FULTON – Ninth-ranked Jones saved its best football for the final two quarters, scoring 21 unanswered points to earn a gritty, 35-23 win at Itawamba Thursday night to stay unbeaten on the season.
Jones improved to 4-0, its best start since 2014, and won in Fulton for the first time in 14 years. Itawamba fell to 1-3.
Itawamba struck first with a 16-play, 98-yard scoring drive after
Yohan Thompson's second straight punt was downed inside the 2-yard line.
The Bobcats tied things up at 7-7 with 49 seconds left in the quarter, capitalizing off the first of four Itawamba turnovers, with
La'Damian Webb rushing for a 16-yard score.
The Indians needed just three plays in 1:13 to push back ahead, 14-7, early in the second. Dylan Faulk hit Jamal Brooks for an 8-yard gain and then Shamar Sandren for a 59-yard strike for the touchdown.
Alan Follis came on for
Quaterius Hawkins for the Bobcats' final drive of the half and led Jones down to the Itawamba 29-yard line before an unsuccessful fourth down attempt. Follis rushed for 25 yards and passed for 23 on the drive.
With ICC leading 14-7 to start the second half, a Chris Howard fumble at the Indians' 38-yard line, forced by
Kenderian Dixon and recovered by
Jaylin Simmons, setup JC in great field position.
Six plays later, Webb broke free for a 17-yard touchdown rush, stiff-arming a pair of Indians on his way to tying the game at 14-14.
A 32-yard Shane Lasher field goal put ICC back on top momentarily 17-14 before a light switch turned on for Jones.
Travor Randle's interception led to a 23-yard touchdown pass from Hawkins to
Chad O'Neal Jr. a series later and Hawkins then hit
Bud Tolbert from 31 yards to make it 28-17 Jones midway through the fourth quarter.
Andre Mack's interception in the end zone stopped an ICC scoring drive that would've pulled the game back within one score.
Jones then went 80 yards on six plays, capped by
Robert Henry's 46-yard touchdown rush.
ICC added a late touchdown on a 6-yard pass from Faulk to Sandgren. The two-point try was unsuccessful, to make the final 35-23.
Jones held a slight edge in total yards, 403-375, and forced four ICC turnovers. Dixon had 10 tackles, followed by
Drew Horton with eight.
Lardarius Webb Jr. had three breakups to add to his NJCAA-leading total of seven.
Webb went for 135 yards and two scores on the ground as Jones rushed for 217 yards as a team. Hawkins was 15-for-27 for 162 yards and two scores.
Faulk was 29-of-45 for 284 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions for ICC.
Unbeaten Jones returns home next Thursday night to host Hinds at 7 p.m. The Eagles knocked off No. 5 Gulf Coast, 41-37, after trailing 24-0 in the first quarter last time out.
