JOURNAL SPORTS

Captain Shreve roared out of the gate and held on for dear life Thursday night.

The Gators scored the first eight times they touched the ball, but a plucky Benton bunch got to the end zone the last seven times the Tigers took possession in a 59-48 District 1-5A victory for Shreve on its Senior Night at Lee Hedges Stadium.

Captain Shreve (3-1, 3-0) led 38-7 in the third quarter before Benton (0-4, 0-3) erupted for the second straight week. The Tigers came from way back last Friday to fall just short against Huntington, 59-57.

This time, Benton closed within 52-42 coming down the stretch in the fourth quarter but couldn’t convert an onsides kick and Shreve rode senior All-State running back Jamarcea Plater downfield to the clinching TD, a 5-yard Gabe Lockett run with 1:21 left. The Tigers added a last-second TD.

After rushing for more than 2,000 yards in his first season as a running back last fall, Plater had his first big game this season. He scored four times (runs of 8, 2, 3 and 78 yards) and had 261 rushing yards on 26 carries.

Benton’s rally was led by junior quarterback Malachi Zeigler, who accounted for 432 total yards (362 passing) and five TDs (passes of 54, 11, 65 and 38 yards, and a 6-yard run).

The Gators go to defending district champ Airline next Friday in a rematch of a 69-68 Vikings victory last Oct. 5.