Demopolis sets aside miscues for 35-6 win
Demopolis overcame four turnovers and an uneven performance to beat Dallas County 35-6 Friday night and remain unbeaten in Class 5A, Region 3 play.
“Three turnovers on offense, one on special teams. We felt like the only way they were going to be able to score was on a big play. They got it. It was a win,” Demopolis coach Stacy Luker said. “It was a good win because we won, but we’ve got to be better.”
The Tigers took their first drive 55 yards on five plays and capped the possession with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Jones. After stoning Dallas County on the ensuing possession, the Tigers traveled 45 yards on six plays and stretched the lead to 14-0 on a 1-yard touchdown run by A.J. Jackson.
With all the momentum squarely behind the Tigers, miscues marred the second quarter. In addition to a muffed punt, the Tigers threw an interception and lost a fumble, limping into halftime with a 14-0 lead.
“We started fast. We were 11 plays and two touchdowns in the first eight minutes. We started fast. Fast on defense. But from the four-minute mark of the first quarter on, it was just like pulling teeth,” Luker said. “Sometimes you have to grind through wins like that where you don’t play your best and you’re not your sharpest. I thought they played hard. I thought they played extremely hard.”
Demopolis came out firing in the third quarter with a seven-play drive that covered 53 yards and culminated with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jackson to move it to 21-0.
On the next snap, Octavius Palmer hit Kedrick Wilson, who spun out of a tackle and beat a defender in a footrace to complete a 57-yard pitch-and-catch that cut the score to 21-6. Dez Jackson blocked the extra point.
Demopolis added a 13-yard touchdown pass from Logan McVay to Jones and then a 5-yard scoring run by William Wilkins to set the final tally.
The Tigers had 313 yards of offense while Dallas County finished with 148. Wilkins finished with 119 yards on 11 carries. Jackson had 85 yards on 19 rushes. Xavier McShan had seven total tackles and a sack. Khyrim Bryant finished with eight tackles and a fumble recovery.
“We won the game. We’re undefeated in this region and we’re going to keep moving forward,” Luker said. “ We’ll see what we’ve learned from it.”
Demopolis (5-1, 4-0) host Sumter Central next week for Homecoming.
