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By Lew Gilliland

The Selma Times-Journal

Morgan Academy found itself on the wrong side of an Antavious Jackson highlight reel in a 38-25 loss to Valiant Cross Academy on Friday night in Montgomery.

Jackson rushed 13 times for 333 yards and four touchdowns and also threw for a score. His final scoring run and TD pass came in the final four minutes as the Warriors (2-2) broke a 25-all tie in a game that featured plenty of late drama after the teams were tied 6-all at halftime and Valiant Cross led 12-6 after three periods.

No. 10-ranked Morgan Academy (3-3) tied the game at 25-all on a 53-yard catch-and-run from Andrew Thomas to Allen Lightfoot for Lightfoot’s first varsity touchdown with 3:46 to play. The try for the extra point was wide left.

Valiant Cross took two plays to answer – a 46-yard run by Jackson and a 16-yard run by Jackson for the go-ahead score. The extra point was no good, but the Warriors led 32-25.

The Senators threw an interception on their next play from scrimmage, and Jackson settled the matter four plays later when he found Corey Brown for 50 yards and a TD on third-and-17.

“It was disappointing,” Senators coach Danny Raines said. “Our kids played hard, but we just didn’t do a real good job containing their quarterback.

“Once he got outside … we had opportunities to get him, and when we didn’t get him, we weren’t going to catch him because of his speed.”

Jackson opened the scoring with an 81-yard TD with 6:35 to play in the first quarter. Morgan Academy tied it at 6-all on 2-yard touchdown by John Allen Ingram.

Wendell Jackson’s 15-yard run put the Warriors back in front at 12-6 with 8:07 to play in the third quarter. The Senators tied it at 12-all on a 1-yard sneak by Thomas 43 seconds into the final period.

A 2-yard Ingram TD gave Morgan Academy a 19-12 edge, but Jackson tied it just seconds later with a 68-yard TD. A 35-yard Jackson touchdown made it 25-19 with 4:55 to play.

Ingram paced Morgan Academy with 27 carries for 152 yards.