JUNCTION CITY -- England played three quarters of high-level football, which was enough for a 31-26 victory of Junction City on Friday night at Dragon Stadium.
[HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD: Full results + recaps, photos and more]
Junction City was ahead 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, but England outscored the Dragons 31-12 from there on.
"That's what we discussed all week. They're a good team and are ranked No. 1 in 2A for a reason," Junction City Coach David Carpenter said. "We had to get after it. England did what a championship level team does, and that's to just keep playing. That's the sign of a good club."
With England (2-0) ahead 24-20, Junction City faced a fourth-and-5 from its own 45, but Dragon quarterback Joe Lowe's pass fell incomplete.
On the ensuing play, England's Malik Coleman took a handoff from quarterback Brayden Brazeal and sprinted down the field nearly untouched for a 45-yard touchdown. After Brock Miller's extra point, England led 31-20 with 3:58 left to play.
The Dragons (1-1) found a way to make the closing moments interesting.
Junction City capped a seven-play drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Lowe. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete as the score remained 31-26 with 2:29 left on the clock.
The Dragons nearly recovered the onside kick. The ball hit off the ground, but England's B.J. Thompson grabbed it to give the Lions possession.
The Lions punted with 1:26 remaining in regulation, and Brazeal's punt hit the ground and rolled to the Junction City 15.
The Dragons moved the ball to the 35, but England defensive back Marc Westbrook intercepted a pass to seal the victory.
Senior running back Demontauz Gray ran for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 carries. He accounted for both of Junction City's first-half touchdowns.
Early in the opening quarter, he ran 34 yards for a touchdown. He later scored on a 5-yard carry with 3:30 left in the first quarter to give the Dragons a 14-0 lead.
England then came alive.
With 7:47 left in the second quarter, Coleman scored on a run of 6 yards. The two-point completion sliced the Lions' deficit to 14-8, which was the halftime score.
Junction City went ahead 20-8 with 8:09 left in the third quarter, but Coleman scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion made it 20-16
With 4:35 left in the fourth quarter, England claimed its first lead of the game when Brazeal powered his way into the end zone for a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The two-point conversion increased England's lead to 24-20.
Lowe completed 6 of 17 passes for 113 yards and one interception for the Dragons.
Coleman led the way for England with 29 carries for 115 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brazeal completed 7 of 17 passes for 136 yards.
Sports on 09/10/2016