MADDEN, Miss. (WLBT) – Jackson Academy defeated Leake Academy 63-40 Friday night in a non-district MAIS season opener, with the two defending state champions combining for 1,109 yards of total offense in a back-and-forth contest that saw the Raiders pull away in the second half.
Leake strikes first, Jackson answers
Leake Academy got on the board first when Garrett Adcock scored on an outside run to give the Rebels a 7-0 lead.
Jackson Academy responded quickly. Running back Aaric Beasley took a handoff to the outside and outran the defense to the end zone to tie the game at 7.
Back and forth in a lengthy first quarter
Leake quarterback Majure Chandler then connected with Easton Page on a deep pass down the sideline. Page created separation and scored to give the Rebels a 13-7 lead after a missed extra point.
Beasley answered again with another long run, bouncing off defenders and reaching the end zone to put Jackson Academy back in front. Beasley finished the night with 311 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries, breaking the single-game rushing record at Jackson Academy.
Later in the first quarter, Jackson Academy quarterback Peyton Smith connected deep with Braylan Short for another Raider score. Jackson Academy scored five touchdowns in the first quarter alone while Leake scored three, with the Raiders holding a 49-32 lead at halftime.
Raiders pull away in second half
Jackson Academy outscored Leake Academy 7-0 in the third quarter to extend the lead to 56-32. Both teams added a touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving the Raiders the 63-40 final.
Smith finished with 267 passing yards and four touchdowns. Chandler threw for 400 yards and five touchdowns for Leake Academy in the loss.
Jackson Academy will host Oak Forest Academy next week, while Leake Academy travels to Mendenhall to face Simpson County Academy.
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