By Kelsey Prose
The North Jackson Chiefs (5-4, 5-2) secured their second win in a row and a playoff spot as they defeated region foe New Hope 48-7 on Friday night at R.D. Hicks Stadium. The Chiefs celebrated “Senior Night” with a four-touchdown halftime lead and a broken state record. Junior linebacker Will Sims broke the AHSAA state record for recovering four fumbles in one game, which Briarwood Christian previously set in 2012 with three fumble recoveries.
North Jackson got on the board first when Macklin Guess rushed in his own 5-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter. The Chiefs then scored two touchdowns back-to-back, a 12-yard touchdown run by quarterback Dalton Morris and a 1-yard run by Guess, giving the Chiefs a dynamic 20-0 lead. Just before the teams broke for the half, Sims made his fourth fumble recovery and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown to give the Chiefs a 28-0 halftime lead.
Touchdowns came in the second half from Diego Holt for 17-yards and Guess for 10 yards and 20 yards. Holt led the Chiefs in rushing with 25 carries for 185 yards while Guess ran for 50 yards. Morris was 13-of-24 passing for 159 yards, with Brady Cunningham catching six passes for 55 yards.
North Jackson closes out their regular season by traveling to Fort Payne to take on the 5-4 Wildcats. The Chiefs will travel to Gordo (7-2, 5-1 Class 4A Region 5) for round one of the AHSAA state playoffs on November 5, 2021.
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