JOURNAL STAFF
HAUGHTON – Malachi Johnson ran for 192 yards and three scores to lead Byrd to a 31-28 District 1-5A win over Haughton at Harold Harlan Stadium Friday night.
For the Yellow Jackets it was their second win in consecutive weeks after starting the season 0-4 including dropping their first district game.
Johnson had scoring runs of 62 and 60 yards in the first quarter and Abram Murray added a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter as the Yellow Jackets took a 17-6 lead at halftime.
Haughton’s lone score of the half came on a 49-yard pass from Christian Turner to Zu’Mondous Davis.
The second half started out like a defensive battle as the Bucs got the only score of the third quarter on a Turner 1-yard run to pull within 17-14.
The fourth quarter was a different story as both teams exchanged scores a couple times.
Byrd’s Harrison Ayres scored on a 5-yard run on the first play of the final stanza to give the Jackets back their 10-point cushion, 24-14.
Turner got his second rushing touchdown on a 9-yarder with a little more than nine minutes left and the Bucs were within three, 24-21.
Byrd (2-4, 2-1) got what ended up being the clincher when Johnson broke loose for his third score, a 40-yard gallop with four minutes to go.
Turner and Davis hooked up again, this time for 76 yards, and Haughton cut the lead to 31-28 with just under three minutes left. But Byrd held on.
The Jackets finished with 373 yards on the ground with Ayres adding 76 yards on 13 carries, Desmond Simmons 69 yards on 17 totes and Quintin Hilliard 32 on five.
Turner completed 17-of-37 passes for 293 yards, tossing two touchdowns and one interception. Davis finished with four catches for 141 yards. Jalen Lewis led the Bucs with six receptions and had 76 yards.
Byrd will host Parkway for homecoming in a game that has been moved to Thursday night at Independence Stadium.
Haughton is at home again to face Airline, also on Thursday.
BYRD 31, HAUGHTON 28
Byrd 14 3 0 14 – 31
Haughton 6 0 8 14 – 28
By – Malachi Johnson 62 run (Abram Murray kick)
Hau – Zu’Mondous Davis 49 pass from Christian Turner (kick failed)
By – Johnson 60 run (Murray kick)
By – Murray 23 FG
Hau – Turner 1 run (Jalen Lewis pass from Turner)
By – Ayres 5 run (Murray kick)
Hau – Turner 9 run (Ebarb kick)
By – Johnson 40 run (Murray kick)
Hau – Davis 76 pass from Turner (Ebarb kick)
RUSHING – Byrd, Malachi Johnson 9-192, 3 TDs; Harrison Ayres 13-76, 1 TD; Desmond Simmons 17-69; Quintin Hilliard 5-32; Haughton, Christian Turner 14-33; D. Moss 6-27; Chris Mayes 1-3
PASSING – Byrd, Asher Murray 1-1-0-7. Hau, Turner 17-37-1-293, 2 TDs.
RECEIVING – Byrd, Matthew Booras 1-7. Hau, Jalen Lewis 6-76; Z Davis 4-141, 2 TDs, C Salas 1-12, Mar. Montgomery 1-19, D. Moss 1-16, J. Montgomery 1-13, B. Bockhaus 1-9, Carter Ebarb 1-5.