Southeast, Eastern, Cummings roll up TDs on the way to victories
By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Freshman Dorian Cruz scored his first varsity points on a short run for the final touchdown, and quarterback Tyler Jackson had a part in Southeast Alamance’s first seven touchdown plays as the Stallions pulled out a 55-52 victory against visiting Southern Alamance in a Mid-Carolina Conference football opener Friday night in Haw River.
The Stallions (4-0) scored the game’s final 13 points, with the go-ahead points coming with 2:55 remaining.
“Nobody flinched when we were down,” Southeast coach Tony Aguilar said. “That says a lot about our team growing up.”
Jackson threw for four touchdowns, ran for two others, and was on the receiving end of a TD pass for Southeast, which scored the game’s first 14 points. Jackson had 365 passing yards.
Joseph Gibbs made two touchdown receptions, and Drew Easter (51 yards) and Logan Luang-Sy (52 yards) also each caught one TD pass. D.J. Callis threw a 20-yard TD pass to Jackson on a gadget play.
The Stallions caught a break on a wayward snap when Southern was in punt formation in the fourth quarter.
On the ensuing possession, the key pass from Jackson came on a fourth-and-19 play to set up the go-ahead score. He connected with Major Hubbard as the Stallions reached the Southern 1-yard line.
Sincere Thompson rushed for 161 yards with one touchdown and two two-point conversions for Southern (3-1). He also caught a touchdown pass from Tustin Johnson, who had four rushing touchdowns and 103 yards on the ground. Johnson also ran for a two-point conversion.
“The difference was our defense settling down and getting the necessary stops,” Aguilar said. “We knew we weren’t going to stop (Thompson). You try to contain him.”
Gibbs had 137 receiving yards on seven catches before sitting out the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
Southern led 38-34 at halftime.
“A shootout of two different styles,” Aguilar said. “The good difference for us was the first quarter and the fourth quarter.”
This marked Southern’s first visit to Southeast for football, creating an electric atmosphere.
“I wish they were all like that,” Aguilar said.
Eastern Alamance 65, Roxboro Person 20: At Mebane, Sammy Raphael ran for three touchdowns and returned a kickoff for another TD in the Mid-Carolina Conference opener for both teams.
Raphael ended up with 217 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Devontia Clark also returned a kickoff for a touchdown and Jamez Cochran ran for two touchdowns for the Eagles (3-1). Braxton Ballard threw for 104 yards, with 51 of the receiving yards going to Juju Goldston.
Eastern’s Justice Daye scored two touchdowns off fumble recoveries in the fourth quarter.
Roxboro Person fell to 1-3.
Williams 28, Heritage 25: At Burlington, Braeden Vetter scored on two touchdown receptions and the host Bulldogs, playing for the first time since August 21, claimed the non-league victory at Burlington Athletic Stadium.
Akerion Robertson, who rushed for 180 yards on 21 carries, and Jackson Gould scored on running plays for Williams (2-0), which built a double-digit lead and held on. Christian Booth scored on a two-point conversion.
Heritage fell to 1-3.
Cummings 48, Bartlett Yancey 14: At Yanceyville, Jazian Bigelow scored on three touchdown runs as the visiting Cavaliers captured their first victory under first-year coach Darius Pinnix.
Jayden Royal made a touchdown reception on a pass from Hudson Pressley, who completed 16 of 22 throws for 254 yards.
Bigelow gained 120 yards on the ground on 14 carries. Jylil Fisher also scored on a TD run.
Cummings built a 28-6 halftime lead on the way to their seventh consecutive victory in the series.
The records for both teams moved to 1-3.
