High School Football: Denney Faith notches 350th career win as Albany suffocates Miles
ALBANY — Chip Chambers threw three touchdown passes, including a 44-yarder to Adam Hill, and Hill ran for three more as No. 1 Albany blasted Miles 41-0 in the District 6-2A Division II opener Friday at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium.
It was Albany coach Denney Faith’s 350th career victory, all with the Lions, and it was a dominating effort on the defensive side of the ball.
The Lions (6-0 overall, 1-0 district) shut out a Bulldogs team averaging 53.2 points a game, picked off three passes and held Miles to 120 total yards. Albany had 467 total yards on offense, including 272 rushing.
Miles (4-2, 0-1) had scored 66 points or more in three games, but the Bulldogs didn’t even cross midfield until the second half against the defending state champions, who came into the game allowing 13.8 points a game.
It’s the first time the Bulldogs have been shutout since a 69-0 loss to Christoval in the district finale in 2021, while Albany posted three shutouts last year — the last a 67-0 decision over TLCA-Abilene.
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Lion-sized success
Albany beat Miles 49-18 last year in Miles and hasn’t lost since — reeling off 16 consecutive victories, including a 41-21 decision over Mart in the Class 2A D-II state title game last season in Arlington.
It was the Lions’ third state title and first since winning back-to-back titles (1961-62). The Lions also played in five other title games (2015, 2014, 2009, 1991, 1955).
Albany has won 15 consecutive district games and three straight league titles. The Lions’ last district loss was in the 2019 regular-season finale, a 66-20 decision at Hamlin. The Pied Pipers were undefeated in district that year and reached the state title game.
Hamlin’s win snapped a streak of 56 consecutive district wins. Roscoe beat the Lions 35-27 in the 2007 regular-season finale in Albany.
Albany has won 71 of its last 72 district games.
How it happened
It was the defense that set up the game’s first score. Wyatt Windham returned an interception 28 yards to the Miles’ 32. Chambers cashed it in with a 16-yard TD pass to Branson Beal with 4:38 left in the opening quarter.
Chambers came back to throw a 44-yard TD pass to Hill with 1:06 remaining in the first quarter, and Hill ran 9 yards for a TD 7:05 before halftime.
It stayed a 20-point game until Hill’s 4-yard TD run one play after he ran 63 yards on the first play from scrimmage to start the second half.
Hill added a 9-yard TD run, and Chambers threw a 63-yard TD pass to Cason Fairchild, all in the third quarter, for the game’s final scores.
Friday’s stars
ADAM HILL, ALBANY
The senior running back ran for 184 yards and three TDs on 17 carries, and he also had one catch for a 44-yard TD.
CASON FAIRCHILD, ALBANY
The senior receiver had two catches for 73 yards, including a 63-yarder for a TD, and one carry for 11 yards. He also had an interception on defense.
COOPER ELLISON, MILES
The junior receiver had four catches for 69 yards.
They said it
Albany coach Denney Faith on the Lions’ defense: “Oh, yeah, our defense has been playing great all year long. We play so fast, and our coaches do a great job of preparation and getting people in the right spot. We had a couple of turnovers tonight (that) was big … That team scores a lot of points and are very good offensively. If we can shut a team down like this, we feel pretty good about our chances of playing some extra football.”
Miles coach Jayson Wilhelm: “They’re a machine. They’re not the defending champs for no reason. They’re good, they’re big, they’re fast, and they’re aggressive. I think some of that aggressiveness they show really bothered us a little bit offensively. They beat us up really well.”
Miles kept Albany from scoring on three stops in the red zone in first half and also made a pick in the half. Yet the offense managed only two first downs and didn’t cross midfield in the half.
“That’s four stops we had the first half, and against a team like that it’s not easy to do,” Wilhelm said. “But we didn’t capitalize on it. We couldn’t keep the clock running. We couldn’t move the chains. As much defense as we played to hold them to 20 in the first half, I can’t be too terribly upset with that. When we have the ball, we’ve got to do better.”
DISTRICT 6-2A DIVISION II
Albany 41, Miles 0
Miles … 0 … 0 … 0 … 0 – 0
Albany … 13 … 7 … 21 … 0 – 41
FIRST QUARTER
ALB – Branson Beal 16 pass from Chip Chambers (Zane Waggoner kick), 4:38
ALB – Adam Hill 44 pass from Chambers (kick failed), 1:06
SECOND QUARTER
ALB – Hill 9 run (Waggoner kick), 7:05
THIRD QUARTER
ALB – Hill 4 run (Waggoner kick), 11:08
ALB – Hill 9 run (Waggoner kick), 4:14
ALB – Cason Fairchild 63 pass from Chambers (Waggoner kick), 1:25
TEAM STATISTICS
……………… MIL … ALB
First downs … 7 … 19
Rushes-Yards … 25-38 … 32-272
Passing … 82 … 195
Comp-Att-Int …… 9-28-3 … 7-19-2
Punts …… 7-28.5 … 1-45
Fumbles-Lost … 1-0 … 0-0
Penalties-Yards … 4-32 … 2-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Miles, Hayven Book 6-30, Tevin Meade 8-13, Devin Medina 7-11; Albany, Adam Hill 17-184, Jaxson Hoel 6-39, Branson Beal 3-37, Cason Fairchild 1-11, Tyler Chapman 2-9.
PASSING: Miles, Book 9-28-3—82; Albany, Chip Chambers 7-19-2—195.
RECEIVING: Miles, Cason Fairchild 2-73, Branson Beal 2-54, Hill 1-44, Wyatt Windham 1-17, Calhan Fairchild 1-7; Albany, Cooper Ellison 4-69, Manuel Torres 3-5, Meade 1-8, Medina 1-0.
INTERCEPTIONS: Miles, Jaylen Torres, Book; Albany, Windham, Cason Fairchild, Calhan Fairchild.
RECORDS: Miles 4-2, 0-1; Albany 6-0, 1-0.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: No. 1 Class 2A Albany shuts out Miles in district football opener
