By BRANDON SUMRALL | For the Reporter

CLANTON – The Chilton County Tigers home opener for the season scheduled for Friday night was interrupted by the Shikeem Laister show as the Tigers’ senior quarterback put up 242 yards and 5 touchdowns in the first half alone as Chilton County picked up their first win of the season 40-33 over the Shelby County Wildcats.

The Tigers went to work early as Chilton found pay dirt with its opening drive thanks to a 48-yard run by Jakobi Albert that set up a 2-yard scoring touchdown by Laister that put the Tigers up early 7-0.

Shelby County answered on their ensuing possession with a 68-yard scoring drive that was capped on a 21-yard touchdown carry by Ericsson Goodman that tied the game at 7-7.

Chilton made it two possessions and two touchdowns on its ensuing possession as Brody Smitherman capped off a 69-yard scoring drive that gave the Tigers a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter.

A three-and-out by the Chilton defense was followed three plays later by Laister breaking his first long touchdown run of the evening on a 77-yard scamper that made it 19-7 still early in the second quarter.

Another defensive stand by the Tigers set up the Chilton offense at its own 23, where one play later, Laister gashed the Wildcats’ defense once again for 77 yards as the Chilton senior took another one to the house to put the Tigers up 27-7 midway through the second.

The Wildcats’ ensuing possession started at their own 35-yard line where Shelby County started a 15-play scoring drive that ended on a 1-yard touchdown run by Raheem Montgomery to make it a 27-13 ball game.

Chilton was not ready to call off the dogs as the Tigers punched in two more prior to the half as Laister foud pay dirt twice more on scoring runs of 32 and 23 yards to give Chilton a 40-13 halftime lead.

The Wildcats, however, still had plenty of fight left in them and scored first in the second half when cornerback Isaac Montgomery would picked off Sam Smith and took it 23 yards for a Shelby County touchdown that made it a 40-20 Chilton County lead.

A scoreless possession by the Tigers paved the way to another scoring possession by Shelby County as quarterback Chase Holliman connected with Montgomery for a 78-yard touchdown completion that cut the deficit to 40-26 early in the fourth.

A late fourth quarter touchdown drew the Wildcats to within eight, but it would be the Tigers that held on for a 40-33 victory.

Laister would finish the evening with 272 yards on the ground with 5 rushing touchdowns along with 28 yards through the air.

Holliman lead the Shelby County passing attack with 159 yards through the air with one touchdown on 6 completions and 12 attempts.