July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Freeman TD tops Connersville (09/25/04)
JCHS football
Freeman TD tops Connersville (09/25/04)
PORTLAND — For the second straight week Jay County scored with no time on the clock, but this time the kick was good.
Last week’s extra-point to tie the game failed, but this week’s kick by Trent Bailey following Ben Freeman’s touchdown reception went through the uprights as the Patriots squeaked out a victory over the visiting Connersville Spartans 21-20.
They had lost a heartbreaking 30-29 game to Muncie Southside just seven days earlier. Before last week, Jay County had not had a football game decided by just one point since 1994.
“It’s just drawn the kids so close together,” said Patriot coach Shane Hill of the pair of close games. “They love each other, they root for each other and support each other. It’s a great atmosphere.”
Hill said the special atmosphere is created by the friendship among his players. He also credited their never-say-die attitude.
“These guys aren’t going to quit,” he said. “They don’t know when it’s over.”
Much like last week, Jay County (2-4, 1-2 Olympic Athletic Conference) faced a fourth down needing a touchdown to at least tie the game. And again, this time trailing 20-14, they got a good break.
On fourth-and-10 from the 14-yard line with 7.3 seconds on the clock Cory Locke passed to Freeman over the middle. The pass looked to be out of his reach, but Freeman was taken down as he reached for the ball and got the pass interference call with 3.5 seconds remaining.
Given one final chance, Locke dropped back and hit Freeman as he ran toward the left sideline from his tight end spot on the left of the offensive line. Freeman caught the pass at the 1-yard line and for a moment looked like he wouldn’t make it to the end zone, but he busted through Gary Cerqua’s attempted tackle for the touchdown.
Bailey followed with the kick to give the Patriots the one-point win.
“At first I wasn’t sure [if I would make it],” said Freeman. “I didn’t realize anyone was there, I was just turning to run. Then I got hit, and everyone said [I made it] because I was driving my legs, but he kind of just pushed me right in. It wasn’t anything special.
“Cory couldn’t have hit me in a better spot. He hit me right when I broke to get open. He hit me in the hands. It was just all momentum.”
Freeman’s touchdown, which completed a 62-yard drive lasting the final 2:38, gave Jay County the victory after it looked as if the home team had given away the game.
The Patriots had the ball with less than four minutes left on the clock and a two-point lead, but Locke fumbled on a second-down play from his own 11-yard line. Connersville recovered at the 1-yard line, and seemed to have the game in hand after Josh Gallimore scored on a 1-yard run with just 2:38 to play.
But, Jay County managed to get back down the field and scored with no time on the clock for the second straight week to hand the Spartans a heartbreaking defeat.
“My kids did a great job ...” said Connersville coach Scott Snodgrass, whose team has lost five in a row since a 17-14 opening win over Rushville. “They played a great game and did everything I asked them to do. It just came down to the last second and didn’t work out for us.
“When you get down [by the goal line] things happen. We’ve had problems all year, but the guys stepped up and played as hard as they could. I can’t ask for anything more when you’ve lost four straight games. When you come out and play like that, that’s awesome.”
The Spartans (1-5, 0-1 OAC) stunned Jay County early, scoring on two of their first three drives and racking up 110 rushing yards in the first quarter alone. Kyle Alexander scored on a 39-yard run in the first quarter, and Cerqua went in from 65 yards out in the second.
They had the ball and a 12-0 lead with less than three minutes to go in the first half when Ryan Younts shifted the momentum.
Younts jumped in front of Christopher Riebsomer, picking of a third-down pass by Cerqua near midfield and returning it to the Connersville 26-yard line. Three plays later Justin Gilbert was in the end zone after a 20-yard run, and the Patriots had pulled within 12-7 at halftime.
Jay County went ahead on a wild fourth-and-8 play with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.
Locke hit Corey Comer across the middle. Comer got the first down, but then fumbled the ball at about the 35-yard line. However, as the ball bounced toward the goal line, Josh Glessner picked it up at the 30-yard line and ran it the rest of the way for a touchdown and a 14-12 lead.
Connersville went back on top on Gallimore’s run and Kyle Alexander’s two-point conversion, only to have Locke and Freeman hook up for the winning score as time expired.
Although the biggest play was the final pass, Justin Gilbert led the Patriots offensively with 25 carries for 119 yards. He had another 41 yards and a would-be touchdown run called back because of penalties.
It was his second straight 100-yard game, and he now has 323 yards on the ground in the last two contests.
Locke went just 6-of-21 through the air for 87 yards, but completed the big pass when he needed to. Freeman caught two passes for 23 yards, both on the final drive, and Adam May had two receptions for 26 yards.
Younts had a touchdown saving tackle on a 43-yard run by Cerqua in the third quarter — the drive ended on with no Connersville points — and Eric Somers ended another Spartan drive by picking off a Cerqua pass at the 2-yard line.
“Our defense is our strength,” said Hill of the unit which allowed just two first downs after the intermission. “We’ve got the most guys coming back on that side of the ball. They’re playing well together. We know that when the offense isn’t clicking we have a defense that can get the ball back and give us another chance.”
“It’s amazing,” added Freeman of the victory. “Last week we had our backs against the wall. We were down two touches just like we were here and we fought back. At times you didn’t think anybody felt we could do it ...
“We really had no doubt. We knew we were going to have a shot at it at the end. Nobody knew it was going to happen like that, but we knew coming down to the end that we were going to have a shot at it. That’s just huge.”
Jay County will play at Lafayette Jefferson Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Cerqua carried 10 times for 151 yards to lead Connersville, which did not have leading rusher Jamie Taylor in the lineup. He was 0-for-4 passing with two interceptions.
Alexander ran 10 times for 74 yards.[[In-content Ad]]
Last week’s extra-point to tie the game failed, but this week’s kick by Trent Bailey following Ben Freeman’s touchdown reception went through the uprights as the Patriots squeaked out a victory over the visiting Connersville Spartans 21-20.
They had lost a heartbreaking 30-29 game to Muncie Southside just seven days earlier. Before last week, Jay County had not had a football game decided by just one point since 1994.
“It’s just drawn the kids so close together,” said Patriot coach Shane Hill of the pair of close games. “They love each other, they root for each other and support each other. It’s a great atmosphere.”
Hill said the special atmosphere is created by the friendship among his players. He also credited their never-say-die attitude.
“These guys aren’t going to quit,” he said. “They don’t know when it’s over.”
Much like last week, Jay County (2-4, 1-2 Olympic Athletic Conference) faced a fourth down needing a touchdown to at least tie the game. And again, this time trailing 20-14, they got a good break.
On fourth-and-10 from the 14-yard line with 7.3 seconds on the clock Cory Locke passed to Freeman over the middle. The pass looked to be out of his reach, but Freeman was taken down as he reached for the ball and got the pass interference call with 3.5 seconds remaining.
Given one final chance, Locke dropped back and hit Freeman as he ran toward the left sideline from his tight end spot on the left of the offensive line. Freeman caught the pass at the 1-yard line and for a moment looked like he wouldn’t make it to the end zone, but he busted through Gary Cerqua’s attempted tackle for the touchdown.
Bailey followed with the kick to give the Patriots the one-point win.
“At first I wasn’t sure [if I would make it],” said Freeman. “I didn’t realize anyone was there, I was just turning to run. Then I got hit, and everyone said [I made it] because I was driving my legs, but he kind of just pushed me right in. It wasn’t anything special.
“Cory couldn’t have hit me in a better spot. He hit me right when I broke to get open. He hit me in the hands. It was just all momentum.”
Freeman’s touchdown, which completed a 62-yard drive lasting the final 2:38, gave Jay County the victory after it looked as if the home team had given away the game.
The Patriots had the ball with less than four minutes left on the clock and a two-point lead, but Locke fumbled on a second-down play from his own 11-yard line. Connersville recovered at the 1-yard line, and seemed to have the game in hand after Josh Gallimore scored on a 1-yard run with just 2:38 to play.
But, Jay County managed to get back down the field and scored with no time on the clock for the second straight week to hand the Spartans a heartbreaking defeat.
“My kids did a great job ...” said Connersville coach Scott Snodgrass, whose team has lost five in a row since a 17-14 opening win over Rushville. “They played a great game and did everything I asked them to do. It just came down to the last second and didn’t work out for us.
“When you get down [by the goal line] things happen. We’ve had problems all year, but the guys stepped up and played as hard as they could. I can’t ask for anything more when you’ve lost four straight games. When you come out and play like that, that’s awesome.”
The Spartans (1-5, 0-1 OAC) stunned Jay County early, scoring on two of their first three drives and racking up 110 rushing yards in the first quarter alone. Kyle Alexander scored on a 39-yard run in the first quarter, and Cerqua went in from 65 yards out in the second.
They had the ball and a 12-0 lead with less than three minutes to go in the first half when Ryan Younts shifted the momentum.
Younts jumped in front of Christopher Riebsomer, picking of a third-down pass by Cerqua near midfield and returning it to the Connersville 26-yard line. Three plays later Justin Gilbert was in the end zone after a 20-yard run, and the Patriots had pulled within 12-7 at halftime.
Jay County went ahead on a wild fourth-and-8 play with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.
Locke hit Corey Comer across the middle. Comer got the first down, but then fumbled the ball at about the 35-yard line. However, as the ball bounced toward the goal line, Josh Glessner picked it up at the 30-yard line and ran it the rest of the way for a touchdown and a 14-12 lead.
Connersville went back on top on Gallimore’s run and Kyle Alexander’s two-point conversion, only to have Locke and Freeman hook up for the winning score as time expired.
Although the biggest play was the final pass, Justin Gilbert led the Patriots offensively with 25 carries for 119 yards. He had another 41 yards and a would-be touchdown run called back because of penalties.
It was his second straight 100-yard game, and he now has 323 yards on the ground in the last two contests.
Locke went just 6-of-21 through the air for 87 yards, but completed the big pass when he needed to. Freeman caught two passes for 23 yards, both on the final drive, and Adam May had two receptions for 26 yards.
Younts had a touchdown saving tackle on a 43-yard run by Cerqua in the third quarter — the drive ended on with no Connersville points — and Eric Somers ended another Spartan drive by picking off a Cerqua pass at the 2-yard line.
“Our defense is our strength,” said Hill of the unit which allowed just two first downs after the intermission. “We’ve got the most guys coming back on that side of the ball. They’re playing well together. We know that when the offense isn’t clicking we have a defense that can get the ball back and give us another chance.”
“It’s amazing,” added Freeman of the victory. “Last week we had our backs against the wall. We were down two touches just like we were here and we fought back. At times you didn’t think anybody felt we could do it ...
“We really had no doubt. We knew we were going to have a shot at it at the end. Nobody knew it was going to happen like that, but we knew coming down to the end that we were going to have a shot at it. That’s just huge.”
Jay County will play at Lafayette Jefferson Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Cerqua carried 10 times for 151 yards to lead Connersville, which did not have leading rusher Jamie Taylor in the lineup. He was 0-for-4 passing with two interceptions.
Alexander ran 10 times for 74 yards.[[In-content Ad]]
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