For the first time in nearly three years, the Holmes Bulldogs walked off the field Friday night with more than just pride. They walked off as winners.
Holmes ended a 26-game losing streak in front of a nice Homecoming crowd on Madison Avenue, defeating Jackson County 36-16 to claim their first victory since Oct. 21, 2022.
It was a night full of emotion, especially for Bulldogs head coach Jonathan Hopkins. A longtime assistant who took over the program this summer, Hopkins has lived through the lowest points of the drought and fought to keep Holmes football alive. When asked afterward what the win meant for his team, Hopkins needed a moment to compose himself before answering.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Hopkins said. “Back when all this went down, the first thing we had to do is put together a staff, and these guys have busted their butts night in and night out to help prepare these kids to be in this situation to win. You know, I can’t be more proud of those guys. Can’t be more proud of the players.”
The celebration started hours before kickoff. Alumni returned to join the team on their walk to the field, a parade wound through Covington, and the Homecoming atmosphere carried into the stands. Once the game began, Holmes gave the Bulldog faithful even more reason to cheer.
Running back Xarion Foster set the tone with the first of his three touchdown runs on the opening drive, powering in from five yards out. Jackson County responded behind Davin Seals, but the Bulldogs never blinked. Jamari Lockett broke free for a 42-yard score in the second quarter, and after Foster’s second touchdown, Holmes led 22-16 at the half.
The turning point came late in the second quarter. Jackson County drove inside the Holmes 10-yard line, but the Bulldogs stuffed them on fourth down. From there, the defense dug in, keeping the Generals out of the end zone the rest of the way.
Holmes’ punishing ground game took care of the rest. Foster added his third touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, while Michael Chames capped the scoring with a nine-yard dash to seal it. In total, Holmes rushed for 270 yards without completing a pass, a testament to their physicality up front.
“Offensive line, they made really good blocks. Just following them and hitting the holes hard,” Foster said. “This feels really good because this is my first win as a starter in high school. This means everything to us because we’ll play with even more spirit and heart.”
Foster led the attack with 82 yards on 11 carries, while Devon Dunaway added 65 yards on just two attempts and Chames finished with 56.
The only somber note came late in the fourth quarter when Jackson County’s Jaden Smith was stretchered off after a serious injury. With 4:50 left to play, coaches and officials agreed to call the game. No update was available on Smith afterward.
Even with the abrupt ending, the mood on the Holmes sideline was unmistakable. For a program that opted out of district play this season to regroup and rebuild, Friday was a sign of progress — and proof that resilience pays off.
“They could have in the summer, these guys could have said, ‘We’re not dealing with this’,” Hopkins said. “And you know, they came out, they dealt with a lot of negativity and they’ve persevered through this.”
Holmes (1-4) will look to make it two straight next week when they host Shelby County. Jackson County fell to 0-5.
BULLDOGS 36, GENERALS 16
JACKSON CO. — 8-8-0-0 — 16
HOLMES — 8-14-0-14 — 36
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(H) Foster 5-yard run (9:21) Foster run
(JC) Seals 5-yard run (2:26) Nolasco run
2nd Quarter
(H) Lockett 42-yard run (11:47) Lockett run
(JC) Dunn 67-yard pass to Jones (10:34) Nolasco run
(H) Foster 5-yard run (9:34) Run failed
4th Quarter
(H) Foster 9-yard run (11:19) Johnson pass to Lockett
(H) Chames 9-yard run (8:04) Pass failed
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Jackson County 120 (Dunn 2/5, TD), Holmes 0 (Johnson 0/1)
Rushing Yards: Jackson County 110 (Seals 11-49, Curtis 12-35, Day 8-24, Nolasco 6-18, Dunn 3-(minus 16), Holmes 270 (Foster 11-82, Dunaway 2-65, Chames 9-56, Lockett 1-42, Herindon 2-24, Johnson 2-1)
Receiving: Jackson County (Jones 1-67), Holmes n/a
Turnovers: Jackson County 0, Holmes 0
Penalties: Jackson County 3-25, Holmes 5-25
Records: Jackson County 0-5, Holmes 1-4