DECATUR — Newton Academy’s Dillon Williams ran the opening kickoff back 80 yards for a touchdown and then added two long scoring runs and a touchdown pass to lead the Generals past Porters Chapel Academy 32-20 Friday night in a District 4-A MAIS game.

The Generals (2-1, 1-0) tookcommand of the district in meeting of the league’s top two teams. PCA fell to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the district.

The Eagles were outmanned from the start with the loss of three starters from last week’s district win at Ben’s Ford Academy.

Against Newton, they lost another when cornerback/wide receiver Peter Harris had to be taken to the hospital with a neck stinger. He was taken to Rush Medical Center in Meridian.

PCA coach Wade Patrick was extremely proud of the way his team battled despite the adversity.

“I’m more proud of this team for this game than I am of the first three,” Patrick said. “We were so undermanned. We had backs playing at defensive end and a middle linebacker playing there for the first time. And then to lose Peter when he was going to be a big part of our plan tonight.”

                                                                                  

Newton 32, PCA 20

Records: Newton (2-1, 1-0), PCA (3-1, 1-1)

Skinny: Dillon Williams scores on 80 yard kickoff return, throws a 40-yard TD pass and scores on a 57-yard run to lead Newton Academy

Next: PCA hosts Park Place

                                                                                 

The Eagles had problems trying to handle Willams, one of the best players in the MAIS Class A ranks. He finished with 145 yards rushing, scoring on runs of 58 and 71. He also threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Little early in the third quarter to extend a 16-6 halftime lead to 24-6.

PCA had some highlights, one coming right after Williams’ TD pass. Kawayne Gaston broke loose on his longest run of the season, an 83-yard touchdown run, that cut the gap to 24-12 with 8:02 left in the third quarter.

Williams answered for Newton. He rolled around PCA’s right end and outran all pursuers for a 71-yard touchdown. A two-point run by Mark Ables made it 32-12, just 40 seconds after Gaston’s score.

Generals coach Rob Roberts said Williams was ready.

“He was in game mode,” Roberts said. “He can turn it on and he’s hard to stop when he gets a full head of steam. Still, I thought Porters Chapel hanged tough.”

The Generals lost three fumbles, all in the first half, to keep PCA around. The Eagles managed an impressive fourth-quarter drive to make the final 32-20. Jonah Masterson hit Richie Bufkin on a 13-yard TD pass with 2:37 left.

Gaston ran in the two-point conversion to finish the scoring. Gaston finished with 125 yards on 16 carries. Masterson completed 17 of 22 passes for 161 yards. Alton Burdene, a WC transfer, caught nine passes for 88 yards.