The Tigers had an incredible night at Duck Samford Stadium for their final home game of the regular season. The stands were filled with shades of pink for the annual "pink out" game supporting breast cancer awareness. During Pregame, accomplished senior football players, managers, athletic trainers, cheerleaders, and band members were honored for their years of dedication. Escorted by their parents, it was a proud night for students and families. Throughout the game, "The Duck" was absolutely electric. It is safe to say it was a big night for Auburn High, and the team gave the home crowd what they were looking for.
The Tigers came off a rough game at home against the top-ranked Central Red Devils. The 41-20 loss moved Auburn to 6-2 on the season heading into this week. The loss allowed Enterprise and Dothan to tie with Auburn for #2 in the region. Rankings come into play very soon when determining playoff hosts and opponents. The dominant performance by the Red Devils was that of the number-one team in the state, putting up impressive yardage and crucial plays when it mattered. Central Wide receiver and Texas A&M commit Cam Coleman may have singlehandedly secured the Red Devil victory, earning a stunning 294 yards and 4 touchdowns. As playoffs quickly approach, the Tigers will likely begin preparing for another fight with Central following the 1st round of playoffs. One thing is certain, the Tigers must find a way to stop Cam Coleman if they wish to survive post-season.
Friday night, the Prattville Lions headed to the plains to take on the Auburn Tigers in a 7a region match-up. The Lions came into the game with a less-than-impressive 3-5 overall record and a 2-5 region record. With losses to low-ranked Percy Jullian and Foley, the odds were not in the Lion's favor. Over the past two years, Prattville has put up notable fights against the Tigers. This time, we saw a much different Lions team. The game ended in a blowout, with Prattville going home scoreless. In addition, it was one of the largest margins the Tigers had won by the entire season, right next to their 48-7 victory against Percy Jullian. Auburn proved dominant from start to finish.
Maybe one of the most notable occurrences Friday night was the return of injured quarterback Jackson Kilgore. Kilgore had an incredible return, sharing snaps with teammate Henry Allen. After a tough two weeks of region play, under the leadership of the Auburn quarterback duo, the Tigers hugely redeemed themselves. Kilgore scored on just the 3rd play of the game with a downfield pass to Reciever Cody Palmer, and that was only the start of an electric night for the quarterback. The running backs ran the show Friday night, with Tyler Flakes and Omar Mabson both running for over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns each. Prattville found themselves in the rezone late in the fourth, but the Tigers held the Lions on all four downs to earn the shutout victory. Kicker Townes McGough, who earned his Under-Armor All-American jersey before the game, finished the night with 11 points, adding to the impressive victory Friday night. This team looked nothing short of unstoppable against the Lions, ending the battle 48-0.
If Friday proved anything, it solidified the fact that the Auburn offense is ready to be dangerous again. The return of Kilgore brought plenty of speculation. Was he really going to be what pushed the offense into post-season play? If you asked me before the game, my response would have been no. Allen had kept the offense alive through the post-season, I didn't believe the emergence of number 11 would get the offense moving any differently. After witnessing a stellar return performance from Kilgore firsthand, I am now a true believer. The offense functioned in a way we have not witnessed in months. Kilgore is undoubtedly a weapon that will shock teams in post-season play. Furthermore, the use of both Kilgore and Allen has the opportunity to make the Tigers a difficult offense to prepare for heading into playoffs. Throughout this season, there was this overarching feeling that Auburn High Football was just on the brink of their very best. With a now healthy offense, it's safe to say, this team is ready to prove they are contenders.
Auburn will travel to Smiths Station to take on the Panthers in another 7A region match-up. The Panthers come into the game with a 1-8 record as the Tigers hope to produce similar success on the road following their 63-0 win last year. This Panthers team is no different than previous years. The Tigers can expect a smooth finish to the regular season. Come out and support your Tigers in Smiths Station. Don't forget to purchase your ticket and participate in the dress-up theme.
