Knights win over Tiftarea despite big night from Jackson

Published 7:00 am Saturday, October 15, 2022

CHULA — Deerfield-Windsor spoiled Tiftarea Academy’s winning streak Oct. 14 and have now positioned themselves as one of the teams to beat in GIAA District 3-AAA.

The Knights won, 42-21, and join Brookwood as the only team in the region with two wins. Brookwood, Tiftarea’s opponent Oct. 21, ran over Southland Academy to improve to 2-0.

Ethan Johnson will be the player Tiftarea sees in its nightmares. The Knights’ big running back did not pile up a ton of yardage, but seemed to be at the end of every touchdown.

Johnson scored five times for Deerfield-Windsor. Four were on the ground, with the other being a kickoff return to start the 2nd half. The kickoff return started their surge. The Knights were only up 14-7 at halftime, 42-7 after three periods.

J.R. Walker started at quarterback for a banged up Cubbie Crosson, throwing for an official 268 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score. John Jackson and Kam Brown were on the other end of the scoring strikes.

The first half was a relatively quiet one. There were three combined scores between the teams, but most of the drives features a lot of yardage, but no points.

The Panthers were twice stopped on downs in the 1st quarter. In between, Waylon Marbury attempted a 53-yard field goal that fell short of its target.

Deerfield-Windsor scored first, a two-yard run at 1:22. Even the drive teased fizzling out. Thomas Ray had a potential touchdown pass ruled to be caught out of bounds.

Ray picked up a 3rd down with a nine-yard pass to Boles Middleton. With first-and-goal at the 2, Reid Martin ran through the middle for the touchdown. Marbury kicked the first of his six extra points for a 7-0 lead.

Tiftarea’s attempt to answer was short-lived, with the Knights landing on a fumble at the 8 on the first play of the 2nd quarter. Johnson scored his initial touchdown, a five-yard run, two plays later at 11:04.

Walker took over on the next drive, helping the Panthers get back into the game. Having already established a rhythm with Jackson after a 44-yard completion in the opening period, Walker kept going back to him again and again.

Jackson picked up 19 yards to start the drive. A pair of strikes to Hershel Moore resulted in 18 more. Brown was tackled at the Knights’ 32 on a Walker throw.

The Panthers had a hold called against them, but Walker ended that problem when Jackson made an over-the-shoulder catch near the goal line, stepping right in for the TD.

Matthew Malone booted the extra point. At 6:21, the score was close at 14-7.

The remainder of the half saw each side spoil a chance for the other.

Ray threw short to Chewy Willis, which turned into much further as Willis picked up speed. But the Panthers never gave up on the play, grabbing Willis inside the 5 and knocking the ball free. Moore recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchback.

Tiftarea kept the ball for the next 11 plays, soaking up much of the rest of the clock in the half. Jackson had 29 more yards of catches as they steadily picked up yards.

With 23 seconds left and the ball at the 35, a throw went awry and Ray came down with it at the 15. The Knights did not tempt fate and knelt to send the game to intermission.

Between halves, Tiftarea held its homecoming festivities. Ali Strenth was named homecoming queen.

No doubt going into the 2nd half Deerfield-Windsor wanted to put some distance between itself and Tiftarea with a quick strike. They probably did not expect one that came as quickly as it did.

Johnson fielded the 2nd half kickoff at his own 32. He immediately flashed up his own sideline and no one from the Panthers could get an angle on him. Twelve seconds into the 3rd period, the Knights were ahead 21-7.

Tiftarea suffered on the kickoff. Their quarter soon got more difficult.

The Knights pounced on a high snap at the 7. Johnson ran in a four-yard touchdown at 10:23.

Then, Deerfield’s Middleton took possession with a sliding interception at the 48. Four Knights took turns on rushes, Johnson ending it with yet another four-yard score at 3:32.

No time was on the clock when Johnson rumbled in from 10 yards out. The Knights had gotten possession near the end of the quarter on downs at the 28. A Ray pass to Middleton set them up at the 10.

As has been their wont all season, the Panthers exploded in the 4th quarter.

Jackson had a 35-yard catch to Deerfield’s 45. After Brown added five more on a reception, William Garner made his first catch of the year. It was a big one, 24 yards down to the 1.

There, Walker finished off the drive by running around right tackle for the touchdown at 6:57. Brown caught a pass in the end zone for the two-point conversion.

Deerfield-Windsor fell on an onside kick attempt, but did not keep it long. On third down, Walker recovered a fumble.

Tiftarea wouldn’t keep it long, either. On first down at the 40, Walker spotted a wide open Brown for a touchdown. A pass for two was no good.

The Panthers almost had an onside recovery on a bouncing kick by Malone, but Deerfield kept it. This time, the Knights took no risks and let Johnson run it three times to run out the clock.

Walker completed 17 of 27 passes for the Panthers. Seven of those completions went to Jackson, who had 157 yards to go with his touchdown. Brown caught five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.

Caden Grier had a 1st period sack for the Panthers.