Demopolis fell down 14-0 early against Sylacauga in the first round of the AHSAA 5A playoffs Friday night. But no one on the sidelines panicked, least of all DaMarcus James.

“We just keep working, keep going. We can do it. We did it before and we can do it again,” James said of the prevailing feeling among the members of the offensive unit as it faced the deficit.

Then the second quarter came and DaMarcus James went to work. The Tigers’ silent assassin found the end zone on a 13-yard run to get the team up off the deck before striking paydirt again later on a six-yard dash.

His trademark quickness and agility were again on display as he went on to put together one of his best games of the season, racking up 214 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. His accomplishments on the night included a 49-yard run in which he three times broke free from a group of would-be tacklers on his way inside the Aggie five-yard line.

James’ numbers Friday night bring his totals to 1,636 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns on the year. But more importantly, it helped his team punch its ticket into the second round where it will meet Shelby County at week’s end.

And to DHS’ sophomore fullback that’s all that really matters.