Johnson leads Hixson on emotional night

photo Hixson quarterback Preston Wilkey hands the ball off to running back Marshall Cooper.

Jordan Johnson's impact on the field began a few minutes before kickoff.

The Hixson senior stood at the 50-yard line with a pink balloon in his hand and a pink towel in his waistband. With his hands by his side, he just let go of the string. His balloon, and those from others in the stands who have had loved ones die from breast cancer, rose and flew east with the wind.

"I almost started crying," Johnson said.

He couldn't stop smiling after he helped Hixson defeat Central 33-12 in a District 6-AA game Friday night.

"If there was ever a night for Jordan to have a good game, it would be tonight," Hixson coach Dan Duff said. "He played a great game on both sides of the ball."

Johnson caught five passes for 150 yards and a touchdown and sealed the victory with a 45-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.

"I felt like she was with me," Johnson said of his mother, Cherise, who died in 2010. "I'll never forget this night."

Hixson quarterback Preston Wilkey has fond memories of Mrs. Johnson. He said it's only fitting that Johnson have a big game on a night full of pink.

"Me and Jordan have been friends since before elementary school," said Wilkey, who had all of his passes go to Johnson. "She was full of joy."

She probably would have celebrated through the entire game.

Hixson defensive tackle Brody Gregory made the first big play and lived a lineman's dream. He broke through the line and intercepted a shovel pass from Isyah Funk when the ball hit him right in the hands. Gregory returned it about 35 yards before being dragged down from behind.

The Wildcats capitalized -- with the help of a Central penalty on fourth down -- with a 3-yard touchdown run from Marshall Cooper.

On its next possession, Hixson took advantage of Central's aggressive defense by slipping Johnson behind all defenders for a 75-yard reception. That play set up a 2-yard sneak by Wilkey for a 14-0 lead.

"We hadn't run that [pass] play in practice out of that formation," Duff said. "So we brought the guys to the sideline and drew it up in the dirt."

Wilkey played a big role in Hixson's third touchdown. He connected with Johnson on a short slant. Then Johnson spun away from a tackle and raced in for a 33-yard touchdown.

Hixson made its share of mistakes late in the third quarter. A fumbled punt snap resulted in a safety for Central. Then the Purple Pounders scored a touchdown on their next snap when Scout Morgan connected with Tre Tiller for a 23-yard touchdown pass that cut the margin to 20-12.

James Cole padded the Wildcats' lead, however, with a 73-yard touchdown run right up the middle. And Johnson made sure of the outcome by stepping in front of a Morgan pass on the left hashmarks and racing untouched to the end zone.

"We made mistakes at the worst possible time," said Central coach Ryan Mallory, whose Funk had 20 carries for 147 yards. "We competed until the end, and that's a good sign for the future."

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.

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