Jamarius Hollingsworth needed four attempts to catch his first touchdown of the 2026 TSSAA football season.
The Powell football wide receiver bobbled the ball several times before finally securing it in the end
zone. Relief washed over the sophomore in the biggest game of his young career.
"The gloves were a little sweaty," he told Knox News. "But, I was like, 'I've got to come down with this one. I need it.' With both of our star players down, I knew I had to come in and step up."
Powell (3-0, 1-0) needed all five catches and 98 yards from Hollingsworth as the Panthers won their Region 2-5A opener at Halls, 24-0.
Hollingsworth was the leading receiver in a depleted room without its top two options, DeZion Jackson and Merron Middleton. Both watched and cheered their teammates on the sideline while propped up on crutches. Jackson had his left knee in a brace, while Middleton sported a boot on his left foot.
Both hope to return to play before Powell's Week 6 game at Central, a crucial contest that could decide the Region 2-5A champion.
"It was tough," said Powell football coach Matt Lowe. "When we came into this season, we all knew that (DeZion) was target number one, and Merron was target number two. With both of those guys being out, we knew we had to regroup."
Hollingsworth played in Powell's Week 2 win over Farragut, where he dropped a pass. The replays of that drop played as he nearly mishandled the opening touchdown against Halls (0-3, 0-1).
The catch gave quarterback Jaylon Benjamin trust in the sophomore..
"It was really putting the ball in our underclassmen's hands and seeing what they can do," Benjamin said about the game plan. "You saw what they did tonight. I know I can depend on (Hollingsworth) in tight situations."
After the win, Hollingsworth ran over to Jackson to celebrate. The two shifty receivers share similar heights, and Lowe believes the comparisons carry onto the field.
"We saw it as a freshman, but certainly we've been waiting for him to have that breakout moment," Lowe said. "For (DeZion), it was about Game 3, Game 4 of his sophomore year where he displayed the type of skill set that he had. I think tonight, we got to see flashes of what Jamarius Hollingsworth can really do.
"What a great person to emulate, to try to be the next DeZion Jackson, because there aren't many of them that this state has ever seen."
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Powell football trusted Jamarius Hollingsworth's sweaty palms in region win
