JASMINE STEVERSON
jsteverson@ddtonline.com
The Greenville Christian School Saints went marching into their homecoming game Friday night shutting out the Porter's Chapel Academy Eagles 56-0.
By the end of the first half, the Saints had put up 37 unanswered points.
Head Coach Jon Reed McLendon said after the win that the Saints have really started to play their best ball.
The Eagles were plagued by turnovers and the Saints capitalized on a great many of them.
In their first offensive drive, the Eagles turned the ball over on downs, unable to convert a fourth down after a few solid rushing attempts by junior running back Tyler Washington.
In the drive that followed, the Eagles’ defense managed to hold off the Saints’ with senior defensive back Michael Tod Andrews picking off a pass intended for Saints senior receiver Lawson Stokes.
Much to their displeasure, the offense couldn’t advance the ball against the Saints’ defensive line, making that offensive drive a three and out.
Due in large parts to holding penalties on the Eagles and perfect field position starting from the Eagles’ 29, Stokes scored on a short pass from his sophmore quarterback, Jack Rigsby, and Keenan Howard ran in the first of a handful of two-point conversions putting the Saints up 8-0.
The next Saints’ touchdown would come after junior Marcus Anderson recovered the onside kick by the Eagles on their 49 yard line. Junior TD McClinton scored off a short run and recorded a huge 22-yard carry three plays prior to the score.
With the Eagles still unable to gain significant yardage, the Saints’ offense was back on the field early in the second quarter and Rigsby connected with senior JaMichael Short for a 35-yard pass on 2nd & 6 and again for 17-yard touchdown pass. Lined up for a field goal point attempt that turned out to be a trick play for a successful two-point conversion, the Saints were up 24-0 with just under nine minutes left in the first half.
Stokes broke out for a 44-yard touchdown run at 7:28 in the second quarter and in less than a minute, Keenan Howard had stripped the ball out of the grasp of an Eagles running back 15 yards out from the endzone.
Saints’ senior running back Antonio Moore wasted no time and was soon running the ball into the endzone from 5 yards out and making the score 37-0 by halftime.
The second half was more of the same — dominance by the Saints’ offense and little to no advancement of the ball by the Eagles’ offense.
The game ended with an 85-yard touchdown run by the Saints and a short touchdown run by senior running back, Fred Kingdom.
“I feel like the closer we’ve gotten as a group, the more it’s contributed to us playing really good football week to week,” McLendon said.
Seniors Moore and Stokes ran for two touchdowns each. Senior JaMichael Short recorded one 17-yard receiving touchdown. Kingdom, and two other Greenville Christian players (no. 13 and 9), not specified on the roster all recorded one touchdown each.
The Saints, now 4-4, will travel to Indianola Friday to face Indianola Academy.
Jackson Prep 56, Washington 21
Washington School football coach Greg Wallace said he was proud of his team’s effort Friday night as the Generals were defeated by one of the best private schools in the state.
Washington quarterback Caleb Janous threw a pair of touchdown passes. Janous connected with Eli Fratesi on a 34-yard score, and also threw a 28-yard pass to John Bentley Suares.
Joseph Smith scored the other General touchdown when he returned an interception 50 yards into the endzone.
“We are learning and we played as well offensively as we have all year,” Washington School coach Greg Wallace said. “Our offensive line did a good job, and Caleb did a good job. Defensively we were up against the wall against a great team. We played well is spots, and we did some things tonight that we can build on.”The game was Washington’s (2-6) final regular season home game of the season. Next week the Generals are scheduled to travel to St. Aloysius in Vicksburg. Jackson Prep improved its record to 7-1.
