East Jackson made its first night under new coach Brian Smith count.
Senior running back C.J. Allen ran for 179 yards and two touchdowns — including a 72-yarder on the third play from scrimmage — as the Eagles beat White County, a Class AAA playoff team last year, 28-27 on the road.
Quarterback Tyler Collins, who had been questionable heading into practice this past week due to a foot injury, ran for 65 yards and a 10-yard touchdown. Trent Dowdy provided East Jackson's other score — a 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
East Jackson led 28-21 heading into the fourth quarter. White County scored with eight minutes left to cut the lead to 28-27 but botched the point-after attempt. East Jackson later got the ball back with 1:55 and ran out the remainder of the clock to secure a win in Smith's Eagle coaching debut.
