The Class-4A No.8 Plainview Bears moved to 7-0 after a hard-fought battle with the North Jackson Chiefs 35-24 Friday night at First Southern State Bank Stadium in Rainsville. 

The Chiefs took an early 12-0 lead in the first quarter after taking the opening drive 69 yards in plays that took more than seven minutes off the clock. Kadyn Pace scored on a one-yard touchdown run to give North Jackson a 6-0 lead after the extra point was blocked. 

The Chiefs’ defense forced the Bears offense to punt on its first possession, but a bad snap by that went through the hands of the punter allowed North Jackson Draygun Cash to scoop and score from 12 yards out and extended the Chiefs’ lead to 12-0 after a 2-point try was no good with 3:06 left in the first quarter. 

Just as the quarter was ending, Plainview’s Brody Hodges put the Bears on the board with a two-yard touchdown run to cut the North Jackson lead to 12-7. 

The Bears’ defense stopped the Chiefs on fourth down at midfield, which allowed the Bears’ offense to score two plays later when Janzen Currie ran for a 26-yard touchdown, giving Plainview a 14-12 lead.

After the Bears went for an onside kick and recovered it, the Plainview offense gave it right back to North Jackson as Rylan Guess fumbled the snap, and North Jackson fell on the fumble. 

Neither team seemed to want the football during the game. The Chiefs fumbled the ball at the 10-yard line, allowing the Bears to recover it. However, Plainview then returned the favor by fumbling the ball themselves at the 15-yard line, giving it back to the Chiefs.

North Jackson drove the 75 yards as Nick Price, Jr, capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds left in the half. The Chiefs’ attempt at a 2-point conversion was no good, and North Jackson took an 18-14 halftime lead. 

Plainview took four minutes off the clock to begin the third quarter on its first drive that was capped by a Brody Hodges touchdown run to give the Bears a 21-18 lead. After the Bears’ defense stopped the North Jackson offense, Owen Hope extended the lead with a one-yard touchdown run, and after the extra point, gave Plainview a 28-18 lead with less than three minutes to go in the third quarter. 

Rylan Guess scored the final touchdown for the Bears with just under two minutes to go in the game when he scored from one yard out. After the extra point, Plainview led 35-18. 

North Jackson scored with just under a minute to go to cut the lead to 11. 35-24. 

Brody Hodges finished with 23 carries for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns. Janzen Currie had 11 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown. Rylan Guess had 11 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown.  

Plainview improves to 7-0 (5-0) on the season. The Bears are 7-0 for the first time since 1999.Â