The annual Soul Bowl was a tale of two halves. Blanche Ely won the first. Dillard won the second, but Ely did did just enough to hold on for a 34-21 victory Saturday in front of a crowd of 8,000 at Lockhart Stadium.

Cyrus Johnson intercepted Keyon Robinson and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory for Ely, which clinched the District 14-5A championship. The loss ended Dillard's playoff hopes and made Boyd Anderson the district runner-up.

``We really needed that play,'' Johnson said. ``I was supposed to crash in on that play, but I saw the running back slip out and went out with him. I got my hands on the ball and had to get to the end zone.''

With both teams battling 17-mph wind throughout the game, perfect passes fluttered and ended up as interceptions as three passes were intercepted and taken back for touchdowns between both teams.

Ely took a 6-0 lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass. It looked like Ely (9-0, 2-0) would strike again, but Michael German was intercepted by Antwon Waley in the end zone.

A fumble by German a few minutes later was recovered by Waley at midfield. He returned it to Ely's 28. Three plays later, Jazz Moss took an end around 16 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 6.

The rest of the half belonged to Johnson. On fourth-and-2 from the 48, Johnson broke a tackle and went the distance for a 14-6 lead.

He then caught 14-yard touchdown pass to give Ely a 22-6 lead.

Then Marquis Hoggins intercepted Robinson and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown and a 28-6 lead going into the half.

In the second half, Brandon Morgan intercepted German and returned it 20 yards for a score to cut Dillard's deficit to 28-13.

A bad snap on an Ely punt made went for a safety to make the score 28-15.

Dillard went into the Wildcat offense behind running back Otis Wright, who scored on a 3-yard touchdown with 1:53 left in the third quarter to make the score 28-21.

• Late Friday -- American Heritage 36, Cardinal Gibbons 27: Heritage claimed the District 8-2A championship behind the running of eighth-grade sensation Sony Michel, who had 193 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns.

Michel scored on the first play from scrimmage on an 80-yard run.

Michel then scored on a 9-yard run to make the score 14-0.

Gunnar Holcombe completed 11 of 18 passes for 138 and three touchdowns for Heritage. His first touchdown pass was a 32-yarder to Marken Michel to give American Heritage a 21-7 lead in the first quarter.

Holcombe then threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Justin Wheeler in the back of the end zone to give Heritage a 29-7 lead in the second quarter.

-- KEN HINDSLEY

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