Photo by Ryan Kerwin, JTV
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Jackson — This was one of those gutsy efforts, at every turn and in every way.
Whether it was three touchdown passes from a quarterback who hadn’t thrown the ball much all year, a veteran running back taking over the second half when needed most, or a defense that bent, but in the most critical moment, refused to break.
A gutsy effort. A needed win.
“I’m just real proud of our guys. That’s a one-touchdown game against a very good football team,” Jackson coach Scott Farley said after his team hung on to beat East Lansing 21-14 Friday night at home. “I think we showed the maturity of the program. We’re winning these close games now.”
“Big win. Big conference win,” quarterback Lance Taylor said after tossing three touchdown passes in the win. “Now we’re tied for first place. We’re going to work hard and keep pushing and keep getting better.”
After starting the season 1-1, Farley said it was imperative to begin conference play on the right foot.
And his guys came out playing like a team determined to do just that.
On East Lansing’s opening drive, Jackson cornerback Jamarr Parris made a leaping interception at his own 14-yard line, setting up the Vikings’ offense for one of its best drives of the season.
The guys in orange and black marched 86 yards, converted on two fourth-down attempts, and took a 6-0 lead when Taylor hit Shonte Suddeth on a 9-yard pass over the middle.
“We felt like we could run the football on them. We went out and did that on that drive,” Farley said. “We went with our script at the beginning, and then we were able to go down and thrown it at the end.”
Early in the second, it was the passing game that put the Vikings up two scores.
After the defense forced a punt on three plays, Jackson’s offense covered 64 yards on a drive capped by Taylor’s 29-yard pass and Michael O’Dowd’s acrobatic catch in the end zone.
The 2-point conversion made it 14-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, though, East Lansing returned it to the Jackson 34, and seemingly took back all the momentum.
The Trojans were on the board moments later on a Darian Holbrook 3-yard run, and after a short Jackson punt, tied the game at 14-14 with just 17 seconds to play in the first half
The second half belonged to Suddeth, though, as the Jackson senior carried the ball over and over again, with seemingly no answer coming from the East Lansing defense.
Jackson owned the time of possession in the third, eventually getting the wining score on an 8-yard pass from Taylor to Demetrius Craig.
Taylor finished the night 7-of-8 passing for 84 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
“A couple of them were great throws to guys in just the right spot,” Farley said of his junior quarterback. “I’m real proud of Lance and his courage out there.”
“It was fun tonight,” Taylor added. “I trusted these guys. I felt like I put the ball in their hands and they did what they had to for us to win.”
East Lansing threatened to tie the game late, driving deep into Jackson territory before the defense forced a turnover on downs.
“The whole game they were strong,” Farley said of the defense. Parris finished the night with two interceptions. “We gave up two scores when the offense and special teams gave up bad field position. … They did a great job all night really competing.”
Suddeth led the rushing attack with 213 yards on 30 carries.
The Vikings (2-1, 1-0) are back on the road next week at Lansing Sexton.
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.
Visit http://lovedefinedbook.weebly.com for more information.
