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Vicksburg High receiver Marquis Knight (3) is tackled by Callaway's Waylan King (10) after making a reception during Thursday's game in Jackson. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High and Callaway players pile up at the end of play during Thursday's game in Jackson. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High Decorey Knight Jr. (1) runs with the football during Thursday's game against Callaway. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Callaway's Marvin Moore (5) runs with the football on a punt return in the first quarter of Thursday's game against Vicksburg High. Moore rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Chargers to a 20-14 victory. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High center Jayden Lee (64) snaps the ball to quarterback Jamikal Maxey (17) at halftime of Thursday's game against Callaway. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High Cedrick Blackmore runs with the football during Thursday's game against Callaway. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High quarterback Jamikal Maxey catches the snap as running back Decorey Knight Jr. (1) and receiver Jakoby Smith (5) run the play during Thursday's game against Callaway. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

JACKSON — Different night, same frustrating result for the Vicksburg Gators.

Callaway turned two big special teams plays and a fumble into points, and Marvin Moore rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns as the Chargers defeated Vicksburg 20-14 on Thursday.

Vicksburg (0-8, 0-3 MHSAA Region 2-6A) remained winless this season after taking its fifth loss decided by eight points or less.

“The wins and losses is what they are. It’s moreso just an inability to just play football. That’s it. It’s just an inability to enjoy each other and play football, and don’t take it for granted, and just be here and be disciplined and do what you’re coached up to do and do what you’re taught to do and what you’re raised to do,” Vicksburg coach Christopher Lacey said.

The Gators are not out of the Region 2-6A playoff race yet. They could still earn a spot by winning their last two games against Columbus and Ridgeland. Lacey, though, was clearly frustrated by the team’s latest performance.

The Gators had a long run negated by a holding call, committed three delay of game penalties in the second half, and allowed three sacks. They also misfired on several passing plays on which quarterback Jamikal Maxey and his intended receiver clearly threw and ran different routes.

This is the deepest Vicksburg High has gone into the season without a win since starting 0-9 in 2009.

“It don’t matter if we don’t do the right stuff right. That’s it. We’ve got to do the right stuff right,” Lacey said.

Moore’s big night started in the first quarter, when he returned a punt 50 yards to the end zone. It was wiped out by a holding call, but he scored on an 18-yard run five plays later to put Callaway ahead 6-0.

The two-point conversion was no good, but the Chargers got it back just before halftime. Erin Hayes pinned Vicksburg at the 3-yard line with a good punt. After a 50-yard run by Decorey Knight Jr. was erased by a holding penalty, he was tackled in the end zone on the next play for a safety.

A fumble on Vicksburg’s opening series of the third quarter led to Moore’s 3-yard TD run and a 14-0 lead for Callaway (4-5, 2-1). Then he and Knight brought more excitement to Hughes Field in a span of 90 seconds than existed for most of the night.

Knight ripped off a 47-yard touchdown run with 8:51 to go in the game to put the Gators on the board. Moore answered with a 62-yard TD two plays later, then Knight returned the ensuing kickoff 77 yards for another touchdown with 7:32 left.

Knight finished with 102 rushing yards on 17 carries. His backfield mate Cedrick Blackmore had 69 yards on 10 carries.

The rapid fire exchange left the score at 20-14 in favor of Callaway, but the Gators couldn’t get over the top. Callaway bled about five minutes off the clock before punting on its next possession, and Vicksburg failed to get a first down the last time it had the ball.

“Mistakes and energy. We just didn’t come to play football tonight,” Lacey said. “We’ve got to be focused. That’s what happens when you lack the focus. It’s just an unfocused situation. Attention to detail and focus.”

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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