Leflore County is in the driver’s seat to claim its first district title in over a decade after taking down J.Z. George, 45-20, on Friday night.
The Tigers (3-3) still have two more Region 4-2A matchups remaining against Riverside (0-5) and Leland (0-5).
Do-it-all senior Dekari “Turbo” Johnson had another huge game for Leflore, totaling 230 yards and four touchdowns — three rushing and one receiving. Junior running back Dezmond Ray chipped in with 130 yards on 15 carries along with four 2-point conversion runs. Senior running back Ivory Lampkin added five rushes for 60 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers, who have now won three of their last four games.
“It’s been a long time since we lost on our home turf,” fifth-year head coach Eric House said. “We preached that nobody wins on our turf.”
Leflore hasn’t lost at Marcellus Singleton Stadium since October of 2018.
A key sequence came early in the second quarter when the Jaguars recovered a Tiger fumble and marched into the red zone trailing 8-0. Leflore’s defense bent but didn’t break, forcing a turnover on downs at its own 5-yard line. On the next play, Johnson exploded for a 95-yard touchdown run, his second of four scores, to extend the Tigers’ lead to 16-0.
“Turbo is an electric player,” House said of Johnson, who transferred back to Leflore from Delta Streets Academy this summer. “I’m just glad he came home.”
J.Z. George’s offense finally came alive in the second quarter when senior quarterback Jordun Normal connected with D’Anthony “Yogi" McGlothan for a 45-yard touchdown pass with five minutes left in the first half. The Tigers responded with 27-yard touchdown pass from D.J. Jones to Johnson, stretching their advantage to 24-8 heading into halftime.
Leflore recovered its own opening kickoff of the second half and Ivory Lampkin finished off the drive with a touchdown run to make it 32-8.
Jaguars defensive back James Journey returned an interception for a touchdown with three minutes to play in the third quarter, but Lampkin rushed for his second score of the night on the first play of the fourth quarter to put Leflore ahead 38-14.
Normal connected with McGlothan for his second touchdown catch of the evening in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late for J.Z. George (4-3, 1-1). McGlothan finished with 90 yards and a pair of scores. Normal went 8-of-13 passing for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Alex Criss caught two passes for 75 yards, and Kendarius Head rushed for 31 yards on six attempts.
The Tigers got huge defensive performances out of Javoris Sherrod (nine solo tackles, two sacks) and Damarius Leflore (seven tackles, two sacks).
McGlothan and junior defensive end Keiyhaun Wilks led the Jaguars’ defense with seven tackles apiece.
- Contact Riley Overend at 662-581-7237 or roverend@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow @OverendOut
