Football Recap: Appalachian Takes Down Shoals Christian in a Playoff Battle + How To Watch

It's playoff time, and Appalachian had no trouble coming through when it counted. They blew past the Shoals Christian Flame, posting a 74-6 win. The Eagles' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Appalachian's win on Friday was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Colton Caldwell, who rushed for 67 yards and two scores, and also threw for 188 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 80% of his passes. Pierson Massey also helped out as he racked up 127 receiving yards.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Appalachian proved: they limited Shoals Christian to a paltry 1.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Aiden Price for the heroic effort on defense: he. Appalachian didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.2.

Appalachian's defense also made the game a nightmare for Gus Strickland, racking up 11 sacks. Asher Brown led the group effort, picking up three of those sacks all by himself.

P.J. Higginbotham and Knox Benson certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. Higginbotham rushed for 103 yards on only 11 carries, while Benson picked up 78 receiving yards and one touchdown. That receiving touchdown was Benson's first of the season.

Eagles

Previous Games

11/07/25 vs Shoals Christian	74-6
10/24/25 @ Valley Head	49-28
10/17/25 vs Woodville	62-7
10/10/25 @ Ragland	34-19
10/03/25 vs Spring Garden	20-8
+ 6 more games

The victory keeps Appalachian at an undefeated 11-0. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.9 points on average this season. As for Shoals Christian, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-7.

Looking ahead, Appalachian will take on Marion County at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Eagles will need to watch out since the Red Raiders have now posted at least 31 points in their last three games. Shoals Christian does not have any more games scheduled as of now.