By Will Heath, For the Tribune
LEEDS — Defensive ends Kavion Henderson and Chris Burge acknowledge that everything is different once the playoffs begin.

Leeds quarterback Jarod Latta launches a pass during the Green Wave’s 39-13 win over Fairfield, Friday, November 4. (Photo by Ron Burkett)
“Everybody is good in the playoffs,” Henderson said. “We know we have to step it up because everybody in the playoffs is good.”
The Green Wave defense, however, looks much the same now that the postseason has begun. Henderson, Burge, and the Leeds pass rush helped overpower Fairfield on Friday night in a 39-13 victory.
“It’s a team effort,” Burge said. “Either he (Henderson) gets double-teamed, or I do.”
Officially the Green Wave pass rush sacked Fairfield quarterback Ju’maria Hamilton four times for a total loss of 26 yards. That total, however, does not account for the number of holding calls against the Tigers (3-8), nor for the penalty in the end zone that resulted in a Green Wave safety midway through the second quarter.
That sequence helped Leeds (10-0) turn the game into a rout. Two plays after the safety, tailback Jeremiah Hunter broke free for a 52-yard touchdown. Leeds led 26-0 at halftime.
“I was worried about us because we were quiet before the game,” Hood said. “We came out and did what we were supposed to do early.”
That touchdown was one of 4 for Hunter, who finished with 153 yards on 18 carries.
“He’s (Hunter) a great running back,” said Hood. “He’s got to play somewhere. Somebody will look at him as a big feature back who gets you the hard yards. I was glad he took off.”
Field position helped doom the Tigers in the first half. After a Jackson Arthur field goal gave the Green Wave a 3-0 lead on the first possession, the Tigers gave Leeds possession at their 33 following a poor punt. Hunter scored his first touchdown 4 plays later.
A blocked punt on the following possession set up the Leeds offense at the Fairfield 10, and quarterback Jarod Latta found Jaelyn Felder for a 7-yard score to make it 17-0.
“It (field position) killed us tonight,” Fairfield head coach Shepherd Skanes said. “We couldn’t get our special teams rolling.”
The Tigers did get 93 yards out of tailback Hezekiah Hudson-Davis. Most of that came on a 69-yard run on the second play of the second half.
“We fought,” Skane said. “That’s what I wanted to see. We fought and we kept our head up.”
Hamilton, the quarterback, survived the Leeds pressure enough to amass 70 yards passing and a touchdown. He also rushed for 34 yards.
“I didn’t think we tackled great in the second half,” Hood said. “But 13 points. It is what it is. We’re being critical about very little things right now.”
Latta finished with 79 yards passing and a touchdown for the Green Wave offense, which held off Fairfield with a pair of touchdown runs by Hunter.
“The second half, we kept coming out of the hole there,” Hood said.
Leeds now looks forward to Round 2 of the 5A playoffs. They will host Scottsboro, which defeated Brewer 45-14, on Friday night at Homer Smiles Field.