J.S. Clark Leadership Academy didn’t have to wait long for its first playoff victory — or to begin stockpiling its momentum toward that goal.
The No. 13 Bulldogs (7-4) scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions and swarmed No. 20 Central Private (4-7) for enough stops to win the Division-IV Select playoff opener, 55-27, in their first varsity season.
Running back Austin Simon, one of the program’s seniors who had anxiously awaited the opportunity, headlined the performance with five touchdowns on a night on which his feet never seemed to stop moving.
“Since last year, my 11th-grade year, when we found out we were gonna be varsity my senior year, all of my brother, my whole team and coaching staff, everybody had that mindset, ‘Let’s go make this run, bruh. We done waited too long. They kept the dogs in the cage too long. Let’s go get it,'” Simon said. “Me as a senior, I have one chance, so let’s go get it.”
J.S. Clark forced a quick Central Private punt to open the game, then swung quickly downfield for the 6-0 lead.
Junior quarterback Paul Lee Jr. found senior receiver Jeremy Sonnier for an early third-down conversion and eventually junior Jayden Sonnier five plays later for a 28-yard touchdown.
The Redhawks managed early answers, tying the game on a poised third-down throw from senior quarterback Zack Browning to sophomore tight end Wyatt Peterson for a wide-open catch and long run to the end zone.
When the Bulldogs reclaimed a lead on a 49-yard scamper by Simon, Central Private answered on the next play from scrimmage with a 49-yard pop down the sideline by sophomore Mason Coffey.
The Redhawks took the 13-12 lead on the subsequent point-after kick.
But Simon found the end zone again early in the second quarter, beginning to build a recurring theme with which Central Private couldn’t keep up.
Lee and Jeremy Sonnier connected to push the lead to 28-13 before halftime, and Simon’s third touchdown midway through the third quarter appeared to start sending the Bulldogs off to the races, despite the Redhawks’ continued battle throughout.
This article will be further updated…
