Booker T. Washington's football team figured it could jump-start its season with a big play.

After all, it worked in the past.

Sophomore quarterback Jeremiah Hay launched a 49-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Dunbar on the game's third play Saturday afternoon against nationally ranked Northside High School.

The play was similar to a long touchdown pass thrown by Booker T. on the first drive of last year's regular-season opening victory at Summerville, S.C., which sparked a lopsided victory.

This year, however, the quick start was an illusion.

The Tornadoes failed to do much else on offense, and their defense was worn down thoroughly in a 31-7 loss in front of 9,000 fans at McConnell-Talbert Stadium.

Without its senior quarterback Torrance Moise, who was sidelined with a high ankle sprain sustained in a preseason loss to Chandler Hamilton (Ariz.), Booker T. (0-1) finished with minus-23 yards rushing.

The Tornadoes, the defending Class 4A state champions, had their 14-game winning streak halted by Northside, which is ranked No. 22 by USA Today.

Northside, on the other hand, totaled 267 yards rushing.

After two consecutive losses to out-of-state opponents, the Tornadoes hope to protect their dominance of their hometown next week when they take on Central. Booker T. has not lost to a Miami-Dade County opponent since 2003.

''We had a lot of big breakdowns that can change a game early, and they did,'' Booker T. coach Earl Tillman said. ``We just have to keep telling the kids to keep working hard.''

The collapse began on an uncharacteristic special teams breakdown late in the first quarter, with Booker T. leading 7-0.

Northside senior linebacker Darius Ivey surged through Booker T.'s line and blocked Oscar Diaz's punt inside the Tornadoes' 15-yard line. After the ball rolled into the end zone, Ivey recovered it for a tying touchdown.

Leading 10-7 later, Northside executed a six-play, 46-yard drive to end the first half. The drive was capped by Xavier Bacon's 12-yard touchdown run with five seconds left.

Bacon tormented Booker T.'s defense the entire game, finishing with 188 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Booker T., which lost nine starters on defense and six on offense from last season, failed to capitalize on chances to get back in the game.

The Tornadoes nearly began a comeback on their first possession of the second half, after Hay left the game after getting hit hard by a Northside defender.

With the ball on its own 45-yard line, Booker T.'s Emanuel Noel entered the game at quarterback and completed three passes that moved the ball deep into Northside territory.

A 16-yard connection to Dunbar gave the Tornadoes a first-and-goal situation at Northside's 7-yard line.

Hay returned to the game and threw what appeared to be a touchdown pass to Dunbar, but an illegal-procedure penalty nullified the score.

Booker T. did not advance on the next three plays and settled for a Diaz 30-yard field goal attempt. But Diaz, a first-team All-Dade selection last season, hooked the ball left.

''The score looked more lopsided than it really was because we had plenty of chances,'' Tillman said. ``I think it's just a matter of consistency, not inexperience.

``We had a lot of miscommunication and mistakes that shouldn't be happening at this point.''

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