Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hartfield Academy). They put the hurt on the East Rankin Academy Patriots with a sharp 56-30 victory on Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Hawks' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi football rankings (they are ranked 40th, while the Patriots are ranked 174th).
Kingsley Gibbs
| 10/24/25 @ East Rankin Academy | 87 |
| 10/17/25 @ Heritage Academy | 20 |
| 10/10/25 vs Lamar | 24 |
| 09/26/25 @ Jackson Prep | 4 |
| 09/19/25 vs Jackson Academy | 10 |
| + 4 more games |
Hartfield Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kingsley Gibbs led the charge by rushing for 87 yards and two touchdowns. That's the most rushing yards Gibbs has posted since back in November of 2024. Luke Wesson did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 100 receiving yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Hartfield Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 369 rushing yards. They are a perfect 4-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Hartfield Academy, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Deanthony Hicks, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
When it comes to explaining why East Rankin Academy lost, don't look at Brandon Loper. Despite the final result, he rushed for 118 yards and a pair of TDs. That high mark didn't come from nowhere: Loper posted at least 118 rushing yards in the third games prior.
The win (which was Hartfield Academy's third in a row) raised their record to 4-5. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 49.0 points over those games. As for East Rankin Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 6-4.
Hartfield Academy didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 42-20 win against Starkville Academy on the 31st. As for East Rankin Academy, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next game, a 35-13 defeat against Richland on the 30th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
