Auburn High gets first 10-0 regular season

To view a photo slideshow of this game, click http://www.gulfeast.com/index.php/OAN_Slideshows/comments_hsfootball/october_31_2008_auburn_vs_booker_t_washington/“ title=“here”>here.

Perfection.

It’s something Auburn High can lay claim to in 2008.

The fourth-ranked Tigers finished off its unblemished regular season Friday night by beating Class 5A Booker T. Washington on senior night and homecoming, 35-22, in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score showed.

Auburn (10-0) capped its first unbeaten regular season since 1952, when the team went 8-0-1.

“I’m so proud of our kids,” Auburn head coach Tim Carter said. “With all the people we lost the year before, the way this group has responded and the seniors stepped up has been very fulfilling as a coach.”

The Tigers’ easy win Friday came without the services of several key players and served as a tuneup for next Friday’s first round of the Class 6A playoffs, when Auburn will host Sidney Lanier.

“Sidney Lanier’s a very talented team,” Carter said. “We’ve got some kids we rested and hopefully they’ll be back 100 percent and ready to go.

“If you’re in the playoffs you’ve got a good team, so we’re going to have to be ready to play.”

Even without starting quarterback Calvin Jenkins and running back Latrell Jenkins, Auburn had no problem moving the ball.

The Tigers scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and led 28-0 at the half. The score swelled to 35-0 by the end of the third, when Carter began emptying his bench.

BTW kept its starting offense in and was able to score three times in the fourth against Auburn’s reserves.

Augustus Brooks, who had a huge night last week in a win over Opelika, led Auburn on the ground with 90 yards and two touchdowns.

Jake Schueller was also solid in place of Calvin Jenkins. The senior completed 5-of-8 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Auburn went up, 7-0, on its first possession with an eight-play drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from Andre Crowell.

On the first play of Auburn’s next possession from its own 19, Schueller threw a pass that was picked off by BTW’s Jaquavius Cox at the Eagles’ 45. However, Tony Holland ripped the ball away from Cox and ran to the 24.

Brooks scored two plays later to put Auburn up, 14-0.

Schueller put the Tigers up, 21-0, with a 32-yard pass to Akin McQueen on the first play of the second quarter and McQueen followed by taking a slip screen 55 yards for the 28-0 lead.

After Auburn went up 35-0, BTW pieced a drive together for a touchdown and got a 2-point conversion.

The Golden Eagles then had a 90-yard touchdown pass from Arthadrick Sparks to Roosevelt Smith and a 63-yard, double-pass touchdown to Cox on consecutive offensive plays.

While Auburn moves on to the playoffs, BTW’s season ended with a 2-8 mark under first-year head coach A.J. Nelson.

“We worked out the kinks and I think we’ll be a much better team next year,” Nelson said. “We had a lot of growing pains, but we’ve got a chance to be much better next year.”

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