Chilton County’s first win of the season—an 18-13 decision over Selma on homecoming—didn’t come easy.

Why would it? The Tigers had been oh-so-close to victory several times already this season, so it was only fitting that they would make fans nervous again.

Suffocating on defense and relying on a methodical rushing attack on offense, CCHS appeared to wrap up the game when Michael Seaton’s 7-yard touchdown run with 2:24 remaining in the game made the score 18-7.

But a lateral to Roderick Brewer on the ensuing kickoff allowed Selma to start a drive on Chilton’s 12-yard line, and quarterback Darion Alexander bulled across the goal line moments later to get his team back in the game.

Seaton recovered Selma’s onside kick, and the Tigers (1-5 overall, 1-3 region) were able to run out the clock.

Seaton rushed 23 times for 100 yards and caught four passes from Chance Britnell for 30 yards.

He would share Most Valuable Player honors with Richard Hilliard, who rushed 13 times for 83 yards and also recorded 16 tackles on defense.

Hilliard also scored Chilton’s first two touchdowns.

The first came after Selma took a 7-0 lead with 3:09 remaining in the first quarter on a 84-yard pass from Alexander to Alton Summers. Alexander found Summers running open across the middle of the field, and then the senior snaked his way all the way down the field.

CCHS put its first points on the board with 2:41 left until halftime, on a 5-yard Hilliard run.

Hilliard added another score, this one on a 10-yard run on a 4th-and-1 play just about 1 minute later.

“We drove the ball a lot better tonight,” first-year CCHS coach Donnie Hand said. “The offensive line had a heck of a game.”

Britnell kept the defense honest by completing six passes in 11 attempts for 71 yards.

Austin Rossi recorded nine tackles and a sack, and Keandre Binion had seven tackles and an interception.