James Clemens start fast in road rout of Austin
DECATUR – James Clemens and Austin have split regional games the past two seasons with five points total deciding the issue.
With this year’s realignment, the pair are no longer in the same region, but the Jets brought the smoke anyway.
James Clemens surged ahead early and left the River City with a 45-24 win in a Class 6A season opener for both squads.
“We were able to get a lot of explosive plays,’’ Jets head coach Juan Johnson said.
James Clemens and Austin, which entered the season ranked No. 8, split eight region battles from 2018-25. The Jets won 33-31 in Decatur last season, while in 2024 the Black Bears claimed a 31-28 road decision in Madison. Both games were decided by field goals in the waning seconds.
James Clemens would have none of that to open 2026, bolting to a 12-0 first-quarter lead that swelled to 26-3 at halftime and they cruised from there for an impressive win to a win that raised eyebrows in North Alabama.
MJ Gideon was the offensive workhorse for the Jets, rushing for what Johnson estimated was around 150 yards rushing and 100 receiving. Gideon scored five touchdowns, four rushing and one receiving.
James Clemens quarterback Matthew Evers had three touchdown passes.
For Austin, Aidan Davis and Xayden Bishop had one rushing touchdown apiece and Quaylen Hampton returned a kickoff 91 yards for a TD.
Gideon scored his first TD on a 62-yard touchdown pass at the 11:08 mark of the first quarter. On the next possession, Evers threw an 11-yard TD pass to cap a 60-yard drive to make it 12-0.
In the second quarter, the Jets went ahead 26-0 behind TD runs of 11 and 1 yards by Gideon, and Austin got on the board just before halftime with a 36-yard field goal by Oscar DelGado.
In more non-region action this week, James Clemens hits the road again to play Parker in Birmingham, while Sparkman will host Austin.
Parker won the Class 6A state championship in 2024 and went 8-4 last season. The Thundering Herd had a highly successful five-year run heading into the season, compiling a 52-14 record in that period with a 12-4 playoff mark.
