The Jackson Ironmen picked up a league win Friday night over the Miami Trace Panthers in a game that can be described as a tale of two half's.
Miami Trace exploded out of the blocks Friday night as they scored on there very first play of the game, when Brady Wallace took a hand-off 80 yards for a touchdown. Jackson answered with 3:26 remaining in the first quarter when sophomore QB Jarred Icenhower kept the ball on a read option and scampered 73 yards for a score to tie the game at 7.
Jackson scored twice to start the second quarter just two minutes apart as Caleb Haller capped off a 5 play 60 yard drive with 2 yard dive into the end zone then Icenhower hit Junior WR Reid Evans on a 52 yard pass play with 9:25 remaining in the half to give the Ironmen what seamed to be a commanding 21-1 lead. Unfortunately for Jackson, as Evans was crossing the goal line he was tripped up from behind and suffered a broken leg, having to be transported to Children's Hospital in Columbus.
Miami Trace wouldn't back down as they controlled the ball for the last seven minutes of the first half and scored twice, once on a Brady Wallace 3 yard run that capped a 4 play 75 yard drive. And with one minute remaining in the half, Junior QB Tyler Taylor hit Caden Sweitzer in the corner of the end zone on a 15 yard pass on a drive started on the Panthers own 10 yard and kept alive by a fake punt pass from Brady Wallace to the QB Taylor. Taylor then hit Cody Hughes in the back of the end zone for the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 21 going into the half.
Jackson finished the first half with 183 yards rushing and 268 total yards, Miami Trace had 269 total yards in the half behind 4-10 passing and 82 yards from Tyler Taylor and 85 yards rushing, most of which was by Brady Wallace.
The third quarter was dominated by Jackson as they had the ball for nine and half minutes, scoring twice on drives totaling five minutes and forty nine seconds and three minutes and eighteen seconds.
Icenhower ran the first in on an eight yard quarterback keeper and Caleb Haller scored his second TD of the night on a one yard dive. Jackson led after three quarters 34-21.
The final period saw Jackson score first and Blake McCoy broke free on an 82 yard rush to make it 42-21, but Trace answered right back going 58 yards in 8 plays on 19 yard pass from Taylor to Wallace to cut the lead to 42-28. Jackson closed out the scoring however on another long run by McCoy to finish the game 48-28.
Jackson (5-1, 2-0) finished the night with 484 total yards. Blake McCoy led the way with 236 yards on 17 carries and 2 touchdowns. Jarred Icenhower had 113 yards rushing on 9 carries and 2 touchdowns. Icenhower was also 3-5 passing for 83 yards and a score. They had 8 penalties for 80 yards and no turnovers.
Jackson is on the road next week at Hillsboro. That game can be heard on Hillsboro's own WSRW 101.5FM/AM 1590 and the iHeartRadio app search wsrw.
Miami Trace finished with 338 total yards. Brady Wallace had 87 yards rushing on 12 carries and 3 touchdowns, one of those scores cam on a reception Wallace was also 2-2 passing for 102 yards. Coby Hughes had 4 catches for 107 yards and Tyler Taylor went 16-24 passing for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns. They had 1 turnover and were penalized 3 times for 30 yards.
Miami Trace (1-5, 1-1) is at home next week taking on the Chillicothe Cavaliers.