By Brandon Sumrall
The Clanton Advertiser

BILLINGSLEY — Passing the midway point of the 2013 football season, the Billingsley Bears and the Keith Bears found themselves in the middle of the pack in Class 1A, Region 3 with both teams in need of a region win if they hoped to keep pace in the playoff hunt.

Behind a shutdown performance from the Billingsley defense, the Bears (4-2 overall, 2-2 region) picked up the win over the Keith Bears (3-3, 2-2) on Friday night, 18-0.

With the Billingsley defense forcing a Keith three-and-out, the Billingsley offense hit pay dirt on their opening drive on a Terrance Nolen 24-yard touchdown run to put Billingsley up 6-0 midway through the first quarter.

With their defense continuing to plague the Keith offense, Billingsley would strike once more late in the second quarter on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Thomas Nichols to Denzel Callens to give Billingsley a 12-0 halftime lead.

Both teams struggled to find the end zone in the second half, but Nolen’s second touchdown of the game, from 4-yards out, brought the score to 18-0.

Walton Young led the way for Keith with six carries and 57 yards.

Keith head coach Harry Crum said his team played “OK” defensively, but just could not develop anything on offense. And, he said, they have put themselves in a tough position to make the playoffs.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Crum said. “We are still mathematically in it, but we have to put the work in and go back to the drawing board.”