Henderson scores big win over Jacksonville
Published 2:39 am Saturday, September 13, 2025
HENDERSON — The Henderson Lions (2-1) roared to a decisive 50–2 victory over the Jacksonville Indians (0-3) on Friday night, holding Jacksonville without a touchdown and yielding just a third-quarter safety.
The Lions dominated on both sides of the ball. Explosive plays from quarterback Vince Howard, Jesstin Starling, Macen Jones, Jayden Bishop and Lemarion Coleman in the first half gave them a 35-0 lead at halftime. Varian Williams was a highlight on defense, forcing an intentional-grounding call in the end zone for a safety—one of three that occurred in the game—and making an interception.
“It’s not often you see three safeties in a game,” remarked Henderson Head Coach Ricky Meeks. “I’m very excited about the way [the Lions] competed. [Williams] is coming along,” he added about the senior’s standout efforts that helped keep Jacksonville scoreless in the first half. “He’s getting better each week. When he plays with confidence he’s really good on the defensive line.”
Howard opened the scoring on the Lions’ first snap, hitting a wide-open Jones for a 61-yard touchdown. A string of turnovers followed on both sides, including interceptions made by Henderson’s Au’maz Jackson and Jacksonville’s CJ Crockett.
Williams pressured Jacksonville QB Ben Bolten into that intentional grounding early in the second quarter. On the ensuing free kick, Coleman received and took it all the way home—70 yards—for a touchdown. Kicker Ivan Navarro was short on the extra point—his first miss of the season—but the Lions were comfortably ahead 15-0.
Williams intercepted Bolten on Jacksonville’s next drive, setting Henderson up at the Indians’ 19. Two penalties pushed the Lions back, but backup quarterback Blake Meeks soon connected with Coleman for a 22-yard pass. Starling made his first score of the game with a three-yard carry, and Henderson led 21-0. Starling would add two eight-yard touchdown runs before the half was over after two Henderson drives fueled by strong runs from Howard and Bishop and a 53-yard pass from Howard to Jones to set them up in the red zone.
Starling broke loose again on the first play of the third quarter with a 51-yard score. Jacksonville picked up their only points of the night after blocking the extra point that Jordan McGowan returned for a defensive safety.
Meeks connected with Ayden Perry on a 40-yard gain and then again for an 18-yard, one-handed touchdown catch to make it 48-2. Early in the fourth, a high snap on a Jacksonville punt sailed into the end zone for a safety, pushing Henderson’s lead to 50-2.
“We did some good things and we’ve got some things we’ve got to get corrected,” said Coach Meeks, noting that penalties are going to be his coaching staff’s main concern in practice next week. Henderson incurred a handful throughout the game, including two that called back touchdowns. “That’s a lot of self-inflicted wounds… Those are things we’ve got to get cleaned up because once district rolls around, because of the strength of our district, we’re not going to be able to do that on a Friday night and still overcome and win.”
Henderson will face Gainesville next Thursday at neutral site Kaufman High School for their last pre-district game. Jacksonville will look to regroup with a Friday matchup at Athens.