Mary Persons opened the 2026 season with a rivalry victory Friday night, scoring 22 unanswered points down the stretch to pull away from Jackson for a 52-31 win at Red Devil Hill.
It was a back-and-forth battle for much of the night as the two longtime rivals traded big plays and momentum. Jackson repeatedly found success against the Mary Persons defense early, keeping the Bulldogs in a fight well into the second half.
Mary Persons made adjustments defensively at halftime, but Jackson struck with another big play on its opening possession of the second half.
The Bulldogs eventually found themselves trailing 31-30, but from that point forward the game belonged to Mary Persons.
The Bulldogs scored the game’s final 22 points, while the defense came up with several key stops and turnovers to shut down the Jackson offense and turn a one-point deficit into a three-touchdown victory.
While the defense made the plays it needed down the stretch, the story of the night was the Mary Persons offense and the debut of Jordan Singleton as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback.
Singleton completed 23 of 33 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing 10 times for approximately 100 yards and two more scores. He accounted for five touchdowns and more than 440 yards of offense in a standout performance.
CJ Banks also had a big night on the ground, carrying 16 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while Kendall Ingram added eight rushing yards on three carries.
Mason Stephens led the Bulldogs’ receiving corps with a huge performance, hauling in 13 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
Isaiah Hendricks added four receptions for 73 yards, while Daniel Jungberg caught four passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Banks added one reception for eight yards.
Singleton’s performance earned him the MEJA Construction Player of the Game honors in his first start at quarterback for Mary Persons.
The Bulldogs finished the night with more than 500 yards of offense and, most importantly, another victory over their biggest rival.
Mary Persons will now turn its attention to next Friday night’s trip to Monticello, where the Bulldogs will renew their rivalry with Jasper County for the first time since 2001.
