With the playoffs now just a couple of weeks away, teams are fighting for postseason positioning. The Gaylesville Trojans and Piedmont Bulldogs were two teams who improved their playoff stock on Friday, thanks in part to the performances turned in by Levi Morgan and Chris Strott.

The two players were among the Alabama Sportswriters Association’s weekly football honorees, released on Tuesday.

Morgan, a senior free safety for the Trojans, recovered a fumble and rambled 71 yards for a touchdown and added a key interception in the fourth quarter that led to the game-winning touchdown in Gaylesville’s 12-10 victory over Valley Head.

The win clinched a playoff spot for the Trojans (3-5), who can possibly improve their playoff stock once again on Friday with a win over rival Cedar Bluff (4-4).

Meanwhile, Strott completed 11 of 21 passes for 189 yards with a 20-yard touchdown and a 2-point conversion. The senior also rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries as Class 3A, top-ranked Piedmont pulled off a 33-21 come-from-behind victory at Saks.

The win sealed the Region 6 championship for the Bulldogs (8-0).

Piedmont puts its unbeaten record and top-ranking on the line again this week by hosting region foe Ashville (3-5) on Friday.

In other statewide happenings, with a Fox Sports South cable audience looking on, Daphne’s T.J. Yeldon shone in the spotlight.

The Auburn commitment rolled for a season-high 359 yards on 35 carries and touchdown runs of 35, 5, 1 and 85 yards as Class 6A’s No. 1 team rolled to a 45-24 win over Fairhope on Thursday.

That performance earned Yeldon honors as the ASWA’s Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, also picking up the honors in Week Four with a 319-yard performance against Foley.

Yeldon edged two finalists in Clay-Chalkville quarterback Jacob Thomas and Anniston running back Troymaine Pope.

Thomas threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 150 yards and another score in a 55-21 win over Austin in a de facto championship game for the Class 6A Region 7 title.

Pope had 175 yards on 23 carries and caught three passes for 125 yards and touchdown catches of 45 and 77 yards as the Bulldogs rallied from a 24-7, third-quarter deficit to beat Oneonta 34-31.

The ASWA Defensive/Special Teams Player of the Week is D.J. Warren of West Morgan, who made 16 tackles, including five sacks and four others behind the line in the Rebels’ 13-7 win over Clements.

He topped two finalists in Corner’s Matt Vatani and Lexington’s Corey Scott. Vatani made five tackles, blocked two punts and had a fumble recovery in a 15-13 win over Tarrant. Scott had two interceptions and a fumble recovery to go with two touchdown receptions as the Bears beat Lamar County, 41-28.

Some 84 players were nominated this week from ASWA members in Birmingham, Centre, Decatur, Demopolis, Dothan, Fort Payne, Gadsden, Graysville, Grove Hill, Mobile, Montgomery, Oneonta, Opelika, Scottsboro, Talladega, and Tuscaloosa.

The best of those nominations included:

OFFENSE

Geoffrey Bramblett, Locust Fork: Was 27 of 44 for 393 yards and two TDs while rushing for 130 yards and three TDs on 25 carries in a74-37 loss to Alexandria.

Cole Claunch, Colbert Heights: Threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns (27, 1) and scored the game-winning 1-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds to play as Colbert Heights edged Hatton 25-21.

Justin Cullifer, Houston Academy: Accounted for 280 yards and scored four touchdowns – two rushing, one passing and one receiving – in a 35-20 win over Wicksburg.

Jacob Davis, Sylvania: Had eight carries for 146 yards, scored on two first-quarter TD runs (68, 19) and added a 57-yard TD reception in the third quarter in a 49-18 win over Randolph.

Akeem Dobyne, Bibb County: Had seven touchdowns in a 78-7 win over Southside-Selma as he rushed for 160 yards and five TDs, returned a punt 53 yards for another score and caught a 15-yard touchdown pass.

Ehren Faison, Slocomb: Caught four passes for 179 yards with three of receptions going for touchdowns (76, 27, 64) in the Red Tops' 40-14 win over Geneva.

Charles Jackson, Sheffield: Ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns (51, 73) and had two tackles-for-loss and a pass-breakup in key situations as Bulldogs upset No. 9 Rogers 17-6.

Max Kirby, North Sand Mountain: Accounted for 253 yards and six touchdowns in a 41-19 win over Victory Christian as he scored on three TD runs (1, 40, 1), TD catches for 35 and 10 yards and on a 70-yard punt return.

Danny Madison, Alabama Christian: Scored five touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Bullock County as he rushed 17 times for 172 yards and four TDs (41, 7, 19, 4) and caught two passes for 49 yards and a 21-yard score.

Deion Moore, Houston County: Accounted for 427 yards and five touchdowns, throwing for 345 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 82 yards and one touchdown in Houston County’s 47-32 loss to G.W. Long.

Nick Mullens, Spain Park: Was 22 of 30 passing for 268 yards and three touchdown passes in a win over Pelham.

John Morgan Owens, Pickens Academy: Had 27 carries for 245 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-7 win over Lakeside Christian.

Dustin Riggsbee, Zion Chapel: Rushed for 375 yards on 28 carries and scored all five touchdowns (8, 8, 50, 10, 3) with two 2-point conversions in Zion Chapel’s 35-28 win over Red Level.

ArDarius Stewart, Fultondale: Was 5 of 11 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 273 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries in a 70-6 win over Cold Springs.

Chris Strott, Piedmont: Completed 11 of 21 passes for 189 yards with a 20-yard touchdown, a 2-point conversion, and rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in a 33-21 win at Saks.

D.D. Thomas, Dothan: Accounted for 354 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-16 Tiger win over Enterprise as he rushed for 224 yards and a touchdown (7) on 16 carries and threw for 130 and two scores (47, 15).

Zach Walker, G.W. Long: Rushed for 288 yards on just 10 carries and had touchdown runs of 85 and 86 yards in the Rebels' 47-32 win over Houston County.

Dusty White, Plainview: Had four straight second-half touchdowns, all of which covered 14 yards or more, finishing with 115 yards rushing on three carries and four receptions for 103 yards in a 55-32 win over New Hope.

Jaboo Winston, Hueytown: Went 25 of 29 passing for 321 yards and four touchdowns while rushing three times for 17 yards and another score in a 57-15 win over John Carroll.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

Dominic Branch, Paul Bryant: Had a 30-yard interception return, rushed for a touchdown and blocked a punt with three minutes left that led to the game-winning score in a 19-13 win over Central-Tuscaloosa.

Jeremiah Harris, Bessemer Academy: Had nine tackles and three sacks against Autauga Academy.

B.J. Johnson, Edgewood: Made 19 tackles in a 34-12 win over Abbeville Christian.

Jimmy Lanier, Billingsley: Returned two interceptions for touchdowns and ran for a third in a 28-12 win over Francis Marion.

Levi Morgan, Gaylesville: Recovered a fumble and rambled 71 yards for a touchdown and added a key interception in the fourth quarter that led to the game-winning touchdown in the Trojans’ 12-10 victory over Valley Head.

Cole Pinkston, Macon-East: Made 14 tackles, recovered two fumbles and caused a fumble in a 40-14 win over Lyman Ward.

Mason Silavent, Slocomb: Returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown and an interception return of 74 yards to set up another score, while rushing for 88 yards on just seven carries in Slocomb’s 40-14 win over Geneva.

Dalton Veal, Fort Payne: Finished with 14 tackles (11 solo), one tackle for a loss, one sack and three quarterback pressures in a 35-14 win over Madison County.

John Youngblood, Hewitt-Trussville: Made 14 tackles with two sacks and a pass breakup in a win over Shades Valley.