Chantilly, VA - Not a defender, not a double-team, not a triple-team, and not even an in-game trip to the trainer's room could stop Westfield wide receiver Paris Jackson on Friday night.

Though his team lost to Annandale 68-67 in a five-overtime thriller, Jackson put on one of the most breath-taking performances of the young Northern Region high school football season.

The 6-foot-2 junior gave a spectacular show of athleticism, concentration, and determination, scoring five touchdowns, including three in overtime.

On the night, Jackson had 11 catches for 97 yards. He also returned a kickoff 83 yards for a score.

For much of the night, he was the focus of the Annandale defense, which tried everything to contain the speedy, long-armed flanker.

``He's just a phenomenally gifted athlete," said Atoms coach Dick Adams. ``[Westfield] split him out, we covered him, and he beat us. We doubled him, and he beat us again. Then they went to twin wide receivers on one side. We knew they'd do that. And he still beat us."

Jackson was most dominant when the Bulldogs reached the red zone. Quarterback Sean Glennon sent Jackson into the corner, where the powerful receiver found a high-arching pass.

Jackson, with smaller defenders draped on his side, sometimes tugging on his jersey, leapt for the ball and somehow came up with it. On three occasions, Annandale was whistled for pass interference, which were all declined.

``Paris made some tremendous plays; some tremendous football plays tonight," said Westfield coach Tom Verbanic. ``They were triple-covering him out there, and they couldn't stop him."

Jackson's first touchdown came with 2:57 left in the first half. He ran a fade pattern to the corner of the end zone, pulled in Glennon's throw, and then landed hard on his behind, with his head snapping backward as the result of the collision with the turf.

Jackson slowly got up after the grab. While the first half continued with Westfield leading 26-14, he was taken to the dressing room on a golf cart, with a big ice bag placed on the back of his neck.

He returned to action in the second half. A field goal cut the Bulldogs' lead to 26-17, but Jackson took the ensuing kickoff and ran it back for a touchdown and a 33-17 advantage, his team's largest of the night.

After the Atoms rallied and tied the game at 33 with 53.1 seconds left in regulation, Jackson became Glennon's main target on a march for the go-ahead score. After two catches in the flat for medium gains, Glennon sent a high pass in Jackson's direction. Jackson leapt for the pass, and was undercut by an Annandale defender well before the ball was within reach. This time, the Bulldogs accepted the pass interference penalty, moving the ball to the 30, setting up a 47-yard field goal try on the final play of the fourth quarter. The kick fell short.

``This is a team game," said Jackson. ``I had to be there for my team. We worked hard the past two weeks, [following a 27-0 season-opening win over Wakefield]. We had to get over the hump. We had to get some respect in the Northern Region."

That respect was certainly earned, at least by the secondary of upcoming opponents.