Football Topples No. 6 Commerce, 14-13

he East Jackson football team defeated sixth-ranked Commerce 14-13 Friday night in front of a record crowd inside Eagle Stadium. The win over Commerce was East Jackson's first win against a ranked opponent in school-history, the school's first win over Commerce, and lifts the Eagles record to 1-1 on the season. 

East Jackson's Drew Richardson scored the game-winning touchdown with 8:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, his second rushing touchdown of the night. The touchdown and converted extra point gave the Eagles the one-point lead.

From there, the Eagles withstood any effort from the Tigers, including a 4th and 17 with 1:03 remaining in the game, a play that ended with an incomplete pass for the Tigers. Richardson finished the night with 51 yards rushing, his two touchdowns, and 86 yards passing.

The Eagles finished with 138 yards rushing as a team, with Jamarion Parks finishing with a team-high 16 carries for 83 yards. Five different receivers caught a pass on the night, with Branturan Callahan hauling in three passes and Brady Saunders finishing with four. The Eagles converted five of their 10 third down opportunities and racked up 17 first downs in the win. 

Defensively, East Jackson limited Commerce to just 227 yards on the night, a massive success considering Commerce's Tysean Wiggins rushed for 221 yards in a loss to Wesleyan the week prior. Aaron Blackman finished with seven tackles on the night, including one for a loss, while Chase Wingfield tallied six tackles and also blocked the Commerce extra point that ultimately made the difference in the final score. 

Kole Smith finished with three tackles, one for loss, and forced a fumble. JZ Lester finished with five tackles, including two for a loss. 

East Jackson visits Dawson County on Friday night. Dawson County is 0-1 on the season, following a 38-7 loss to East Forsyth last week.