Desperately needing a win to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot out of MHSAA Region 3-1A, the Ethel Tigers (3-3, 2-1) used nearly every facet of the game to defeat the region foe Leake County Gators (2-4, 1-3) last Friday night 38-24.
Senior WR/DB Julius Erving was seemingly all over the field, scoring four times, two defensively on a scoop-and-score from 26 yards out and a 65-yard pick-six to close out the contest with just 27 seconds remaining on the clock. Erving also scored on a first quarter three-yard touchdown strike from Ethel senior quarterback Hayes Wood and a six-yard second quarter run with 11:17 left in the half.
Ethel grabbed an early lead on Erving’s first touchdown of the night when Wood found him from three yards out to take an 8-0 lead with 8:23 left in the first quarter. The Tigers took the 8-0 lead into the second quarter and Julius Erving quickly found the end zone once again on a six-yard run with 11:17 remaining in the half, pushing the Ethel lead to 14-0. Leake County found the end zone for the first time about three minutes later, conversion good, to pull within six points of the lead, 14-8. The Gators would take the lead about four minutes later when they scored again, two-point run good, pushing the score to 16-14. With time running out in the first half, the Ethel defense scored one for the home team when Julius Erving picked up a fumble with nine seconds remaining and raced 26 yards to pay dirt, run good, giving the Tigers a 22-16 lead going into the half.
Both teams swapped possessions in the third quarter until Ethel freshman running back Tanner Reeves broke loose on a 33-yard run, run good, increasing the Tiger lead to 30-16 with 4:13 remaining in the quarter. Leake County scored its last touchdown with a little over minute left in the third quarter, run good, to pull within six points of the Tiger lead, 30-24.
The fourth quarter was a defensive struggle for both squads until the Gators put together a drive that would threaten the Tiger lead. Leake County had marched deep into Tiger territory near the Ethel 35-yard line with less than a minute remaining in the contest. Julius Erving capped his huge night for the Tigers when he stepped in front of a Gator pass and ran it back for a 65-yard touchdown, run good, with just 27 seconds remaining to seal the victory for Ethel.
“Going in we told the guys all week that this was going to be a dog fight; it was going to be a war,” said Ethel head football coach Hogan Briscoe. “We knew that they were going to come in ready to play and we knew that they were going to be very, very athletic. The thing we have been preaching all year is to change the way people look at Ethel football, and even through a loss last week (JZ George), I think we did that. I give all the credit to the players because the kids said that they will be the difference. We are going to be the change, and if you were in the stadium tonight (Friday), it was unbelievable. It was a really hard fought and emotional win for us over a very tough Leake County football team.”
The offensive leaders for the Tigers were Sean Williams with 54 yards on 24 carries; Reeves with 45 yards on four carries; Wood, who was 4-of-5 through the air for 44 yards and a touchdown and Julius Erving with three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown and 10 yards on four carries with another touchdown.
The defensive leaders for the Tigers were Julius Erving with seven tackles, interception with a touchdown and a fumble recovery that he ran in for another touchdown; Akeem Erving with 12 tackles, four TFL’s and a sack and Jacob Stander with 13 tackles; Reeves with 11 tackles.
Ethel will travel to Sebastopol Friday night for another Region 3-1A tilt at 7 p.m.
