MONTGOMERY – Pike Road High School senior defensive back/wide receiver Jordan Holmes started his senior season with a bang Thursday night leading the Patriots to a 21-14 win over Prattville in the 19^th AHSAA Kickoff Classic football battle at Cramton Bowl.
    Holmes made three interceptions on defense and caught nine passes on offense for 141 yards and one TD – a 30-yard strike with 1:16 remaining to give the Patriots of Coach Granger Shook the win.
    Quarterback Gunner Gibbs was 20-of-30 passing for 197 yards with a 40-yard pass to Omari Smith, who had six catches for 61 yards. Elias Holtsclaw added three catches for 23 yards – with a TD reception for 26 yards.
     Prattville (0-1), coached by Bobby Carr, struggled early but battled back thanks to the outstanding play of its special teams. Punter Paxton Genola had five punts for a 48.6-yard average with his first kick traveling 68 yards.
    Quarterback J.J. Williams was 12-of-21, passing for 157 yards with a 19-yard TD pass to Elias Holtsclaw. He also rushed for a 3-yard score – finishing the game with 54 yards rushing on 34 carries.
   The 2025 Kickoff Classic continues Friday night at Cramton Bowl with Fyffe and Maplesville battling in the annual series’ small-school game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
    Thursday’s game was a battle from the first play.
    Prattville’s Donavon Brown took the opening kick at the 15 and was slammed down in his tracks at the 14 by Pike Road’s Kenneth Hooks to open the AHSAA Kickoff Classic battle at Cramton Bowl and opened the 2025 football season.
    That tackle set the pace for the Patriots early on. However, on fourth down, Genola drilled his 68-yard punt all the way to the Pike Road 16-yard line.
    The Patriots defense delivered the game’s biggest play with 5:20 in the opening period when captain and starting defensive back Holmes intercepted a Williams pass at the 50-yard line and raced untouched to the end zone to five Pike Road a 6-0 lead. The extra point was true to make it 7-0.
   Pike Road added to its lead midway through the second quarter on a xx-yard pass from quarterback Gibbs to receiver Holtsclaw. The extra-point kick gave the Patriots a 14-0 lead with 8 minutes left in the half.
    Prattville’s Williams sparked the Lions late in the second quarter with two keepers for first downs to the Patriots 25-yard line.  However, the Patriots’ defense stepped up and forced the Lions to settle for a 42-yard field try which sailed wide with 38 seconds left in the quarter.
   The special teams kicking game continued to come up big for the Lions to start the third quarter. Kavion Tyus slipped through the middle to block Pike Road’s first punt of the second half and Letwan Hall recovered the ball at the Patriots’ 19-yard line. On the next play, Prattville’s Williams scrambled to his right and fired a strike to receiver Brayden Graham, who made a diving catch in the end zone. The extra point at 10:32 closed the gap to 14-7. Graham finished with four catches for 54 yards on the night.
   On the next series, Prattville’s Graham snagged a punt at his own 6-yard line and sped 35 yards on the return to the Lions’ 41.  The Patriots’ defense, however, Holmes making his second pick of the night deep in his own territory– and sped all the way inside the Prattville 20. The return was nullified, however, with a holding penalty, which moved the ball all the way back to the Pike Road 22.
   The Lions partially blocked Pike Road’s next punt and took over the ball at Patriots’ 41-yard line. 
   Prattville threatened again early in the fourth quarter thanks to Williams’ scrambling pass to Brown to the Patriots’ 16-yard line. Facing a third and 11, Williams scrambled up the middle for eight yards to the 3-yard line and a first down. On the next play, Williams faked a handoff up the middle and sped around the left side for the TD. Genola’s extra point tied the game at 14-14 with 7:54 remaining.
    Prattville’s defense got the ball back with 5:42 left at the Pike Road 38. The Patriots’ defense rose up, however, with Outlaw sacking Williams for a 13-yard loss on third down. On fourth down, Genoa scooped up a low snap and booted a punt to the 23-yard line to avert disaster.
    Pike Road got the ball with 3:30 left and moved to midfield but faced a crucial third-and-11 situation with 2:31 left. Gibbs then connected with his favorite target Holmes for 23 yards for a first down at the Lions’ 30-yard line. Holmes then produced the game-winning catch with 1:16 remaining by hauling in Gibbs’ pass at the 15 and then streaking to the other side of the field and finally reaching the end zone for the game-winning TD to give Pike Road the victory 21-14.
   The victory didn’t come automatically, however. Prattville moved  the ball down the field on its final possession – thanks in part to the pass catching of Deshawn Hall. He had three key catches on the final drive – all spectacular grabs. He finished the game with five receptions for 86 yards.
    With time for one last play and on the Patriots’ 14-yard line, a Lions snap got past the backfield all the way back to the 32-yard line and time ran out in the process. 
    Pike Road finished with 260 total yards on 58 plays. Prattville had 250 yards on 57 plays. Both teams had 16 first downs.
   Defensively, Eric Townsend had 10 tackles for the Lions, Darrell Washington and Ricardo Parker had seven each. Rufus Boone had 12 stops, Outlaw had 11 and Miles Khatri had 10 for Pike Road.