His initial description of the game was not overly positive, featuring the words “ugly” and “sloppy,” but Elkmont coach Chris Bunio quickly made sure to note positives as well.

His team surpassed 200 rushing yards Friday after struggling in that area and the team played with the toughness he likes to see.

And though it wasn’t as smooth as it appeared it might be early on, the payoff was a 24-19 win over Colbert Heights.

Elkmont (4-3, 2-2 in Class 3A, Region 8) led 22-0 and held on for a victory.

“Overall, they played tough and they played hard,” Bunio said of his players. “They didn’t give up or bow down at all. They played with heart and they played with passion. I’m just proud of us being able to finish (and) get out of an ugly, close game with a win.”

Lincoln Doner rushed for a pair of touchdowns and John Adam Doner Jr. threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Farris. Noah Holt also caught a 2-point conversion from John Adam Donner Jr., and Jake Guthrie added a conversion as well. The Red Devils also recorded a safety.

Elkmont snapped a three-game losing streak and will host Clements next week.

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Class 2A, Region 8

Tanner 20, Hatton 0

Skylar Townsend intercepted two passes to highlight another standout defensive effort and Tanner got a leg up in the region race with a win over previously unbeaten Hatton.

Ny’Quavius Green also intercepted a pass as Tanner (5-2, 4-0) continued capitalizing on turnovers. Hatton, meanwhile, fell to 5-1 and 2-1.

“I was very pleased with the defense,” Tanner coach Oscar Bonds said. “We’ve been chopping on defense all season.

“We play with speed. We let the big guys eat. We play a 3-3-5 stack and let the skill guys fly around and make plays.”

Quarterback Karl Parham had a touchdown run of about 60 yards and also threw approximately a 40-yard touchdown pass to Townsend. Kian Jackson added a touchdown run of about 15-20 yards for Tanner.

It was the first shutout win of the season for the Rattlers, who travel to Lexington next week.

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Non-Region Game

Clements 56, Marion County 21

Jayden Gilbert rushed 13 times for 334 yards and three scores and also threw a pair of touchdown passes as Clements dominated Marion County in a non-region game.

It continued a big season for the senior, who has rushed for approximately 1,700 yards to this point.

“He’s a leader and he does it through his performance,” Clements coach Michael Parker said. “ … Every Friday night he goes out and does what he’s supposed to do.”

Parker said Gilbert is tough to tackle, as evidenced by his averaging more than 20 yards per carry Friday.

“We can (occasionally) not block a play right and he still scores,” Parker said.

Dominic Holt ran for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass and Chris Rodgers ran for a score. Cole Doss caught Gilbert’s other touchdown pass. Parker also said Jacob Peoples had a big game defensively.

Clements (4-3) led 21-0 after one quarter and 42-14 at halftime, allowing some younger players a chance to play in the second half.

“Overall, a pretty good game for us,” Parker said.

Clements takes a three-game winning streak into its road game at Elkmont next week.

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Class 7A, Region 4

James Clemens 31, Sparkman 30

James Clemens rallied out of a pair of 10-point deficits in the first half and blocked a late extra point to earn a key region victory over Sparkman.

The Jets (5-2, 4-0) trailed 10-0 and 17-7 before scoring four consecutive touchdowns.

Sparkman (5-1, 3-1) responded with a pair of touchdowns to cut its deficit to 31-30, but the Jets blocked the PAT attempt following the latter touchdown.

The win puts James Clemens in sole possession of first place in the region. The Jets visit Austin next week.

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Class 4A, Region 7

West Limestone 27, Wilson 6

Reyli Martinez and Preston Moore each returned a fumble for a touchdown and West Limestone used a sharper second half to pull away from Wilson.

Easton Smith ran 20 times for 136 yards and both offensive touchdowns for West Limestone (5-2, 2-2).

“We just played really sloppy in the first half and played a lot better in the second half,” West Limestone coach Shelby Davis said. “They got their minds right (and) we just started executing.”

Now on a 3-game win streak, the Wildcats have three home games left to finish the regular season. The first is next week against No. 5 West Morgan.

“Defensively, we’re playing very good,” Davis said. “We’ve got to get some things fixed offensively and get in a rhythm.”

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Class 5A, Region 8

Fairview 35, Ardmore 2

The Tigers led 2-0 thanks to an early-second quarter safety, but Fairview responded with five unanswered touchdowns.

The Aggies (6-0, 3-0) led 21-2 at halftime.

Ardmore hosts West Point next week.