North Jackson quarterback Trey Harris passes the ball during their prep football game against DAR at North Jackson High School on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015, in Stevenson, Ala.STEVENSON, Ala. - Welcome to North Jackson football, Sardis.
In the first meeting between the programs, North Jackson used the same formula it has for years - a punishing rushing attack and stingy defense - to clobber the visiting Lions 48-28 on Thursday night at R.D. Hicks Stadium.
The Chiefs offense was so good, not even their own first-half mistakes slowed them down. Ranked No. 9 in the latest Alabama Class 4A state poll, North Jackson overcame a sluggish start that included eight penalties and a lost fumble in its own territory, all before halftime.
The Chiefs still built a 20-point halftime lead, and once they corrected the miscues and began hitting on all cylinders in the second half, they were able to cruise to the Region 7-4A win.
"We were sloppy, especially in the second and fourth quarters, but we jumped on them early and took control early in the second half," Chiefs coach Mark Rose said. "I liked how physical we were, and I'm really proud of the way our defense took away their run game and made them one-dimensional."
North Jackson (3-1, 3-0) limited the Lions to 1 rushing yard in the first half.
The Chiefs scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and put the game away with three more quick scores, highlighted by a 65-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trey Harris, to build a 48-7 lead in the third quarter. Sardis took advantage of facing North Jackson backups for three fourth-quarter scores.
The senior backfield tandem of Harris and running back Omar "Tank" Brown helped the Chiefs pile up 424 rushing yards. Harris led the way with 228 on 14 carries, including more than 100 by halftime, while Brown added 165 on 21 carries. Both scored three touchdowns.
"We just come out and try to make it as tough on the other team as we can and do everything we can to help our team win," Harris said. "We had to come out fast and jump on them early," Harris said. "Once we got up on them we got sluggish, but we were able to put them away."
The Chiefs, who have won 18 region titles in the program's 27-year history, have scored 40-plus points in each of their last three games. North Jackson will host cross-county rival Scottsboro next week in a nonregion game.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.