Billingsley coach Tyson McLean said the Bears won a competitive region game at Thorsby last week because they made just a few more plays.

Most of those plays were courtesy of running back Jimmie Lanier, who has established himself as one of the area’s best runners and is The Clanton Advertiser’s Football Player of the Week.

Lanier rushed for 288 yards on 17 carries, including a 67-yard scoring dash on the first play from scrimmage.

But Thorsby wouldn’t go down quietly.

“Every time that I thought we were getting control of the game, they would make a big play,” Billingsley coach Tyson McLean said.

The Bears responded with big plays of their own—including, perhaps surprisingly, contributions from the passing game.

Quarterbacks Devion Hardy and Preston Wallace combined to complete 11 passes for about 140 yards, taking some of the pressure off Lanier and the running game.

But the junior still carried the load—as he is likely to in every game this season.

“We think that if we give him the ball enough times, eventually he can break free,” McLean said.

Honorable mention

•Colby Chambers, Maplesville

•Marquez Deramus, Verbena

•Dyquan Floyd, Chilton Co.

•Kevin King, Jemison

•Braden McRae, Thorsby

•Ryan Powell, Chilton Christian

•Tyler Smith, Isabella

Previous winners

•Week 1: Javae Swindle, Jemison

•Week 2: Damian Mitchell, Maplesville

•Week 3: DeRodgus Campbell, Isabella