Forget the fact the Meadowview Christian Trojans were coming off two straight wins. Forget the fact the Trojans had scored 67 points last week in a win over Chambers Academy.

Their 14-12 loss Friday to defending state champion Jackson Academy was, to Trojan head coach Lebo Jones, the best game so far this season for his team.

“We could have won this game just as easily as we lost it,” Lebo said, focusing on two key plays that turned the game Jackson’s way. “I think this was the most physical game we played all year. We’re young, we’re getting better, but we do have more work to do.”

After playing to a stalemate through most of the first half, the first key play of the game came with just 36 seconds to play in the first half, when senior Jackson quarterback John Earl Kelley found Michael Christensen open in the Meadowview secondary. The two connected for a 51-yard touchdown pass and run that would give the Eagles a 7-0 lead at halftime.

The Trojans would respond in the third quarter, driving for a touchdown on their second possession in the second half.

Senior running back Dylan Lawrence, who finished the game with 166 yards rushing on the night, would pick up his first touchdown of the night, running the ball in the end zone from 25 yards out with 1:45 left in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, Lawrence would barely miss the extra point attempt, leaving the Eagles in the lead 7-6.

The Trojan defense would then step up, as they stopped the Eagles on a fourth down attempt, giving their offense the ball.

Meadowview would then use a 7-play drive to go 56 yards to take the lead.

With 8:57 remaining in the game, Lawrence would cap off the drive with a 3-yard run. The 2-point attempt failed, leaving the score 12-7 Meadowview with just under nine minutes remaining.

In the midst of their next drive, the Eagles faced a second down from the Meadowview 45-yard line. Kelley dropped back for a pass but was pressured out of the pocket. In the midst of a 9-yard run, he would break a number of Meadowview tackle attempts for a first down that kept the drive alive. Five plays later, Kelley would take the ball in from 11 yards out to give the Eagles back the lead. The extra point attempt was good.