In a hard-fought rivalry matchup that came down to the wire, the Ethel Tigers held off the McAdams Bulldogs for a 21-18 victory Friday night in the annual Attala County Super Bowl.
Ethel struck first in the opening quarter when Zantavious Clark capped a drive with a 7-yard touchdown run and followed up with the two-point conversion to put the Tigers up 8-0. McAdams responded before the quarter ended with a 4-yard touchdown run by Jayden Young to cut the deficit to 8-6.
The back-and-forth action continued into the second quarter. Taylon May extended Ethel’s lead on a 21-yard touchdown run, but the Bulldogs answered back as Young broke free for a 59-yard touchdown run to keep the game tight at 14-12 heading into halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, Ethel built a two-score cushion in the fourth when Clark found the end zone again on an 18-yard touchdown run, with Maddox Renfrow adding the crucial extra point to make it 21-12. McAdams fought back to bring the game within three when QB Andre Brown connected with Caden Smith for a 35-yard touchdown pass, but Ethel was able to secure the final possessions to close out the 21-18 win.
Statistically, McAdams posted 342 total yards, generating 324 on the ground. Jayden Young spearheaded the Bulldogs’ backfield with 201 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Andre Brown added 72 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Brown also completed 4-of-7 passes for 17 yards under center, with junior Alonzo Teague adding 15 rushing yards on 3 carries.
For Ethel, Zantavious Clark led the backfield with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, while D’ante Bailey hauled in two passes for 55 yards. Defense for Ethel was anchored by Renfrow with 7.5 tackles, Curt Erving with 6, and an interception by Eli Hill.
“Speed, speed, speed, the Bulldogs have it,” said Ethel head coach Junior Graham after the game. “I thought we had growth tonight upfront on offense, and I thought all the skill guys that touched it for us really ran physically. It’s good to start the second season 1 and 0!”
McAdams outgained Ethel in total yardage 342 to 301, led by a strong ground attack that compiled 324 rushing yards. Jayden Young spearheaded the Bulldogs’ backfield with 201 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Andre Brown added 72 yards and on 10 carries. Alonzo Teague added 15 rushing yards on 3 carries.
Ethel put up 230 yards rushing and 71 yards through the air. Clark led Ethel’s backfield with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, while D’ante Bailey hauled in two passes for 55 yards. Defense for Ethel was anchored by Renfrow with 7.5 tackles, Curt Erving with 6, and an interception by Eli Hill.
McAdams will look to bounce back this Friday, October 9, when they travel to face Sebastopol. Ethel has an open date October 9 and will return to action on October 16 at Noxapater.
