NORTH CARROLLTON - J.Z. George grabbed the momentum right before halftime and then rode it to a blowout homecoming win over Ackerman here Friday in the Region 2-2A opener for both teams.
The Jaguars trailed by one at the break but reeled off 19 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 32-14 victory that puts them at 5-1 overall, 1-0 in league play.
“This is a big win for us. It's a big win for our program,” said third-year George head coach Trey Allman, whose team lost to Ackerman the last two seasons. “Starting out 1-0 in the conference is big for us. This gives us something to build on.”
Ackerman falls to 3-3, 0-1.
Trailing 14-7 late in the second quarter, the Jaguars got a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ezell Jones to Kevin Washington, who out-jumped two defenders for the ball with seven seconds left before the half. The PAT kicked failed, leaving the Indians clinging to a one-point lead.
George's Terrance Hudson picked off a pass on the opening possession of the second half, and the home team quickly cashed in on the turnover to take the lead for good. Fullback Lacolby Howard capped the six-play, 55-yard drive with a 12-yard burst up the middle midway through the third quarter. Howard also had a 24-yard run on the drive.
The Jaguars' second of three second-half touchdowns came with just under nine minutes left in the contest. It was also set up by an interception.
Washington picked off a pass at his own 30-yard line and returned it to the Ackerman 27. And again, it was Howard cashing in on the turnover, this time scoring from nine yards out. The two-point try failed, and George led 25-14.
George put the game on ice with 2:09 left when Washington picked off a pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.
The Jaguar defense was stifling in the second half, holding Ackerman to just 50 yards total offense while picking off four passes.
“We made some adjustments on the defensive line, but the main thing is that we turned it up a notch and played some ball,” Allman said. “The points right before the half really gave us a boost of momentum, and we were able to build on that in the second half.”
George took a quick 7-0 lead in the game when tailback Michael Crawford scored on a 47-yard touchdown run on the third play of the contest. He broke loose around the left end and then tip-toed down the sideline for the score. Antonio Goston added the PAT kick.
Crawford finished with a team-high 85 rushing yards on 15 carries. Howard added 48 yards on five carries.
Jones completed 6-of-13 passes for 90 yards.
The Jaguars go to Eupora this week. Eupora defeated Water Valley 30-6 Friday night.
