Devils Tame the Jaguars - Remain Perfect

One of the most sought after feats in the sports world is the perfect season. Jackson has now achieved this feat two years in a row and for the second year in a row it fell to the Spalding Jaguars to try to spoil it.

After winning the toss, the Jaguars decided to kick off and put the Jackson offense to the test. With senior running back resting a sore ankle, it fell to Cody Walker to take on the rushing duties. Walker didn’t wait long to strike, leading the Devils 80 yards down field for the touchdown and the Jackson led 7-0.

Following the Kyle Staples kickoff, the Jaguars struck just as quick with their first offensive drive. Led through the air and on the ground by quarterback Casey Moody, Spalding was on the score board.

With less than five minutes off the clock, the night was looking to be a shootout. Instead, the remainder of the first half became a defensive battle. With just over two minutes left in the half, Jackson’s offense struck. A 62 yard drive was capped off by Akiir Griffin’s 5 yard push at the goal line and the Devils took a 14-7 lead into the locker room for halftime.

The second half started with fireworks as Neiron Ball made his presence known. Following the Staples kick, Spalding’s offense was set to strike, but it was not to be. The first play from scrimmage was fumbled and recovered by Ball at the Jaguars’ 28 yard line. Quarterback Matt Cawthon then connected with Ball for the touchdown on the Devils’ first play from scrimmage and Jackson was up 21-7.

After receiving the kickoff, the Jaguars offense was set to reset and start the second half in a positive way. On the first play of their second drive, Moody’s pass was intercepted by Josh Berry at the Spalding 31 yard line. After a few stalls, the Jackson offense pulled a trick out of its bag. Tight end Chris Head received a toss from quarterback Matt Cawthon and instead of running, dropped back to pass. The pass was completed to Jarrett Watts for the touchdown, and Jackson led 28-7.

The game again became a defensive battle as Spalding refused to go down anymore, and Jackson refused to give up its lead. After nearly ten minutes, Spalding’s kicker, Will Jeffcoat, was able to connect on a 31 yard field goal to cut the lead to 28-10 at the end of the third quarter.

As the fourth quarter rolled on, the Jaguar’s defense finally found a break, recovering a Jackson fumble at the Devils’ 31 yard line. Striking quickly, Moody found his receiver in the end zone and the Jaguars cut into Jackson’s lead. Jeffcoat’s kick was blocked by Austin Kimbell, and Jackson’s lead remained 28-16.

The Jaguars attempted an onside kick, but were penalized for touching the ball before it went ten yards and Jackson took over at the Spalding 49 yard line. The Devils put the ball back in Cody Walker’s hands to keep the clock moving, but it was fullback Dusty Parris who broke a 25 yard run that put the game out of reach for the Devils.

After the kickoff, the Jaguars drove down to the nine yard line, but were stopped on fourth down and the Devils were able to take a knee and move to 10-0.

The Devils will face the number four team out of Region 1AAA this Friday at Red Devil Hill. The Monroe Tornadoes are 7-3 overall (4-3 in region play).