July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
MUNCIE — For more than 22 minutes, the Patriots played as well against Delta as they have at any time in the last 20 years.
It took just 16 seconds for everything to change.
Jalen Robinson caught a touchdown pass to tie the game for the host Eagles, and Brody Runyon scooped up a fumble on the first play of the ensuing drive and took it back 29 yards for another TD. Delta added another score on the opening drive of the second half and tallied 34 consecutive points on the way to a 34-15 victory over Jay County.
“One of the things that I said to our offensive coordinator … was ‘We’re not going hurry-up. I want to control the tempo. I want to make sure they don’t get the ball back,” said JCHS coach Tim Millspaugh of the game-changing sequence late in the second quarter. “Because we were concerned that that right there might happen. And unfortunately it did.”
Jay County (0-1) took advantage of an errant snap on a punt, scored on its second possession of the game and looked as if it might head to halftime with the lead. But after missing on several earlier tries, Eagle quarterback Cade Jones connected with Robinson on a 20-yard fade to the left corner of the end zone at the 1:42 mark of the second quarter.
The Patriots fumbled the ball on the first play of the next possession, and Runyon had a clear path to the end zone as he gave the Eagles the lead for good.
“We turned the ball over too much tonight,” said Millspaugh, whose team gave the ball away three times on two fumbles and an interception. “We work a lot on ball security, but obviously it needs to continue.”
Delta took a 14-7 lead into halftime and came out for the third quarter with a clear mission — feed Joe Spegal.
The Eagles handed the junior running back the ball over and over again, mostly sending him sweeping around the right side, on the opening possesion of the second half. Spegal carried the ball eight times on the 10-play drive, including a 2-yard run around the right end that pushed the advantage to 21-7.
“Every game is a probing. You’ve got to see the way they line up against certain formations.,” said Delta coach Grant Zgunda, whose team has not lost on the field to the Patriots since 1993. “With that formation it was just trying to pound it inside and they made the adjustment and brought everybody inside, so we started going outside.”
Spegal (20 carries, 111 yards) added a second TD run with just two seconds remaining in the third quarter, and Jones and Robinson connected on a 67-yard scoring pass four minutes into the fourth.
Jay County looked strong early, stopping the Eagles for a three-and-out and then getting the ball at the 26-yard line when the snap on fourth down went high over punter Rob Fox’s head. The Patriots got on the board six plays later when Kaleb Toland powered his way in from 2 yards out.
With some help from a personal-foul call that negated a Spegal TD run, the Patriot defense held the home team scoreless until the final two minutes of the second quarter. But the two touchdowns in 16 seconds swung the momentum.
“They’re a good football team,” said Zgunda. “It was a battle in the first half.
“I was proud of the way our guys came back. I was proud of Jay County, the way they fought for four quarters. That’s a testament to (Millspaugh).”
JCHS also scored first against the Eagles last season on a 35-yard interception return by Darren Bogenschutz, but went on to lose 24-8.
Jon Kern followed Spegal for Delta with 43 rushing yards on eight carries, and Robinson caught three passes for 114 yards. The Eagles notched 187 of their 284 total yards in the second half.
J.D. Mangas, a 1,000-yard rusher last year, broke the century mark as he ran 18 times for 101 yards for the Patriots. Sean Winget added 32 yards on the ground, and Nick Clemens completed two passes for 19 yards.
Levi Hummel paced the defense with 10 tackles and a sack.
“I am very, very pleased with our kids’ effort,” said Millspaugh. “We’re getting the effort that we want. We’ve got some fundamental stuff to fix, but that stuff is always correctable. The effort stuff is the stuff you have to worry about … and I feel real good about our effort.
“The great part of the first week of football is we get to go out and play next week.”[[In-content Ad]]
It took just 16 seconds for everything to change.
Jalen Robinson caught a touchdown pass to tie the game for the host Eagles, and Brody Runyon scooped up a fumble on the first play of the ensuing drive and took it back 29 yards for another TD. Delta added another score on the opening drive of the second half and tallied 34 consecutive points on the way to a 34-15 victory over Jay County.
“One of the things that I said to our offensive coordinator … was ‘We’re not going hurry-up. I want to control the tempo. I want to make sure they don’t get the ball back,” said JCHS coach Tim Millspaugh of the game-changing sequence late in the second quarter. “Because we were concerned that that right there might happen. And unfortunately it did.”
Jay County (0-1) took advantage of an errant snap on a punt, scored on its second possession of the game and looked as if it might head to halftime with the lead. But after missing on several earlier tries, Eagle quarterback Cade Jones connected with Robinson on a 20-yard fade to the left corner of the end zone at the 1:42 mark of the second quarter.
The Patriots fumbled the ball on the first play of the next possession, and Runyon had a clear path to the end zone as he gave the Eagles the lead for good.
“We turned the ball over too much tonight,” said Millspaugh, whose team gave the ball away three times on two fumbles and an interception. “We work a lot on ball security, but obviously it needs to continue.”
Delta took a 14-7 lead into halftime and came out for the third quarter with a clear mission — feed Joe Spegal.
The Eagles handed the junior running back the ball over and over again, mostly sending him sweeping around the right side, on the opening possesion of the second half. Spegal carried the ball eight times on the 10-play drive, including a 2-yard run around the right end that pushed the advantage to 21-7.
“Every game is a probing. You’ve got to see the way they line up against certain formations.,” said Delta coach Grant Zgunda, whose team has not lost on the field to the Patriots since 1993. “With that formation it was just trying to pound it inside and they made the adjustment and brought everybody inside, so we started going outside.”
Spegal (20 carries, 111 yards) added a second TD run with just two seconds remaining in the third quarter, and Jones and Robinson connected on a 67-yard scoring pass four minutes into the fourth.
Jay County looked strong early, stopping the Eagles for a three-and-out and then getting the ball at the 26-yard line when the snap on fourth down went high over punter Rob Fox’s head. The Patriots got on the board six plays later when Kaleb Toland powered his way in from 2 yards out.
With some help from a personal-foul call that negated a Spegal TD run, the Patriot defense held the home team scoreless until the final two minutes of the second quarter. But the two touchdowns in 16 seconds swung the momentum.
“They’re a good football team,” said Zgunda. “It was a battle in the first half.
“I was proud of the way our guys came back. I was proud of Jay County, the way they fought for four quarters. That’s a testament to (Millspaugh).”
JCHS also scored first against the Eagles last season on a 35-yard interception return by Darren Bogenschutz, but went on to lose 24-8.
Jon Kern followed Spegal for Delta with 43 rushing yards on eight carries, and Robinson caught three passes for 114 yards. The Eagles notched 187 of their 284 total yards in the second half.
J.D. Mangas, a 1,000-yard rusher last year, broke the century mark as he ran 18 times for 101 yards for the Patriots. Sean Winget added 32 yards on the ground, and Nick Clemens completed two passes for 19 yards.
Levi Hummel paced the defense with 10 tackles and a sack.
“I am very, very pleased with our kids’ effort,” said Millspaugh. “We’re getting the effort that we want. We’ve got some fundamental stuff to fix, but that stuff is always correctable. The effort stuff is the stuff you have to worry about … and I feel real good about our effort.
“The great part of the first week of football is we get to go out and play next week.”[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD