Despite falling behind early, the Newton County Academy Generals had little trouble with Kemper Academy on Friday night.
The Generals used a balanced offensive attack and scored 38 unanswered points in the first half and took a 52-14 win over Kemper Academy.
With the win, the Generals improve to 5-2 on the season and 4-0 in District 2-2A play. The win also secures a district championship and first-round bye in the playoffs for the Generals.
NCA coach Steve Nelson said his team could have played better.
“When you win it’s hard to be mad but we have to play better,” Nelson said. “I didn’t thin that we played with the focus that we need t for the entire game. It’s getting the time of yer where we can’t be overlooking anybody. We are playing hard but should be playing a little better. We just need to do a better job of controlling the game from start to finish.”
But despite the slow start, Nelson said he was pleased with where the Generals were.
“The kids have done everything that I have asked,” Nelson said. “We have three games left and have a chance to win all of those and we will see if we can get enough power points to move up to the No. 2 seed. But we are happy where we are as division champions.”
The Rams got the ball to start the game and hit a 68-yard touchdown on their second play of the game and converted the two-point conversion to go up 8-0.
But the Generals answered right back as they went 40 yards in three plays as Colby Hollingsworth scored on a 29-yard. Hollingsworth also scored the two-point try to tie the game at 8-8.
NCA’s next score came midway through the first quarter when Trace Evans hit Paxton Russell on a 70-yard touchdown pass. Hollingsworth ran in the two-point try and the Generals took a 16-8 lead.
While the NCA defense forced a fumble and a punt, the NCA offense got another score as Hunter Scarbrough scored on a 15-yard touchdown run. Scarbrough also ran in the two-point conversion and NCA led 24-8.
After another Kemper punt, the Generals dug deep in the playbook as Braxton Kelly hit Micah Garrison on a 19-yard reverse pass. Evans hit Kelly on the two-point conversion and NCA led 32-8.
The NCA defense got in on the scoring when Kelly intercepted a pass returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. The try for two failed and NCA led 38-8.
Kemper got its last score on a 15-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 38-14.
But the Generals answered with a seven-play, 57-yard drive as Hollingsworth scored on a 5-yard run and converted the two-point conversion to lead 46-14 at the half.
NCA got the ball to start the second half and needed just one play to score as Hollingsworth went 46 yards. The try for two failed and NCA led 52-14.
“I think we are getting better in the passing game,” Nelson said. “We had some drops which we can’t do. But perhaps we are showing some teams that we can throw and perhaps that will help us down the line.
The Generals had 264 yards rushing and 158 passing for 422 yards of total offense. Hollingsworth led the rushing attack with 180 yards on 14 carries. Scarbrough had 89 yards rushing on four carries. Evans was 5-of-11 passing vow 139 yards. Russell had two catches for 98 yards as well.
On defense, Russell led the Generals with 10 tackles while Hollingsworth had nine tackles. Micah Garrison had seven tackles while Scarbrough added six stops. Reid Terrell and Braxton Kelly each had five tackles while Tyler Castillo had four tackles.
