MAPLESVILLE – Maplesville played like the top-ranked team in the state’s 1A classification on Friday, demolishing Notasulga, 73-6, in the first round of the playoffs.

Senior Hunter McCay ran back the opening kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown, and the Red Devils (11-0) never looked back.

McCay added touchdown runs of 10 yards, 7 yards, 35 yards and 2 yards as host Maplesville took a 52-6 into the locker room at halftime.

Also scoring for MHS in the first half was senior Edwin Pettiway, on a 37-yard run, and sophomore Anthony Johnson, on a 45-yard pass from senior quarterback Matt Hamner.

Johnson was covered by two Notasulga defenders on the play—and one of them tipped the pass—but Johnson caught it in the end zone anyway.

Then, on the first play of the second quarter, senior Dylan Wallace intercepted and ran back an attempted screen pass as Notasulga’s quarterback was being pressured and threw the football simply in an attempt to get rid of if before he was sacked.

The Devils pressuring the quarterback—and other Notasulga ball handlers—was a theme. They finished with 18 tackles for a loss.

Partly because of all those negative plays, Maplesville’s defense held the visitors to minus-30 yards rushing and 16 yards passing.

But there was a highlight for Notasulga (5-6) in the first half. Senior Kareen Sullen returned a Maplesville kickoff to inside the hosts’ 10-yard line. On fourth down and goal to go, sophomore quarterback Cedarius Alexander, with Red Devils in his face, managed to get a pass off to junior Rakeem Scott, who made the catch while falling down in the end zone.

The second half was more Maplesville, even with most of their reserves in the game.

Backup quarterback Colby Chambers, a freshman, threw touchdown passes to senior Darrell Goodwin and to sophomore Kelvin Hall.

Sophomore Brintain Hill concluded the scoring with a 3-yard TD run.