Dallas County running back Calvin Starks ran for three touchdowns as the Hornets’ topped Southside 20-8 in a jamboree game Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

For a while, it looked like the game might get delayed until Saturday or not be played at all. Thunderstorms forced the start of the game to be delayed nearly an hour and a half.

Once it did get underway, weather still played a factor. The coaches decided at halftime that it was best to call it a night, instead of risking injury on a wet field in the second half.

“The field is just slippery,” said Dallas County coach Marty Smith. “We had a lot of guys sliding on that last series and before we get anybody hurt, we felt the best thing for both teams was to call it and get on. We got out of it what we needed to get out of it.”

Both teams left the game with positives to build on.

Dallas County dominated the line of scrimmage with its wing-T offense. The Hornets ran for 241 yards in the game, including 137 from Starks. He scored on runs of 25 yards and 4 yards in the first quarter to put the Hornets up 12-0.

Southside answered with a 38-yard pass from G’Neil Johnson to Keshawn Arrington. The ball was nearly intercepted by Dallas County’s Quincy Parker, who tipped it up in the air. Arrington came down with it and fell into the end zone to put the Panthers on the board.

Dallas County answered almost immediately with a Starks 70-yard touchdown run. Starks ran right up the middle of Southside’s defense on the play and in the process gave the Hornets an 18-8 lead. Starks also ran in the two-point conversion to make it 20-8.

Dallas County had two more possessions in the Southside red zone, but left with no points. The first drive ended on downs when Hunter Myers’ pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

The second drive also coincided with the end of the first half and the game. On fourth and goal from the 7-yard line, Starks was stopped short of the end zone. He dove on the play, but ended up a yard or two short.

“We got two big stops there at the end,” said Southside coach Daniel Flowers. “That’s what I’m most happy about.”

The Panthers didn’t much going offensively.

DeQuan Johnson had several impressive catches and runs and totaled 53 yards on the night, but Southside didn’t run the ball well.

Flowers said the offense ran a limited playbook Friday while getting prepared for next week’s contest with Selma High. Dallas County will play at McAdory.