STEVENSON, Ala. -- Just two rounds into the postseason, North Jackson has an opportunity to avenge a regular-season loss.
Five weeks ago the Chiefs blew a 15-point first-half lead, failing to score in the second half in allowing Guntersville to claim a 30-23 win. That snapped a 33-game region win streak for the Chiefs, but tonight they travel to Guntersville with a berth in Alabama's Class 4A quarterfinals on the line.
"The guys are hungry for this one," Chiefs coach Shawn Peek said. "It's not often you get an opportunity like this, to play somebody who already got you. This is the first time I've had a chance like this as a coach."
The first meeting was the only game this season that North Jackson failed to have a passing touchdown, and Guntersville scored three times off five Chiefs turnovers, including four interceptions. But those aerial struggles won't prevent the Chiefs -- who average 249 passing yards and 42 points per game -- from continuing to throw the ball. The area's most productive receiving tandem has made the switch to the spread offense more than just a passing fancy for North Jackson.
Senior Jovani Taylor and junior Montel Hale have each surpassed school records for passes caught, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in a season, combining to catch 114 passes for 1,973 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Hale, a 5-foot-9, 160-pounder, also has 529 rushing yards, 10 TDs and leads the team with a 26.6-yard punt-return average. His speed is a nice complement to Taylor's more bruising approach. At 6-2 and 185 pounds, Taylor averages nearly 16 yards per catch, with most of that coming after contact.
"They both get a lot of yards after the catch but use different styles to do it," Peek said. "Jovani uses his strength to break tackles and get open, while Montel will just make people miss or run past them.
"They had always been good players, but they have dedicated themselves this year to being special. I really think we got our confidence back by going to Brooks and winning the way we did last week."
In last week's first-round upset at seventh-ranked Brooks, Hale scored two TDs, helping the team rally from a six-point halftime deficit to claim the 200th victory in the 22-year history of the program.
Stephen has covered high school sports in the tri-state area since the early 1990s, starting at the News-Free Press as a 19-year-old reporter. He has been with the Times Free Press since its inception and has been an assistant sports editor for more than seven years. Stephen is among the most decorated writers in the TFP’s newsroom, winning numerous state and regional awards for his writing on high school athletics. He has two children, Riley ...
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