The Luverne Tigers celebrated homecoming as it should be celebrated: with an emphatic win.

The Tigers defeated the visiting Calhoun Tigers 50-8.

“We needed one of these,” said Luverne head coach Les Sanders. “We got a lot of younger guys some reps and got some experience.  They made some mistakes, but now we can show that on film and hopefully that’ll help us down the road.”

Despite the final score, things didn’t start out so convincingly for Luverne.

The Tigers drove inside the Calhoun 10-yard line, but a false start set Luverne back, and the Calhoun defense held Luverne on fourth and goal from the one-yard line.

Calhoun managed to avoid the safety, but the punt was partially blocked and Luverne’s Uriah Brown picked up the ball and ran it in for a 15-yard touchdown.

The score stood at 6-0 after the first quarter, but Jamarcus June opened the second quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run.

June also scored Luverne’s next two touchdowns, returning a punt 45 yards for a touchdown and running it in from 24 yards out to make the score 25-0.

Quarterback Kentrell Jones found a wide-open Quindarius Thagard for a 20-yard score with 1:41 left before halftime.

In the second half, Luverne’s Marcell McMillian broke off a 49-yard touchdown run, Brown had a 75-yard run to set up a two-yard touchdown rush, and Deshawn Lowery also found the endzone.

The Tigers also came up with a number of turnovers, including interceptions by June, Vontavius Gregory, and Frank Harris, and a fumble recovery.

Next week, Luverne travels to Elba.

“They’ve lost one or two, but to very good teams,” Sanders said. “They’re defending state champs, and they’ve got a lot of athletes.  We’ll have to be at our best — no turnovers and mistake-free in all three phases.”