LELAND — Leland High School fans might’ve been saying to themselves, “My how the tables have turned,” while they looked on as their Cubs defeated the Riverside Bulldogs 20-14.
Riverside topped Leland last season 26-20 in a thrilling meeting in Avon but this time the Bulldogs wouldn’t be so lucky.
Both teams entered Friday night’s competition 0-2 on the season and with high hopes for a win.
Sophomore defensive back Jovanta Williams set the tone early in the first quarter scoring a 24-yard touchdown off a fumble recovery courtesy of the Bulldogs, but the Cubs’ 2-point conversion attempt failed.
The Cubs’ kept their foot on the gas as running back Jaylan Davis ran the ball into the end zone for 10 yards after a seven-minute long drive down the field from their own 15 but yet again, leaving 2 conversion points off the board.
The Bulldogs remained scoreless and late into the second quarter, the Cubs capitalized on their momentum by maintaining possession for more than six minutes to yield a 5-yard rushing touchdown and successful 2-point conversion by difference-maker Williams.
The Cubs defense was relentless for most of the night as Irvin Palmer recorded 5 solo tackles and both Wiliams and Jaheim Wafford managed a quarterback sack.
Going into the second half, the Bulldogs trailed 20-0 and the remainder of the game was a tale of costly penalties made by the Cubs and too-little, too-late scoring by the Bulldogs.
Riverside’s Johnny Williams and Demarieus Pam both had impressive runs for the Bulldogs and propelled the offense late in the second half.
The Bulldogs finally caught a break late in the fourth quarter when Carson Graham returned a fumble by the Cubs for a touchdown and the extra point putting the score at 20-7.
With only 14 seconds left in the game, the Bulldogs scored again on a short run by way of D’vonta Gaston and that would end the game with a score of 20-14 in favor of Leland.
Though slippery near the end, the win was more than welcomed by the Cubs. “We’re excited to finally get a W but, we’re disappointed in the way we played. We got real sluggish in the second half and a lot of work to do but we’re gonna keep working and trying to get better,” head coach Ricardo Tigler said.
Sophomore Javonta Williams finished with two touchdowns and 76 yards of offense on the night, crediting his offensive line with his ground success.
“It was really the line. We knew from the jump, this game was time for them to shine. I ran behind my line and they just carried me on to the victory,” Williams said.
Jakevion Corbin, a huge contributor to the Cubs’ offensive play and ball movement, finished with 54 receiving yards.
Jaylan Davis finished with a touchdown and 34 yards rushing on the night.
Quarterback Ryen McCoy had 57 total passing yards.
Lakeside 53, Greenville Christian 42
Sparked by quarterback Mike Mohead, the Greenville Christian School Saints stormed back in the second half but just ran out of gas in the game’s final minutes.
The Saints trailed 35-14 at halftime and came back to take the lead before finally succumbing to the home team.
Mohead threw four touchdowns in the game. GCS’s Marlon Palmer ran for a touchdown, and Marcus Anderson returned an interception for a touchdown.
“We are playing a lot of close games, and tonight our offense finally came alive,” Greenville Christian School coach Jon Reed McLendon said. “We had some good stretches on defense, and we had some great effort out there.”
Simmons 36, Humphreys County 27
The Simmons Blue Devils picked up their first win of the season by going on the road and showing some true toughness, said Simmons Coach Timothy Johnson.
Johnson said quarterback Ta’Darrius Williams played a solid game, and many of his defensive players also played well.
Perhaps the biggest play of the game, according to the coach, was an interception for a touchdown by Charles Mallard III.
Still, Coach Johnson said his Blue Devils (1-2) have a lot of work to do if they wish to get back to their fifth straight state championship game. Simmons turned the ball over five times in the game, something Coach Johnson said his team cannot afford to do if it hopes to make a deep run in the state playoffs.
The Blue Devils will look to make it two in a row when they travel to Coffeeville next Friday.
