ACA Erases Halftime Deficit in 42-14 Win Over TA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— American Christian Academy stormed back from an eight-point halftime deficit, scoring 36 unanswered points in the second half of its 42-14 win over Tuscaloosa Academy on Thursday.

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ACA opened the game with a score on the opening drive as junior running back Kaden May broke free for a 68-yard touchdown, putting the Patriots up 6-0 with 11:44 remaining after the extra point was missed.

Tuscaloosa Academy’s offense responded after a roughing-the-kicker call on fourth and 15, which set the Knights up with a new set of chains at their own 41-yard line. TA chewed five minutes off the clock as the drive ended with a four-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Mark Norris to senior wide receiver Mason Corder; after the PAT, the Knights led 7-6 with 4:35 left in the opening quarter.

Tuscaloosa Academy’s defense went on to play lights out for the rest of the first half, allowing only four first downs and coming away with two takeaways.

Norris added another touchdown before halftime, making a terrific throw off his back foot with defenders in his face to connect with senior wide receiver Hinton Howell for a 15-yard score. The touchdown gave TA a 14-6 lead with 8:25 remaining in the half.

ACA’s offense found some success at the end of the half as they drove the ball all the way down inside of the Knights’ 25-yard line. Junior cornerback Zyccheus Jones intercepted the ball in the end zone, ending the Patriots’ hope of a score before the half and sending the game to halftime with the Knights leading 14-6.

In the second half, the Patriots’ offense came alive as sophomore quarterback Sam Taylor connected with senior wide receiver Logan Morris for a 60-yard reception, setting ACA up with a first down inside Tuscaloosa Academy’s 20-yard line. Brandon Garth Jr. finished off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run before Taylor found Garth at the pylon for a two-yard completion on the two-point conversion, tying the game at 14 with 5:29 left in the third quarter.

Tuscaloosa Academy’s offense struggled after halftime as the Patriots shut out the Knights over the final two quarters.

American Christian’s defense got its first takeaway on the ensuing possession when sophomore defensive back Cain Scarborough intercepted Norris. Scarborough finished with two interceptions.

On ACA’s very next play, Taylor connected with junior wide receiver Travis Atkins for 50 yards, setting the Patriots up inside the Knights’ 15-yard line. A few plays later, Garth punched it in from three yards out for his second rushing touchdown, giving ACA a 21-14 lead with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter.

The Patriots scored again before the end of the third quarter when Taylor found a wide-open Morris for a 50-yard touchdown, giving the senior wide receiver 100 receiving yards in just the third quarter and ACA a 28-14 lead going into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, American Christian continued to dominate. Garth Jr. scored his third rushing touchdown of the night on a 15-yard run before May added his second score on a 50-yard rush, extending ACA’s lead to 42-14 with 2:45 remaining.

American Christian improved to 5-0 as they return to action next Friday, Oct. 2, when they travel to Montgomery to take on Evangel Christian Academy.

Tuscaloosa Academy fell to 4-1 as they look to get back to their winning ways next Friday when they travel to Anniston to face Donoho.

Micah Nichols covers Alabama baseball, football, and basketball for Tide 100.9. Follow @MicahNichols0 on X for in-game updates, highlights, and more Crimson Tide content.