West Lauderdale High School’s Kurt Rackley bounces to the outside against North Pike High School en route to scoring on a 45-yard touchdown run with 1:19 to go in the second quarter during their game Friday. Rackley’s score would put the Knights ahead 7-3 at the half.

COLLINSVILLE — The West Lauderdale High School football team improved its record to 12-0 on the season with a hard-fought, 21-11 victory over the North Pike High School Jaguars in the first round of the Class 4A football playoffs. 

The Jaguars entered the game sporting a 5-6 record, but Knights coach Stan McCain wasn’t taking North Pike lightly. 

“North Pike has a good team,” McCain said. “Every team in the playoffs is there for a reason. We like to control the ball and run clock, and they got us out of that a little, but we were able to make some big plays, and our defense is playing better, which is what we’ve got to continue doing. You’ve got to play good defense to win a championship.” 

As for the Knights’ defense, they kept the Jaguars out of the end zone for a little more than three quarters, giving up a first-quarter field goal after North Pike recovered a Knight fumble and set up shop at the Knight 31-yard line. Michael Washington, Tylo Phillips, Tanner Rainer and the Newbaker brothers, Jason and Justin, made big plays that held the Jaguars at bay, giving Turbo McKee and the Knight offense time to get on track and find the endzone. 

“We really focused on wrapping up and tackling and did a good job tonight, but we can get better,” Rainer said. “We do everything as a team, and this was a good team win.”

West took the opening kick and, on the second play from scrimmage McKee dropped back and was hit, causing the ball to come loose. A Jaguar defender jumped on the ball to set North Pike up at the West 31-yard line. 

The Knights allowed the Jaguars to reach the 1-yard line, but Phillips, Washington and Jason Newbaker dropped the Jaguars quarterback for a loss on third down, and North Pike settled for a Reagan Ivey 25-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 7:41 remaining in the first frame. 

Both defenses stiffened, and neither team could find any traction for most of the first half. 

Late in the second quarter, West forced a Jaguar punt, and three plays later, Kurt Rackley raced around the left end and turned on the jets for a 45-yard touchdown jaunt. Braden Luke tacked on the PAT to give West a 7-3 lead at intermission. 

North Pike took the second-half kickoff and moved the ball to the Knights’ 29-yard line, but Washington broke through and stopped the Jaguar runner short on fourth down, causing a turnover on downs. 

West answered with a drive to the Jaguar 16-yard line, but a Knight fumble caused the drive to stall. North Pike took the ball and started moving down the field before Thomas Webster picked off a Jaguar pass to kill the drive. 

The Knights took advantage of the Jaguar miscue when Keshun Grace ran up the middle and raced 76 yards for Knight touchdown. Luke’s kick was true to give West a 14-3 lead with 10:25 to play in the game. 

North Pike took the ensuing kick and, with the help of some West Lauderdale penalties, went 90 yards in 13 plays, with Bryceon Magee taking it in from a yard out. Magee bulled in in the try for two to make it 14-11 with 6:37 remaining. 

West recovered the ensuing onside kick, and McKee, Rackley and Grace pounded the ball to the Jaguar 4-yard line, where Damion Mack bulled in for the score. Luke finished the scoring with his PAT kick to give West the 21-11 win. 

Grace paced the Knights rushing attack with 143 yards on nine attempts and a touchdown. 

Rackley added 87 yards and a score. 

West will continue its hunt for a championship next Friday, hosting Purvis High School in the second round of the Class 4A postseason.