By Dan Smith

Charles Henderson High junior running back Jabronski Williams bulled his way for 214 yards rushing and five touchdowns as the Trojans earned a Class 5A playoff berth with a 64-26 win over Booker T. Washington Friday night in Troy’s Veterans-Memorial Stadium.

CHHS captured the fourth seed in Class 5A, Region 2, and after a regular-season finale at Northview of Dothan this upcoming Thursday night, appear to be headed to Demopolis for the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs on Friday, Nov. 6.

“That’s what we’ve been talking about, in making the playoffs,” said CHHS head coach Brad McCoy. “I think these kids a lot of time dwell on the record and they can get down on themselves, but we tell them to keep pushing on and keep working and getting better, and once you get in the playoffs the records don’t matter.

“One of the biggest goals we have had over the last four weeks is eliminating mistakes. I really think our mistakes have went down. Our turnovers have gone down and again, when you do those things, the outcome will improve. I’m extremely proud for them because they have worked to get better.”

The Trojans quickly jumped out to a lead when Williams took the ball in from 5-yards out on the first possession for CHHS, and Baylor Barnes kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Williams scored again a short time later with a 9-yard TD carry, and a 13-0 CHHS lead.

Booker T. scored on the ensuing kickoff with an 85-yard return by Dyrese Hubbard, and the two-point conversion pass from Lewis O’Neal to Orrye Corder for the 13-8 CHHS lead.

The Golden Eagles kicked off to CHHS and Nick Lewis then raced untouched 75-yards for a touchdown and a 19-8 Trojan advantage.

Booker T. scored again on an O’Neal 5-yard run in the closing minute of the first quarter to cut the lead to 19-14, and Baylor Barnes of CHHS split the uprights for a 32-yard field goal with 9:41 to play in the first half, and a 22-14 Charles Henderson lead.

Jared Wilson of CHHS scored from 1-yard out and Barnes kicked the PAT to put CHHS up 29-14, and Williams scored his third TD on a 10-yard carry to make the score 36-14 which stood at halftime.

The Trojans took the second half kickoff and moved 65 yards in three plays, with sophomore quarterback Noah Lowery hitting Jalante Smith for a 45-yard TD strike, and a 43-14 lead.

Keldrick Adams broke a 63-yard TD run for the Golden Eagles to make the score 43-20, but CHHS scored on their next possession when Williams pushed his way in from 15-yards, and the Barnes PAT was good for the 50-20 score.

Williams, a junior, scored his fifth TD of the night from 17-yards out in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and a 57-20 CHHS advantage, and Booker T. added a score with 3:13 to play on a 65-yard punt return by Tomaz Prichett.

The final score of the night was a 3-yard TD carry by Wilson for the 64-26 tally.

McCoy was pleased with the team effort, their ability to greatly reduce mistakes, and the inspired running of Williams.

“I tell you – Junior as we call him – really sees that outside zone-stretch play that we run, and of course he has great speed, but he reads the blocks very well, and those big linemen get out there and move the front side to side. He did a great job.”

In addition to the 214 yards by Williams, Wilson rushed for 83 yards and two TD’s while Lowery passed for 89 yards and a TD.

Coach McCoy and his Trojans, now 4-5 on the year, turn their focus to Class 6A Northview, this upcoming Thursday night in Dothan.

“Northview is a good football team, that has made it to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, so their confidence level is high,” McCoy said.

“They have a great quarterback that just committed to UAB this week in Tyler Marshall, so he is going to be a big time challenge. But if you get out of those games with no injuries, it should give us a good dry run for the first round of the playoffs.

“It looks like it will be Demopolis. We will know once we get everything ironed on out tonight. It will be a challenge from here on out.”