Quarterback Fred Rice threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns while running for 67 yards and two scores to lead the West Lowndes High School football team to a 55-12 rout of Hamilton on Friday night in Columbus.
JaQuavious Tate led the Panthers in rushing with 97 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns and in receiving with 132 yards on 5 receptions and two scores.
The West Lowndes defense was ferocious, holding Hamilton (1-7, 0-4 Class 1A-3) to 118 yards of total offense, including 28 rushing yards on 19 carries. The Panthers held Lions quarterback Evan Pounders to 3 completions in 19 attempts, with 66 of the 90 yards coming on one play, a second-quarter touchdown to Kyzer Verner. By that time, West Lowndes had taken a 29-0 lead.
The balanced Panthers racked up 398 yards of offense, with 203 passing and 195 rushing, and averaged 8.7 yards per play. Special teams turned in a score when Decamby Willis returned the second-half kickoff 51 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 43-6.
Marquez Shelton caught a 20-yard TD pass from Rice late in the first quarter for the Panthers, who had 18 first downs to the Lions’ four and were a perfect 3 for 3 on fourth-down conversions.
The Panthers (6-2, 5-0 Class 1A-3) will continue their march to their first district title since 1992 on Friday when they host Ethel (5-2, 3-1).
Starkville 50, Murrah 0: The Yellow Jackets, ranked fourth in the AP MIssissippi Top 10, are 7-0 after thrashing the Mustangs in Jackson, and coupled with Oxford’s loss to Clinton on Friday night, Starkville (8-0, 4-0 6A-2) is now alone in first place in the region.
It was the second shutout of the season for the Yellow Jackets, who had to rally to win the past four games but led this one 37-0 at halftime.
Murrah fell to 1-7, 0-4 in 6A-2.
West Point 40, Lake Cormorant 21: The Green Wave led just 20-14 at the half but pulled away for their fifth consecutive win in Lake Cormorant.
The 21 points scored by the Gators (4-4, 2-2 5A-1) are the most the Green Wave have allowed in a game this season.
Unbeaten on the field, West Point (5-2, 4-0 5A-1) will travel Friday to Greenville to face a Hornets team that is 0-4 in district play.
Lafayette 51, New Hope 0: Junior Jayden Reed rushed for 154 yards and five players scored touchdowns as the Commodores crushed the Trojans in Oxford.
For the sixth time in six games, New Hope (4-3, 1-3 5A-1) was involved in a shutout. All three of their on-field wins and all three of their losses have been by shutout, but Lafayette’s 51-point margin is the worst loss the Trojans have suffered since a 54-0 loss to Louisville on Sept. 28, 2018.
The Trojans will face Lake Cormorant on Friday night at home.
Bayou Academy 31, Starkville Academy 21: The Colts scored 15 fourth-quarter points to rally past the Volunteers for their third consecutive win while snapping SA’s three-game winning streak in Cleveland.
The Vols (5-4, 2-2 MAIS 5A-1) led 21-16 at halftime before getting shut out during the second half. Bayou Academy improved to 7-2, 3-1 in the district.
Starkville Academy closes the regular season by getting a visit from Washington School on Friday night. The Generals (1-8) are 0-4 in the district.
Oak Hill Academy 42, Central Holmes Christian 24: Cameron Dill rushed for four touchdowns and passed for two more as the Raiders warmed up for their showdown with Marshall Academy by rolling past the Trojans (3-6) in West Point.
The senior completed 12 of 18 passes for 193 yards and carried 19 times for 115 yards as Oak Hill improved to 4-5. Jake Glusenkamp caught both touchdown passes as part of a 8-catch, 163-yard receiving night, while Brian Buchanan caught Dill’s other four completions for 30 yards. John Ross Craven rushed for 69 yards on 7 carries for the Raiders.
Oak Hill is 2-1 in MAIS Class 4A, District 1 and will wrap up the regular season against 3-0 Marshall Academy on Friday in West Point.
Jacksonville Christian Academy 56, VIctory Christian Academy 32: Senior Camron Henley accounted for four of the Eagles’ five touchdowns as they lost their third consecutive game in Jacksonville, Alabama.
Henley scored on touchdown runs of 51 and 75 yards, tossed a 22-yard scoring pass to Kayden Barksdale and returned a kick 68 yards for another score for VCA (1-5). Tyshon Rogers scored the Eagles’ other touchdown with a 34-yard run.
VCA had a chance to pull within seven just before halftime, driving to the Thunder’s 3-yard line, but they could not punch it in. The Thunder (2-6) got the ball first in the second half and scored, then recovered back-to-back onside kicks to put the game out of reach.
Barksdale led the Eagles with 7 tackles and had a sack, while Matthew Moore made 6 tackles, including one for a loss, and Henley had an interception.
Victory Christian will meet Success Unlimited Academy on Friday night at home.
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