Lions Clinch Share Of 14-4A Title With Win By Harold Wilson

November 28, 2010

John Tyler Football


John Tyler's defense drilled Kilgore for most of the night, and the Lions dug up a piece of the District 14-4A championship with a workmanlike 28-7 win over Kilgore Friday night.

JT improved to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in district, setting up a showdown next week at Jacksonville for the outright 14-4A crown.


"That's one of our main goals we set back in December -- to win a district championship," said JT head coach Dereck Rush, whose team has won six of its district games by 21 points or more, and held three-touchdown leads in all seven. "We're one game away from getting that done."

The Lions led 28-0 with less than five minutes remaining, and nearly pitched their second shutout of the season before giving up a late score. Jeremiah Henry topped JT's offense with 58 yards rushing, scoring twice on the night.

But JT's stop unit supplied the momentum mainly, forcing three turnovers to overcome an up-and-down night offensively. JT finished with just 223 total yards, its lowest output in district.

The safety duo of Chris Hackett (seven tackles, two forced fumbles, one interception) and Triston Wade (13 tackles, interception) teamed up to create all three turnovers. Hackett helped the offense get in position for short scoring drives on consecutive possessions in the second quarter, as JT never trailed.

Wade later sealed the contest with an interception in the end zone, with Kilgore looking to get within two TDs late.

The Lions limited the Bulldogs (3-6, 2-4) to just 81 yards through two quarters, and 91 through three frames.

Kilgore standout back LaDarius Anthony, the district's leading rusher, managed just 78 yards on the ground as JT repeatedly stacked the box. JT played the second half minus the services of blue-chip junior defensive end Eric Davis, who made three tackles in the first quarter before getting hobbled.

"We did what we had to do to win the football game," Rush added. "Kilgore is a big, physical team that runs to the football. And we played physical -- that's part of the reason (we played so well)."

The offense needed the defense's help after getting off to a slow start and fumbling away the ball two times for the second straight week -- JT turned it over only four times through seven games. On its first play from scrimmage JT coughed up the ball, and stalled out on its second drive after getting to the 26-yard line.

The JT defense, led by Hackett, set up the first two scores, which covered a combined 45 yards.

Hackett met Anthony near the Kilgore sideline and knocked the ball loose. Michael Owens recovered for JT, and the Lions scored five plays later on Damarcus Humber's 4-yard run up the gut.

On the ensuing series, Hackett intercepted a pass and returned it to the Kilgore 35.

JT doubled its lead in six plays, with quarterback David Bush making a big scramble on 3rd-and-17 to move the chains, and Henry getting behind the lead block of Chris Mobley for a 3-yard TD score.

"Our offense did a good job getting scores (when they needed to) and our defense did a good job holding them out the end zone," Rush said. "Overall it was a good job"

-- -- --

John Tyler 28, Kilgore 7

At Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium

Kilgore 0 0 0 7 -- 7

John Tyler 0 14 7 7 -- 28

Second Quarter

JT -- Damarcus Humber 4 run (Julian Varona kick), 9:45

JT -- Jeremiah Henry 3 run (Varona kick), 7:12

Third Quarter

JT -- Henry 16 run (Varona kick), 10:29

Fourth Quarter

JT -- Greg Ward 5 pass from David Bush (Varona kick), 11:08

KIL -- Conelius Bell 5 pass from Riley Toler (Hugo Orta kick), 4:18

EST.ATT.

-- 4500.

KIL JT

First Downs 13 15

Rushes-Yards 45-124 31-107

Passing Yards 53 116

Com.-Att.-Int. 5-12-3 11-16-0

Punts-Avg. 4-37.5 3-39.0

Fumbles-Lost 3-1 2-2

Penalties-Yards 10-84 75

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Kilgore, LaDarius Anthony 30-78, Chris Crosby 8-52, Breon Ector 4-11, Riley Toler 2-(-3), Team 1-(-14).

John Tyler,

Jeremiah Henry 11-58, David Bush 11-35, Devonte Haggerty 2-20, Damarcus Humber 4-12, Team 2-(-4), Greg Ward 1-(-14).

PASSING -- Kilgore,

Toler 5-12-2 -- 53.

John Tyler,

Bush 11-16-0 -- 116.

RECEIVING -- Kilgore,

Christian Sibley 3-37, Anthony 1-11, Conelius Bell 1-5.

John Tyler,

Ward 6-28, Humber 2-13, Fred Ross 1-59, Jaylon Thorn 1-11, DeQuante Woods 1-5.