From Special Reports
WEST POINT — In its season opener, Oak Hill Academy made believers of themselves.
Friday night, they made believers of football fans outside of Winston County.
After going winless in 2011, the Raiders are 2-0 thanks to a 27-21 win over Winston Academy in the MAIS Class AA, District 2 opener for each team.
“What these players are beginning to realize is if you play as a team, good things can happen to you,” Oak Hill first-year coach Daniel Merchant said. “You could tell they came to practice Monday with a bounce in their step.”
The victory over Newton County Academy allowed the sued to relax a little bit. After the high of getting a win passed, it was back down to business.
“This team wants to go the playoffs,” Merchant said. “That sounds like a lofty goal. But in the end, that is why you play the game.”
Oak Hill pulled away from a 14-14 halftime tie with two second-half touchdowns.
The big play in the game was a 75-yard kickoff return by Drew Riley. That score came seconds after Winston Academy (1-1) had grabbed the momentum on an 80-yard punt return touchdown.
The Raiders ran the ball 50 times for 206 yards. Drake Riley finished with 23 rushes for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Connor Baird was 4-for-4 passing for 75 yards and a touchdown.
“Ball control offense was the key,” Merchant said. “We executed and didn’t turn the ball over.”
n West Oktibbeha 56, Montgomery County 6: At Kilmichael, West Oktibbeha improved to 2-0 with the easy win.
“I thought our kids really competed well,” West Oktibbeha coach Adam Lowery said. “It is important to have a strong start on the road and we did just that.”
Quarterback Von Smith had five passing touchdowns, giving him 11 through two games. Lavante Tate had two receiving touchdowns and Kelsey Jefferson had another.
“Von has really stepped his game up,” Lowery said. “He has become a much more vocal leader. The offensive line had a great off-season and it has really shown in these first two games.”
Tiberias Lampkin had two rushing touchdowns and 105 yards on the ground for the 2-0 Timberwolves.
n East Oktibbeha 55, McAdams 0: At McAdams, East Oktibbeha is into the win column after the Titans routed McAdams Friday night.
“This team can feel a lot better about itself after that performance,” East Oktibbeha coach Randy Brooks said. “We were real disappointed in the opener (a 40-6 loss to Leake Central).
“Even thought we lost, we practiced better with more intensity and I thought it carried over to the game.”
For East Oktibbeha, Jermaine Gillespie had three touchdowns. Juwan Roberts had two scores – one on the ground and one in the air.
Destin Covington paced the Titans with 56 yards and two scores. Bryant Conley had a rushing score.
“We have so many young players on this team,” Brooks said. “We are looking for leaders. We are looking for playmakers to step up and take ownership of the team.
“Even though you are young, you can still play with effort. I thought we did a much better job of that Friday night.”
n Calhoun Academy 46 Central Academy 6: At Calhoun City, the Vikings traveled to Calhoun City to play preseason number on Calhoun Academy, where they faced a team intent to pay back years of losses to Central.
The Cougars scored on a 53 yard run to open the game and never looked back. Russ Taylor scored on a 5-yard run for the only Central score. He led the team with 30 yards rushing. Eighth grader Lee Sciple passed for 36 yards, while Darrell Tate had 3 receptions for 40 yards. Defensively Taylor and Colby Robbins had 3 tackles each, while Jack Vandevender had 2. Starters Steven Lane and T. J. Coleman each missed much of the game with injuries.
n Hamilton 54, Houlka 14: At Okolona, Hamilton rolled to the easy win Thursday night, collecting its first victory of the season.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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