Devin Scott and the rest of the Straughn Tigers were playing for a win last Friday night.

The senior running back, who is 100 percent after coming back from injury late in the regular season, displayed a winning attitude when he rushed for 152 yards on 19 carries, while scoring four touchdowns in the Tigers’ 42-21 Class 3A state quarterfinal win over Bayside Academy.

Scott’s performance on the gridiron earned him The Star-News Player of the Week honors.

“We just knew that if we wanted to get where we wanted to be, that we had to play hard,” Scott said. “It’s hard to beat a team twice (SHS beat Bayside 40-22 the first time this season). They played hard, and I respect that team a lot.”

Scott’s touchdown runs came from 4, 1, 14 and 69 yards out. He scored one TD in each quarter during the game.

The last TD run came with the aid of SHS guard Dalton Watson getting a good block on the play.

When asked there was anything special about the play, Scott said there wasn’t much to it.

“I just went in there and found a hole and came out the other end,” he said.

Scott said he doesn’t have a preference whether to score from short or long distances.

“Whatever wins us the game,” he said.

The 10th-ranked Tigers will travel to take on Leeds Friday night in the state semifinals. This is the second-straight year Straughn has made it this far in the playoffs.

“Leeds is good team,” Scott said. “Everybody around Straughn knows that. We’ve got to be mentally into it, and focused and have a perfect practice and come out Friday ready to play.”

Scott added that he really wants to make it to the state finals next week in Tuscaloosa.

“It feels good (to be back in the semifinals),” he said. “It makes me want to play hard because we were in this same spot last year at home.”