TUSCALOOSA – Madison Academy completed an amazing season Thursday in the AHSAA Class 3A Super 7 State Championship game played at the University of Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Mustangs finished as the state’s runner-up after being beat by 3A powerhouse Mobile Christian 55-28.

Madison Academy (14-1), which was trying to win its first state title since winning three in a row from 2012-14, didn’t make it easy for the Mobile Christian Leopards.

The Leopards built an early 14-0 lead, but the Mustangs’ Ken Cherry responded with a 19-yard TD run and a 75-yard touchdown catch to tie the game at 14-all with 2:04 to go before halftime. Mobile Christian’s Michael Moore returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards and was knocked out of bounds inside the MA 10, and Jordan Woullard’s 2-yard TD run with 1:04 to go before halftime made it 21-14.

The second half played out much the same way. Mobile Christian scored two quick touchdowns. The Mustangs responded again, with Reece Jackson making a 1-handed catch on an 18-yard TD from Jake Poldiak and Cherry scoring on his 14-yard run to make it 35-28 with 10:40 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Leopards again got a strong kickoff return, which led to a TD pass just 30 seconds later.

“Give Mobile Christian credit for making those plays,” Madison Academy coach Bob Godsey said. “Every time we got back in it, we couldn’t get the play to get over the top.”

The Leopards added a 63-yard touchdown run with 7:44 to go, and a 36-yard TD run with 2:04 to go ended the scoring.

Cherry led Madison Academy with 24 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns and added five catches for 122 yards and a score. Poldiak finished 20-of-39 passing for 342 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Jackson caught six passes for 69 yards.

Madison Academy rolled up 514 yards of total offense on 80 plays. Mobile Christian ran only 48 offensive plays but finished with 468 yards as both teams combined for 982 total yards.

Check out the Dec. 13 issue of The Madison Record, online and in newsstands for complete coverage of the championship game.