Football | 10/21/2017 6:48:00 PM
ELLISVILLE – The battle of NJCAA Top 10 teams lived up to its billing here on a wonderful Homecoming Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field.
The 10
th-ranked Jones County Junior College Bobcats used a clutch fake punt and prevailed over the No. 4 Hinds Eagles 41-36 in an entertaining MACJC contest.
Coupled with Pearl River's 31-27 upset over No. 20 Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Bobcats clinched the top spot in the South Division.
JCJC is now 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the division. The Bobcats will host the No. 2 team from the North in a Nov. 4 playoff game.
Hinds is 6-1 and 5-1. The Eagles will be the No. 2 team in the South Division and will travel to the No. 1 team in the North.
The Eagles held a 36-34 lead over the Bobcats midway through the fourth quarter.
JCJC had driven from its own 35-yard line to the Hinds' 49 and faced a fourth and 6 situation.
Punter
Taylor Wallace (Jackson Prep) took the snap in an offset formation, which allowed deep snapper
Reilly Reardon (Seminary) to be eligible on the play. Wallace connected with Reardon for a 19-yard pass and a first down.
Two plays later,
DeShawn Smith (Brooksville, Florida) scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 3:57 left on a 7-run.
On offense, the Bobcats piled up 525 yards of total offense.
Scott Phillips (South Jones) was the workhorse with 27 carries for 219 yards and two scores. Smith had 17 carries for 88 yards.
On defense, linebacker
Derric Hawthorn (Collins) had a huge fourth quarter interception off a deflection by teammate
Jalon Scott (Perry Central).
The Bobcats started the scoring on its second possession of the game when Phillips, an Ole Miss commit, scored on a 70-yard run. That capped an 80-yard, three-play drive and
Mike Kroeze's (Madison Central) extra point made it 7-0 with 12:04 showing.
The Eagles would take advantage of a pass interception and drive 55 yards in five plays for a score. DeVante Scott scored on a 6-yard run and Spencer Cole's conversion made it 7-7 with 5:00 left in the first quarter.
The Bobcats took the ensuing kickoff and drove 75 yards in nine plays. Quarterback
Detric Hawthorn (Collins) would reach the end zone on a 25-yard keeper. Kroeze's extra point made it 14-7 with 1:24 left in the first quarter.
On its next possession, JCJC drove 87 yards in 12 plays. Phillips did the honors from 4 yards out and Kroeze's conversion made it 21-7 with 10:01 left in the first half.
The Eagles answered quickly with a 68-yard, six-play march. Quarterback Tylan Morton found Ra'Meik Wallace for an 11-yard pass and Cole's kick made it 21-14 with 7:46 left in the second quarter.
Elijah Rogers (Jackson Callaway) then returned the kickoff 50 yards to the Hinds' 47.
Six plays later, Kroeze hit a 21-yard field goal and JCJC led 24-14 with 5:10 left in the second quarter.
The Eagles would then get another pass interception and would take over at their own 44 with 1:46 left in the half.
Six plays later, quarterback Eric Clark hit Wallace on a 25-yard bubble screen touchdown pass. Cole's kick made it 24-21 with just 25 seconds left in the first half.
Hinds would take the second half kickoff and would take its first lead of the game.
The Eagles marched 59 yards in 10 plays with Morton connecting with Wallace on a 12-yard scoring pass. The extra point attempt was blocked, but Hinds led 27-24 with 11:14 left in the third quarter.
The Bobcats would come right back and march from their own 33 to the Hinds' 4-yard line in seven plays. Kroeze would come in and boot his second 21-yard field goal of the day, tying the score at 27-27 with 7:58 left in the third quarter.
Later in the third quarter, the Bobcats had moved out near midfield.
However,
Detric Hawthorn fumbled the ball and Mekhi Elijah Tariq Ross would return it 47 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the third quarter. The extra point attempt was no good and Hinds led 33-27.
Two possessions later, JCJC went 66 yards in nine plays.
Detric Hawthorn would score from 3 yards away and Kroeze's extra point gave JCJC a 34-33 lead with 9:50 left in the game. A 25-yard run by Smith was the big play in the drive.
However, Hinds responded and would regain the lead.
The Eagles drove from their own 25 to the JCJC 11. The drive stalled and Cole made a 28-yard field goal to give Hinds a 36-34 lead with 7:01 remaining.
That would set the stage for JCJC's game-winning drive.
On the play before Smith's touchdown, Phillips made a 23-yard run. Kroeze's kick ended the scoring.
On Hinds' next drive,
Derric Hawthorn came up with his interception at his own 46.
The Eagles would get the ball back one more time and drove from its own 20 to the JCJC 45.
On a fourth and 6 play, Morton was sacked by
Semaj Thomas (Fort Worth, Texas) and the Bobcats could finally celebrate.
The Bobcats conclude regular season play with a 3:30 p.m. game on Oct. 28 at MGCCC. The game will air on
www.jcjc.tv and the official JCJC Facebook page on Facebook Live with
Mark Easley and
Chris Robinson on the call.
Hinds ends the regular season at home on Oct. 26 against No. 7 East Mississippi.
October 21
Jones County 41, Hinds 36
Ellisville
Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field
Hinds (6-1, 5-1) 7 14 12 3 – 36
Jones County (7-1, 5-0) 14 10 3 14 – 41
Scoring summary
1
st quarter – JCJC,
Scott Phillips 70-yard run, 12:04.
Mike Kroeze PAT. JCJC, 7-0.
1
st quarter – Hinds, DeVante Scott 6-yard run, 5:00. Spencer Cole PAT. 7-7.
1
st quarter – JCJC,
Detric Hawthorn 25-yard run, 1:24. Kroeze PAT. JCJC, 14-7.
2
nd quarter – JCJC, Phillips 4-yard run, 10:01. Kroeze PAT. JCJC, 21-7.
2
nd quarter – Hinds, Ra'Meik Wallace 11-yard pass from Tyler Morton, 7:46. Cole PAT. JCJC, 21-14.
2
nd quarter – JCJC, Kroeze 21-yard field goal, 5:10. JCJC, 24-14.
2
nd quarter – Hinds, Wallace 25-yard pass from Eric Clark, :25. JCJC, 24-21.
3
rd quarter – Hinds, Wallace 12-yard pass from Morton, 11:14. PAT blocked. Hinds, 27-24.
3
rd quarter – JCJC, Kroeze 21-yard field goal, 7:58. 27-27.
3
rd quarter – Hinds, Mekhi Elijah Tariq Ross 47-yard fumble recovery return, :00. PAT failed. Hinds, 33-27.
4
th quarter – JCJC,
Detric Hawthorn 3-yard run, 9:50. Kroeze PAT. JCJC, 34-33.
4
th quarter – Hinds, Cole 28-yard field goal, 7:01. Hinds, 36-34.
4
th quarter – JCJC,
DeShawn Smith 7-yard run, 3:57. Kroeze PAT. JCJC, 41-36.
Hinds Jones County
25 FD 26
45-224 Rushes-Yards 60-397
23-41-1 Comp-Att-Int 13-21-2
242 Passing Yards 128
466 Total Offense 525
8-83 Penalties-Yards 9-69
4-36.0 Punts-Ave. 4-39.3
2-0 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
JCJC statistics
Rushing
JCJC –
Scott Phillips 27-219;
DeShawn Smith 17-88;
Detric Hawthorn 8-53;
Chris Weaver 5-34;
Harry Ballard 1-4;
Rashaud Green 2- (minus) 1.
Passing
JCJC –
Chris Weaver 8-15-1 for 59;
Detric Hawthorn 4-6-1 for 50;
Taylor Wallace 1-19.
Receiving
JCJC –
Kendall Parham 6-35;
Jonnas Spivey 3-36;
Harry Ballard 2-26;
Reilly Reardon 1-19;
Jeriko Morris 1-12.
