When Winona quarterback Jekeyvion Burnley went down with injury against Water Valley, it was cause for concern.
But freshman quarterback Chase Richardson took all that concern away as he led the Tigers to 23 unanswered points and the Tigers to a 36-14 win over the Red Devils.
The Tigers improve to 4-0 on the season and will face their biggest test of the season so far as they take on Class 6A Madison Central this week.
For Coach Joey Tompkins, it was a complete win for the Tigers.
“I thought we had a complete offensive and defensive effort,” Tompkins said. “We made some mistakes, that’s for sure. As far as us coming out and controlling the football game, we did that and I was pleased. And we battled through some adversity, and I was really proud of that.”
The game didn’t start well for the Tigers as the Blue Devils recovered a Winona fumble and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. The PAT was good, and Water Valley led 7-0 early in the first quarter.
But the Tigers answered as Jekeyvion Burnley hit Dadarion Small on a 21-yard touchdown pass. Noah Durham’s kick failed, and Water Valley kept its 7-6 lead through the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, disaster struck as Burnley left the game with a high ankle sprain, and freshman Chase Richardson lined up behind center. The Tigers didn’t miss a step as Richardson hit Robert Cross on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Richardson ran in the two-point conversion, and Winona took a 14-7 lead.
Richardson continued his strong play as he connected for a second touchdown, hitting Robert McMath on a 25-yard strike with six seconds left in the second. Durham’s kick was good, and Winona led 21-7 at the half.
“I thought Chris played well, especially for a ninth grader,” Tompkins said. “He hasn’t had that many reps. We are just going to have to get him ready in a hurry. It’s tough when you lose your quarterback in the middle of the game. That’s the toughest position on the field to play, especially with what we do. But that’s part of football, and that happens.”
The only score in the third quarter was a safety by Winona’s Toi Allen to make the score 23-7.
The Tigers extended the lead to 30-7 in the fourth when Deriaun Townsend scored on a 4-yard run. Durham’s PAT was good, and Winona led 30-7.
As the Tigers subbed late in the fourth, Water Valley added its only offensive score with a 56-yard run to make the score 30-14.
But the Tigers squashed any thoughts of a comeback as Small returned the ensuing kick 80 yards for a touchdown for the final margin of 36-14.
“It could have been worse than the final,” Tompkins said. “We played really well on defense and only gave one score late and that was with our subs in. We got inside the 10 twice and didn’t score, and that’s my fault. That happens sometimes, but we fought back and the defense got us the ball back. I thought that was the best game we have played on defense in a long time.”
On offense, the Tigers had 146 yards passing as Richardson was 7-of-11 for 92 yards and two TDs while Burnley was 7-of-7 for 54 yards and one TD before getting injured.
Townsend led the rushing attack with 201 yards on 26 carries. McMath had eight catches for 61 yards and a TD while Small had three catches for 52 yards. Cross had two catches for 32 yards and a TD.
“I thought Townsend had a really good game,” Tompkins said. “He carried it 26 times which is the most a running back has carried it since I have been here. We normally don’t keep handing to off to the same person, but our other running back was hurt and the quarterback was hurt as well. But he is our workhorse, and he is what we thought he was.”
With a reduced schedule because of division opponents opting out of the season, finding opponents for open dates was a challenge.
So when Class 6A Madison Central called looking for a game, Tompkins took the game.
“We have a seven-game schedule, and I thought we needed to play and that’s why I took the game,” Tompkins said. “I have tried to get other games and can’t get them. They called us early on, and you never know what game is going to get cancelled. To be prepared for the playoffs, you have to play. I didn’t really have a choice, we have to play. If you don’t play, you aren’t going to get any better. You can’t just sit at home every week, you have to play.”
Madison Central is 3-1 on the season with wins over Northwest Rankin (31-20), Pearl (35-7) and Clinton (35-14). Their lone loss was a 6-0 setback to Brandon.
“They are very sound, very fast and very big up front on the offensive line, just like you would expect a 6A team to be,” Tompkins said. “They aren’t as big on the defensive line. Honestly, they are probably better than us on paper, but games aren’t played on paper. Football is played between the lines and anything can happen. It will be a challenge.”
