FULTON – The Jones County Junior College Bobcats came up just short here Thursday night at Eaton Field.
Clinging to a one-point lead, the host Itawamba Community College Indians came up with a pass interception at the JCJC 45-yard line with 4:23 left in the game. Next, the Bobcats moved the ball to the ICC 44 with less than two minutes to play, but Jones would eventually turn the ball over on downs.
The result was a 21-20 victory by Itawamba.
The Bobcats fall to 0-2 with the loss, while Itawamba is now 1-1.
The contest was knotted at 14-14 at halftime when JCJC came out strong to start the third quarter.
JCJC's Javien Hamilton took the third quarter kickoff and returned it 34 yards to his own 38.
The Bobcats moved the ball to the ICC 13 in 10 plays when the drive stalled. Michael Godley kicked a 30-yard field goal to give JCJC a 17-14 lead.
But Itawamba answered quickly.
They took the ensuing kickoff and marched 79 yards in seven plays for a touchdown.
Quarterback Kwadra Griggs hit D'Andre Belton for a 10-yard scoring pass and Zach Ellis made the extra point to give Itawamba a 21-17 lead. A 44-yard pass from Griggs to Dominic Walker was the big play in the drive.
On JCJC's next possession, the Bobcats moved from their 23 out to the 48 where they would face fourth down. Patrick Ponder punted the ball 51 yards where it was downed at the ICC 1-foot line.
But the Indians got a 35-yard pass from Griggs to Walker and a 12-yard run by Octavious Matthews to get out of the hole. ICC drove the ball as deep as the JCJC 16, but would eventually turn the ball over on downs at the Bobcat 27.
From that point, JCJC moved the ball 44 yards to the ICC 29 in nine plays. The drive stalled and Godley came through with a 46-yard field goal to make it 21-20 with 10:49 left in the game.
Two possessions later, the Indians were driving in Bobcat territory.
However, Al'Dreecous Wilson forced a fumble by Matthews and Daveon Greene recovered for the Bobcats at his own 29 with 5:10 left to play.
But two plays later, JCJC's Thad Miller was picked off by ICC's Levarious Varnado at the Bobcat 45.
However, on the next play Griggs tried to hit a 'home run' on a deep pass down the middle, but JCJC's Jaylon Lane came up with an interception. He returned it from his own 6 out to the 29.
JCJC moved out to its own 40 where they faced a fourth and 10. Miller then found Carlos Burse for a 16-yard gain to the ICC 44 with less than two minutes to play.
Miller then threw incomplete on first down. On second down, running back DeSherrius Flowers caught a screen pass, but was dropped for a 5-yard loss.
On third and 15, Miller was sacked for the sixth time in the game. The loss of eight yards left JCJC with a fourth and 23 situation.
Miller's final pass fell incomplete and ICC took possession with 1:30 left. The Bobcats were out of timeouts and Griggs took a knee three times to end the game.
Itawamba began the game by taking the opening kickoff and driving 73 yards in 14 plays. Griggs scored on a 1-yard run and Ellis kicked the extra point to make it 7-0 with 10:14 showing in the first quarter.
The Bobcats would tie the game on the first play of the second quarter.
Wide receiver Tevin Moore took a direct snap from center and scored from two yards out to cap a 59-yard, 12-play drive. Godley's conversion made it 7-7 with 14:55 left in the first half.
Itawamba then came right back and went 65 yards in nine plays to regain the lead. Kadarius Forside scored on a 7-yard run and Ellis added the PAT to give ICC a 14-7 lead with 11:16 left in the half.
The crucial play of the drive came with the Indians facing a fourth and 2 at the Bobcat 27. Griggs threw an incomplete pass towards the end zone, but the Bobcats were called for pass interference and were penalized half a distance to the goal. The JCJC coaches argued that the pass was uncatchable, but to no avail.
The Bobcats would tie the game up late in the first half when Moore again took a direct snap and scored from three yards away to end a 70-yard, 10-play drive. Godley's extra point made it 14-14 with 2:43 remaining in the first half.
Flowers would lead the Bobcats in rushing with 74 yards on 12 carries, while Jarkice Davis had 16 rushes for 50 yards. Miller, however, was sacked six times for a loss of 49 yards.
Burse led the receivers with 43 yards on four catches.
Griggs was 25-of-34 for 222 yards for ICC. Matthews had 85 yards on 17 carries and Walker had four receptions for 99 yards.
JCJC will open MACJC South Division play at 7 p.m. on Sept. 10 at Southwest Mississippi. The game will air on www.jcjc.tv and WLAU-FM, 99.3
Itawamba visits Holmes on Sept. 10.
 
Itawamba 21, Jones County 20
Thursday, September 3
Eaton Field
Fulton
 
Jones County                        0 14 3 3 – 20
Itawamba                              7  7  7  0 – 21
 
Scoring summary
1^st quarter – ICC, Kwadra Griggs 1-yard run, 10:14. Zach Ellis PAT. ICC 7-0.
2^nd quarter – JCJC, Tevin Moore 1-yard run, 14:55. Michael Godley PAT. 7-7.
2^nd quarter – ICC, Kadarius Forside 7-yard run, 11:16. Ellis PAT. ICC 14-7.
2^nd quarter – JCJC, Tevin Moore 1-yard run, 2:43. Godley PAT. 14-14.
3^rd quarter – JCJC, Godley 30-yard field goal, 9:51. JCJC 17-14.
3^rd quarter – ICC, D'Andre Belton 10-yard pass from Griggs, 7:33. Ellis PAT. ICC 21-17.
4^th quarter –JCJC, Godley 46-yard field goal, 10:49 ICC 21-20.
 
 
 
Jones County                                                Itawamba
21                               FD                               19
42-108                       Rushes-Yards              31-128
19-31-1                      Comp-Att-Int                25-34-0
127                             Passing Yards             222
235                             Total Offense               350
5-39                            Penalties-Yards          12-113
6-40.0                         Punts-Ave.                   3-48.0
0-0                              Fumbles-Lost               3-1
 
JCJC statistics
Rushing
JCJC – DeSherrius Flowers 12-74; Jarkice Davis 16-50; Tevin Moore 8-33; Thad Miller 6-minus 49.
 
Passing
JCJC – Thad Miller 19-31-1 for 127
 
Receiving
JCJC – Carlos Burse 4-43; Tevin Moore 2-19; Logan Scott 2-17; Kyle Oliver 2-15; Jarkice Davis 2-10; DeSherrius Flowers 4-6; Nate Cohen 2-12; Barry Gibson 1-5.