Gators earn a wild homecoming win by defeating Florence 39-35 in the final minute

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — A wild homecoming game ended with Vicksburg High School pulling off a dramatic 39-35 victory over Florence on Friday to open district play.

The Gators sealed the win in the final minute when quarterback Jamikal Maxey connected with Thomas McKnight on a 50-yard touchdown strike down the right sideline.

Jadarius Henderson was a key factor for Vicksburg, scoring three touchdowns — two rushing and one receiving.

“They thought we would lose but we didn’t,” Henderson said. “It’s a great night to be a Gator.”

The first quarter was highlighted by defense. Florence snagged an interception, while Corbin Walker and Wallys Curry made big stops for VHS. Landon Prentiss added three tackles for loss in the first half. The Eagles struck first on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 5:27 left in the quarter.

Vicksburg responded after a botched punt snap gave the Gators the ball on the 1-yard line as Elijah Rainey recovered it. Henderson punched it in to tie the game at 7-7 after Abel Gonzalez’s extra point.

Maxey later connected with Daquan Warfield for a 68-yard touchdown, and Henderson added another 1-yard score to put VHS up 21-7. Florence cut the deficit to 21-13 before halftime.

After the break, Nick Carson broke loose for a 25-yard run that set up a 27-yard field goal by Gonzalez, extending the lead to 24-13. Jermaine Gaines Jr. also picked up some tough yards running for VHS. Florence rallied with a late third-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion to make it 24-21, then struck twice in the fourth to build a 35-24 advantage with five minutes to play.

Vicksburg stormed back as Maxey found Henderson for an 8-yard touchdown. McKnight hauled in the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 35-32.

The Gator defense then delivered key stops, giving the offense one last chance. With under a minute to go, Maxey hit McKnight for the game-winner.

“I dropped a couple of plays earlier but my coach told me it was going to come back and it did,” McKnight said. “I’m glad it finished the way it did.”

Deztin Minor caught an interception in the final seconds as VHS secured the win. Curry, Deveyon Beard, and Rainey each gang tackled the Eagles’ quarterback earlier in the win. Jaylen Smith also had a stop in the backfield.

Vicksburg improved to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in district play. The Gators are off next week before hosting Provine.