JUNCTION CITY – Jamal Johnson had five touchdowns and was one of three players to top 100 yards rushing, as the Dragons snapped a three-game losing streak with a 60-28 win over Parkers Chapel in an 8-2A tilt between Union County rivals at David Carpenter Stadium on Friday.
A senior, Johnson threw touchdown passes of 35 yards to Jakourion Key and 25 yards to Hayden Hudson that were sandwiched around an 11-yard run by AJ Ivory that gave the Dragons a 24-0 lead in the opening period.
Overall, Johnson went 6-of-7 passing for 128 yards while adding 109 yards rushing on just six carries.
However, the Trojans fought back.
Payton Willeford scored on an 8-yard run with 16 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 24-6.
Willeford scored his second touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run early in the second quarter to cut the Dragons’ lead to 24-12.
The schools then went back and forth, scoring six more touchdowns in the quarter between them.
Johnson scored on a 9-yard run at the 7:33 mark that extended the lead to 32-12 after Jakob Smith caught Johnson’s pass on the two-point conversion.
Lancer Clark answered for the Trojans with the first of his two touchdowns in the game, scoring on a 48-yard run with Willeford’s run on the two-point conversion making it 32-20.
That would be as close as the Trojans would get, as Junction City scored twice in a span of 73 seconds to break the game open.
Jordavion Williams, who had 118 yards on 16 carries, scored on a 4-yard run and added the two-point conversion to make it 38-20.
Johnson followed with an 11-yard scoring run before finding Key on the two-point conversion to push the lead to 46-20.
Willeford connected with Clark on a 66-yard strike with Willeford’s run on the two-point conversion pulling the Trojans within 46-28.
Ivory, who had 147 yards on 14 carries, scored his second touchdown of the game on an 11-yard run to close the scoring in the first half to give the Dragons a 52-28 edge.
Johnson scored the lone points in the second half on a 10-yard run with Ryan Allen catching Johnson’s pass on the two-point conversion to make the final margin.
Overall, the Dragons finished with 516 yards of total offense, including 388 yards on the ground.
Willeford accounted for 197 yards combined passing and rushing with three scores in the contest.
Clark added 137 yards rushing and receiving with two touchdowns for the Trojans.
Junction City (3-4, 1-1) hits the road next week to take on Hampton.
Parkers Chapel (1-4, 1-1) returns home to face Fordyce.