FOLEY - The high school football regular season is nearing its end, and that means that teams across the county are jockeying for playoff positioning ahead of November.

That was certainly the case Friday night in Foley, as the Lions are set for the postseason but hoped to pick up a pivotal win to bolster their positioning in the 6A bracket.

Standing in Foley’s way was a surging Mary Montgomery squad that was riding a four-game winning streak and fresh off an upset win over Daphne coming into this matchup.

With the Lions looking to defend home turf in their regular-season finale, the Vikings managed to spoil Senior Night festivities by jumping out to an early lead and holding off a rally for a 24-13 victory.

“This is still the team that’s been dominating this region for four years,” Foley head coach Bryan Moore said of Mary Montgomery. “They have really good players, but we missed two touchdowns early, which would have made it 14-12 at half. So I’m proud of the resilience with us being a little short-handed [star WR Jaxson Dixon did not play], and for our kids to fight like this speaks volumes about where our program is.”

The visitors set the tone on their opening drive, as they methodically drove the ball down the field primarily via the ground. Mary Montgomery utilized multiple players in the backfield, with all of them generally taking direct snaps and searching for gaps at the line of scrimmage.

That one-dimensional tendency hurt the Vikings temporarily when Foley’s Adrian Pickens and Alex Daigle combined for a sack that forced a field goal. Building off that momentum, the Lions’ special teams blocked the ensuing kick, allowing Pickens to scoop the ball up and return it past midfield.

From there, the teams traded empty possessions until the end of the opening quarter, with Mary Montgomery being the side to strike first. The visitors’ rushing attack continued to be formidable, and a grueling drive ended in a long touchdown run, although a failed extra point kept the score at 6-0 heading into the second frame.

The Lions produced a promising response, as junior quarterback Judah Spencer completed passes for a trio of first downs, one of which occurred during a 4th-and-5 scenario.

But in the end, a trick play was snuffed out near the goal line to force a turnover on downs, and the Vikings made the Lions pay soon after with an electric 95-yard touchdown run.

Foley trailed 12-0 following that score, and despite Spencer linking up with rangy receiver Cam’ron Page for a pair of solid gains down the stretch, that margin remained heading into halftime.

Coming out of the break, junior receiver Brayden Garcia returned the kickoff into opposing territory in hopes of providing a spark, but a sack on 4th down stalled Foley’s possession.

Mary Montgomery continued to churn out yardage on the ground and appeared primed to push its advantage to three scores when it crossed the Lions’ 30-yard line.

But an overthrown pass resulted in a crucial interception for the home side, and that defensive stand proved to be the jolt Foley’s offense needed.

Spencer started the drive by finding Page and Garcia for first-down gains, and he then connected with the latter on a well-placed ball down the sideline.

With his team threatening to finally get onto the scoreboard, dual-threat quarterback Makai Holmes proceeded to sub into the game and produce the highlight of the Lions’ evening. 

The bruising lefty rolled to his strong side, spun off a would-be tackler in the backfield, lofted a ball to Brayden’s brother Bryson and watched the junior tailback pull off his own Houdini act to reach the end zone. Between Holmes keeping the play alive and Bryson avoiding waves of defenders, it’s tough to pinpoint just who put forth a greater effort toward making the score read 12-6.

But the fourth quarter saw the Vikings reclaim their momentum, as they again marched downfield via the ground and managed to reach the end zone.

Staring at another 12-point deficit, Spencer came up with the response this time. The 6-foot-6 quarterback moved his team inside the Mary Montgomery 30-yard line, and he proceeded to find a leaping Page in the end zone for another highlight-worthy touchdown.

And when the Foley defense came up clutch by forcing a punt with just under three minutes remaining, it appeared that the home crowd would be celebrating a successful rally after all.

But while avoiding pressure from a pass-rush that bothered him all night, Spencer had the ball knocked out of his hand, and the visitors promptly recovered the loose pigskin.

Those Vikings went on to put the nail in the coffin soon after, icing a double-digit road win.

Here’s a breakdown of how Mary Montgomery held off Foley’s rallies, what was said after the game and who each side will square off with next:

Primetime Performers

Brysen and Brayden Garcia

Foley | Running Back+Wide Receiver | Juniors

They’re probably sick of being grouped together like this, but it’s hard not to after the performance the Garcias produced.

Whether it was on special teams or offense, both players made an impact and were impossible to bring down with just one defender.

And with many of Foley’s skill-position stars being seniors, this may just be a sign of things to come for these two.

Judah Spencer

Foley | Quarterback | Junior

Spencer will return alongside the Garcias next year, and he showcased his potential yet again Friday night.

The imposing signal-caller bounced back from a sluggish first half to essentially will his team down the field on multiple occasions during the second. While he may be hanging his head due to the late fumble, Spencer has no reason to and should instead be proud of the way he and his team battled back. 

Defining Moments

Foley’s red-zone interception (3rd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 7.5

When the Vikings were driving deep into Foley territory with a two-score lead at their backs, things looked bleak for Moore’s squad.

But the Lion defense continued to tread water, and the unit broke through with a game-changing interception that completely swung momentum. Frankly, the second half featured plenty of instances when Foley’s defensive players dug deep and made the plays needed to rally.

Mary Montgomery’s 95-yard TD run (2nd Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 7.0

If there was any true ‘back-breaking’ moment in this game, it occurred over the span of two plays in the second quarter.

After Foley’s trick play on a 4th-and-goal was shut down, the visitors promptly ripped off a nearly full-field touchdown run to add major insult to injury.

The Vikings’ forced fumble and recovery (4th Quarter)

Impact Rating (1-10): 9.0

Yet despite everything that had gone wrong for Foley, the home side still had a great chance at winning this game in the closing moments.

But Mary Montgomery’s defense came up with the needed stop in the form of a forced fumble, effectively securing the win.

Quotes To Note

• “You’re going to get one of those big, physical teams that’s going to line up and run the football. So I’m never happy with a loss, ever. But now we know our team can compete in a game like this, and ultimately over two weeks we’ll keep getting better.” — Bryan Moore, Foley Head Coach, speaking on the upcoming AHSAA 6A Playoffs

Obscure Observations

• This result moves the all-time record between the schools to 24-10 in favor of Foley. The Vikings have now won four straight games in the series.
• As its first-year head coach emphasized, this game can be best used as a learning experience for Foley. The Vikings present the level of physicality and athleticism that these Lions will come across in the playoffs, and Moore’s squad will gain plenty from this experience and the knowledge that it can contend with teams of this caliber.
• Due to Mary Montgomery’s self-reported offseason recruiting violations and subsequently upheld penalties, the 2026 team is not eligible for the AHSAA playoffs and none of its results have counted towards the 6A Region 1 standings this season.

Up Next

Foley (5-4, 4-2): @ St. Michael Catholic (6-3, 5-2) | Friday, Oct. 30

The Lions will close their regular season by heading to Fairhope for a private vs. public matchup against a surging St. Michael squad.

Mary Montgomery (6-3, 0-0): @ Theodore (5-4, 4-3) | Friday, Oct. 30

The Vikings will remain on the road for their season finale, as they’re set to visit Theodore.