If there were any questions about this year’s Maplesville football team, they were answered Friday—with an exclamation point.

Untested coming into a showdown with Class 1A No. 6 Pickens County—Maplesville had won all of its first six games by at least three touchdowns—the Red Devils cleared perhaps their biggest hurdle on their way to a second consecutive unbeaten regular season.

Host Maplesville won, 47-26.

There were lots of big plays and momentum swings in the first quarter.

Pickens struck on its first possession for a 70-yard touchdown pass, Maplesville answered 4 minutes later with a 1-yard Brintain Hill touchdown run, Pickens retook the lead on a 34-yard run, Maplesville went up 14-13 on a Colby Chambers quarterback sneak and the visitors concluded scoring in the frame with a screen pass that turned into a 59-yard touchdown play.

As if the first quarter had been two heavyweight boxers feeling each other out, Maplesville then landed a punch that staggered the Tornadoes.

The Devils 26 points in the second quarter, aided by special teams plays: a long Dustin Stephens punt return, a blocked punt by Cameron Morrow and a recovered kickoff by Cameron Andrews.

The plays resulted in two scoring runs by Morrow and one each by Hill and Chambers.

MHS delivered the knockout blow in the first possession of the second half. A 52-yard drive that ate up 4:32 off the clock and ended with a 2-yard Hill TD plunge broke Pickens’ will.

Hill carried the ball 21 times for 100 yards, and Morrow had 96 yards on nine carries.