In a high-stakes District 15-AAAA clash Saturday evening, Collierville set the tone early and never looked back, defeating Houston 8-3 to stay in the tournament’s winner’s bracket.

As expected, early momentum proved pivotal—and it was Belmont signee JD Whitworth and future Memphis Tiger AJ Greene who sparked the Dragons from the top of the lineup. Whitworth opened the game with a walk, Greene followed with a single, and Brody Winemiller’s sacrifice fly brought in the game’s first run.

Collierville extended its lead to 2-0 in the second inning, capitalizing on a defensive miscue by the Mustangs. The Dragons delivered the knockout blow in the top of the fourth, plating four runs. Jack Bogenreif ripped a triple to ignite the rally, while Whitworth and Greene each added RBI singles to cap the inning.

Two more insurance runs in the seventh gave Collierville a commanding 8-3 lead.

The story on the night though was on the mound. Senior right-hander Ayden Jacobs was in cruise control through five innings, with video game type stuff, allowing just one Mustang hit. After tiring in the sixth, he handed the ball to closer Bradley Stubbs, who shut the door in his normal fashion to preserve the win.

With the victory, Collierville (31-7) advances to Sunday’s championship round, where they’ll face the winner of Houston and Arlington. Houston falls to 24-11 with the loss.