful drive of the evening and scored a touchdown.

The Lions entered the half trailing behind Fairhope 23-7.

There was a clear change in Briarwood’s momentum when they returned to the second half of the game. The Pirates did not make the game easy on the Lions as Fairhope was the first to add a touchdown on the scoreboard during the second half of the game.

Not too long before the end of the third quarter, Briarwood’s Christopher Vizzinia ran two yards for a touchdown, and the Lions had a successful two-point conversion. 

Shortly after Briarwood’s first touchdown during the second half, Fairhope added another seven points to the scoreboard.

Briarwood had one more touchdown in the third quarter, and the last one of the season when Vizzina passed to Walker Gray in the Pirates’ end zone.

Fairhope closed out the fourth and final quarter with one final touchdown with less than eight minutes remaining of the game.

Briarwood lost to the Pirates 44-22.

“It’s been a challenge,” Briarwood head coach Mathew Forester said about Briarwood’s season. “I’m incredibly proud of the senior group and how they lead. We’ll learn from it and improve as a program. It’s not about one team, it’s about a program. I’m proud of this team, I’m proud of the senior class, they’ll continue to improve. Throughout the years, we’ll continue to get better, but at the same time, we’re grateful for what the senior class has done and meant to the program.”

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