ACKERMAN — The 2010 high school football season in the state of Mississippi nearly opened with a shocker.
But Dakota Brasher helped script the ending many expected — albeit it was much more difficult than expected.
Brasher”s 6-yard touchdown run and K.J. Woods” conversion run in overtime helped Ackerman High School rally for an 8-6 victory against Starkville Academy on Thursday night.
The Mississippi High School Activities Association-Mississippi Association of Independent Schools matchup was a rematch of last year, when Ackerman won 55-2. The Indians went on be the runner-up in Class 2A. Starkville Academy went winless.
This season, first-year Starkville Academy coach Jeff Terrill, who spent the past eight seasons as head coach at Itawamba Community College, nearly pulled the upset in his debut. Kyle Henson connected with Ryan McKell on a 6-yard scoring pass in overtime to give the Volunteers the lead. But Will White”s extra point was blocked to set up the winning drive.
n Sulligent 26, Smithville 18: At Smithville, coach Dwight Bowling got the better of his former school as the Sulligent Blue Devils beat the Smithville Seminoles.
Bowling is beginning his fifth season at Sulligent after coaching 28 years at Smithville.
The game was a jamboree for Sulligent and a regular season game for Smithville and will count on the Seminoles” record.
Wesley Parson scored three touchdowns to lead Sulligent to the victory. He scored on a 1-yard in the first quarter and 2-yard and 7-yard runs in the third.
Ishmael Riggins also scored for Sulligent on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter.
After Parson put the first points of the game on the scoreboard, Smithville took a 12-6 lead on a 59-yard pass from Datrune Freeman to Bamantro Freeman and a 20-yard run by Antwune Freeman in the opening quarter.
Smithville closed out the scoring with a 26-yard fumble return by Kody Hatchcock.
n Amory 10, Nettleton 0: At Nettleton, the Amory Panthers won in coach Trent Hammond”s debut by shutting out Nettleton.
Ryan Hill got Amory on the scoreboard in the second quarter when he scored on a 4-yard run.
The Panthers put their final points on the scoreboard in the third when Jake Shelly kicked a 37-yard field goal.
n Pickens County 32, South Lamar 7: At Reform, Ala., LaJuan Doss caught a touchdown pass and Tim Simpson rushed for a touchdown to lead Pickens County past South Lamar in a jamboree.
South Lamar scored in the second quarter on a 6-yard run by Jordan Smith.
Soccer
n Immanuel Christian 3, Manchester Academy 2 (PKs): At Steens, Taylor Kidder stopped all four penalty shots she faced and Meghan Cooper and Haley Good converted penalty kicks to lift the Lady Rams.
Immanuel (2-1) rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit thanks to goals by Taylor Baudoin and Good.
Softball
n Hebron Christian 13, Winona Christian 0: Chloe Tapley pitched a five-inning no-hitter and struck out 10 to lead the Lady Eagles.
Chloe Tapley also had a hit and scored two runs. Cathryn Moore had a double and scored a run, Magen Tapley had two doubles, three runs scored, and an RBI, Alaina Hill had two hits, including a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI, Jessica Fleming had a triple, three runs scored, and an RBI, Tori Nichols scored a run, and Beverly Blake had a triple, a run scored, and two RBIs in the eight-hit attack.
Hebron Christian will play Saturday in the College Showcase event at the Starkville Sportsplex. It is scheduled to play Calhoun Academy at 12:45 p.m., North Sunflower at 4 p.m., and Winston Academy at 5:45 p.m.
In the junior varsity game, Hebron Christian defeated Winona Christian 7-2.
Blake earned the win in the circle and had two hits, including a triple, home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs.
Brooke Griffin scored a run and had an RBI, Holly Hudson had an RBI, Victoria Ferguson had a hit and scored a run, Shelby Arnold had two hits, Hannah Loper had a hit and an RBI, Madison Thompson and Prysilla Skelton scored a run, and Brittany Ousley scored a run and had an RBI.
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