Demopolis comes from behind to defeat Jackson, 32-27

Published 10:29 pm Friday, November 1, 2019

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After giving up a few big plays early and falling behind, the Demopolis Tigers roared back in the second half to secure a 32-27 victory over Jackson.

The Tigers fell behind when the Aggies scored on their first possession of the game. It wasn’t until 5:22 to go in the game that the Tigers took their first lead which would prove to be the winning score.

After falling behind 7-0, the Tigers did pull back to within one point when Peyton Stevenson found Shatarius Williams for a 23 yard touchdown pass. The point-after was no good as Demopolis continued to trail, 7-6.

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Jackson increased its lead, hitting paydirt on a 79-yard touchdown pass play, increasing their lead to 14-6.

Demopolis continued to stick with the Aggies as C.J. Williams pushed the ball in for a touchdown with about 4:22 to go in the first half. A two-point conversion attempt to tie the game fell short following a penalty.

The remainder of the half was all Aggies as they scored twice, first on a 66-yard pass and another on a run with only 26 seconds left on the clock, which gave Jackson a 27-12 lead at the half.

The second half proved to be a different story. The Tiger defense held the Aggies scoreless throughout the half while Demopolis chipped away at the lead, getting back to within a touchdown when Craig Nichols pushed the ball in from four yards out, followed by a successful 2-point conversion run by Williams, making the score 27-20.

With 6:47 in the third, Stevenson completed a pass to Shatarius Williams that went 32 yards for a touchdown. But, Demopolis would continue to trail, 27-26, as the point-after attempt was no good.

The Tiger defense continued to hold off the Aggie attack and then at the 5:22 mark of the fourth quarter, C.J. Williams pushed the ball in from two yards out to give Demopolis the lead, 32-26. A two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

The defense held the Aggies to a three-and-out on the next possession, giving DHS the ball back to take time off the clock. By the time Jackson got the ball back, there were only 10 second remaining and a long pass came up well short of the endzone as Demopolis preserved the victory.

Leading the Tiger offense was senior C.J. Williams. Beginning the season primarily as a receiver, Williams moved to the backfield against Jackson and led the team with 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Nichols added 82 yards on the ground and one touchdown.

Stevenson ended the night 12-of-24 with 118 yards and two touchdowns, both to Shatarius Williams.

On defense, Matthew Witherspoon finished with five total tackles, which included two sacks. Alton Rowser also finished with five tackles.

With the win, the Tigers finish the regular season with an overall record of 7-3. The Tigers will be on the road for Round 1 of the state playoffs next week with the opponent yet to be confirmed.