Sessions’ 5 total TDs leads WCCA into semifinals

Published 10:01 am Saturday, November 9, 2024

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WOODVILLE — Wilkinson County Christian Academy senior quarterback Jacob Sessions threw two touchdown passes and ran for four more in leading the No. 3 seed Rams to a wild 62-44 win over the No. 6 seed Calhoun Academy Cougars last Friday night in the quarterfinals of the 2024 MAIS 8-Man Class 1A State Playoffs.

Sessions completed five of 10 passes for 91 yards, including touchdown passes of 15 and 33 yards to senior running back Cole Partridge. But Sessions did most of his work in this game on the ground as he racked up 293 yards on 15 carries. He had TD runs of 40 yards in the first quarter, 35 and 50 yards in the third quarter, and 67 yards in the fourth quarter.

Rams junior running back/linebacker Charles Grezaffi had a solid performance on both sides of the ball. He had 10 carries for 68 yards and three touchdowns as well as 11 tackles. He scored on the game’s first play from scrimmage on a 51-yard run just 16 seconds into the game to give WCCA a 6-0 lead. His 1-yard TD run and Dax Doyle’s two-point conversion run at the 2:17 mark of the opening quarter gave the Rams a 20-6 before Calhoun Academy responded with Dawson Nichols’ 18-yard TD run and Carsen Stegall’s two-point conversion pass to Layton Logan near the end of the quarter to make it a 20-14 game.

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Grezaffi ran in from three yards out at the 7:03 mark of the second quarter to give WCCA a 26-14 lead. The Rams went into halftime up 32-22. And they did just enough to stave off any comeback attempt by the Cougars (6-6) in the second half.

Napoleon Howard had four carries for 37 yards and Easton Buteaux had one carry for 24 yards. As a team, the Rams racked up 405 total rushing yards.

Partridge had two catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns while Buteaux had two receptions for 28 yards and Howard had one catch for 15 yards.

Stegall completed eight of 17 passes for 175 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for the Cougars, who also had 167 total rushing yards for a balanced offensive attack. Stegall was also sacked nine times.

Doyle led the Rams’ defense with 14 tackles and two sacks. Tucker Freeman had 11 tackles and four sacks. Gauge Metz had eight tackles and three sacks while Howard had eight tackles himself.

WCCA (8-4) will travel all the way to Marianna, Arkansas to take on No. 2 seed Lee Academy in the semifinals of the MAIS 8-Man Class 1A State Playoffs at 7 p.m. next Friday.