The Hartselle Tigers won the last time they faced the Decatur Red Raiders, and things went their way on Friday too. Hartselle pulled ahead with a 20-19 photo finish over Decatur. Given Hartselle's advantage in MaxPreps' Alabama football rankings (they are ranked 31st, while Decatur is ranked 146th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Leading Hartselle to victory were Markus Tapscott and Ri Fletcher. Tapscott picked up 65 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Fletcher rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown. Fletcher is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last three games he's played. Lincoln Bryant and his 92 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Hartselle's win.
The win makes it two in a row for Hartselle and bumps their season record up to 7-2. It's not like the team was facing easy opposition over that stretch either, as it included 7-2 Athens (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 55.6% over those games). As for Decatur, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 3-6.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Hartselle will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Bob Jones at 7:00 p.m. on November 3rd. That game will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Tyren Washington and Fletcher. As for Decatur, they will head out on the road to face off against Buckhorn at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
