Jonesboro-Hodge spotted homestanding Lincoln Prep leads in the first and second half only to come storming back for an inspirational 36-28 victory on Thursday in the District 1-1A opener for both teams. 

With their second straight victory, the Tigers evened their season record to 2-2 and moved to 1-0 in 1-1A play while Lincoln Prep fell to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in district competition. 

Unconventional Wisdom! The back-and-forth contest can only be described as one that went against the normal grain, as unexpected events took center stage and played a huge role in the victory. Here are a few examples. 

Only a Freshman, King Campbell completed 17 passes in only 24 attempts for 241 yards and three touchdowns, setting a new school record for single game completions, highest completion percentage with over 20 attempts (70.33%), and most TD passes in a single game by a freshman. 

Dakota Knox ran for a score while at quarterback and tailback, while also catching a pass for a touchdown while lined up as a receiver, becoming the first JHHS player to score three times from three different offensive positions. 

JHHS linebacker Maurice Baker stepped in at wingback and caught his first pass of the season, which he took for a 40-yard touchdown and the first score of his career. 

The Tigers held Lincoln Prep to just 15 yards in 17 plays in the first half, but the Panthers scored on interception returns of 72 and 102 yards, ranking as the second and fourth longest defensive scores against JHHS in school history. 

Mighty Mite! -Cameron Jackson is listed at 5’9″, 150 lbs. What is the big deal about that, you ask? He is the starting NOSEGUARD. For those not familiar with the position, this is the player who lines up directly across from the center on the defensive line and is usually reserved for one of the larger players on the team. 

Epitomizing the quote by Mark Twain of “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,”  Jackson recorded 2 sacks and four tackles for a loss, all the while going against a player who weighed 330 lbs. – an incredible 180 pounds more than the cat quick sophomore. 

“Cameron has skills that are unique for the position,” said defensive coordinator Carlos Hicks. “He is so low to the ground and so quick off the ball that offensive linemen can’t block him.” 

Dylan Hayes and Sadaar Stevens also played big roles in the victory. Hayes recorded 11 tackles and forced a safety when his rush of the Lincoln Prep quarterback in the end zone forced a pass that was ruled as intentional grounding. Stevens got a sack and, more importantly, the 320-pound lineman went two for two in extra point kick attempts in the second half.  

For the contest, JHHS had 465 yards in total offense while posting 18 first downs, both new season highs. The Tigers were dominant on the defensive side of the ball as well, giving up just 133 total yards and allowing only 7 first downs.

Individual Stats
Passing: Campbell (17-24-241 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int); Knox (2-7-37 yards)
Rushing: Knox 23-83, 2 TD’s
Receiving: Burns 4- 62, 1 TD; Burks 3-59; Johnson 4-43; Knox 3-25, 1 TD; Baker 1-40, 1 TD; Gray 4-17