By Kelsey Prose
The North Jackson Chiefs now clinch a playoff berth with their 27-9 win over Class 4A Region 7 foe St. John Paul II on Friday night. The conditions for a clean game were not in either teams favor as severe rain and weather set in during the second quarter, but the Chiefs had set up a good lead to help them overcome. North Jackson scored the first 14 points of the game in their first two drives as Diego Holt punched in the first touchdown from 10 yards out and Brady Cunningham scored on a 30-yard run the next drive. Both teams struggled to maintain possession of the ball during the second quarter but North Jackson was able to score with less than a minute to go in the half when Macklin Guess rushed in from 5 yards out taking the Chiefs lead to 21-0 as they headed into the break. If the second quarter was bad, the third quarter was horrific as both teams struggled to control the ball during the weather. St. John Paul II fumbled in the red zone but North Jackson couldn’t convert. As the Chiefs lined up to punt the ball, the snap flew over the punter’s head and out the back of the endzone to give the Falcons a safety and two points. The Falcon’s capitalized and scored on a 43-yard trick play to cut the deficit to 21-9, but Macklin Guess sealed the win for the Chiefs with a kickoff return for a touchdown on the ensuing drive. North Jackson, currently the No. 3-seed, faces off with New Hope (3-5, 1-5) on Friday night at R.D. Hicks Stadium for the Chiefs final Class 4A Region 7 matchup before the post season.
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