History at home (11/03/07)

Lance Franklin found a seam in the line, slipped through and out-ran the defense 39 yards to the end zone. It was just his seventh run of the game, but it marked a moment Jay County High School fans have been awaiting for 33 years.

Franklin's scamper, four plays after senior captain Aaron Daniels recovered an onside kick, ended Muncie Southside's comeback bid and sealed a 34-21 win and the first sectional championship in Patriot history.

"It's finally here and we did it and there's not a better feeling in the world than right now," said Daniels, who also had an interception and a fumble recovery to go along with five tackles. "There were moments in the game where we struggled, but we always came together.

"(Winning) was the only option, and I'm so glad that we got it done."

The victory not only gave Jay County it's first title, but also matched the school record for wins in a single season - the 1981 Patriots went 9-1 - as the team is now 9-3.

"This is amazing," said captain Michael Jobe, who for the second straight week carried the team on his back to the tune of 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns. "We're the first team ever to accomplish this. It feels awesome. ... I didn't think it would feel like this."

Jay County, which suffered big losses in its two previous sectional title appearances in 1985 and 2000, advances to the regional round of the state tournament for the first time in school history. It will face the difficult task of visiting Class 4A No. 1 Bishop Dwenger (12-0), which clobbered DeKalb 52-20 in the Friday's Sectional 11 title game.

While Southside (8-5) made a run to get within six points late in the fourth quarter, the Patriots never relinquished control after opening a two-touchdown lead in a 44-second span in the second quarter.

Following a scoreless first period, Billy Wellman put the Patriots on the board 1:12 into the second when he hit Scott Houston running the left hash for a 61-yard TD. On the first play of the ensuing drive Dalton McGill picked off the Rebels' Jamil Smith, leading to an 18-yard TD run by Jobe just three plays later.

A second interception, this time by Aaron Daniels on the opening drive of the second half, led to Jobe's second TD run for a 21-0 lead less than three minutes into the second half.

Jay County finished with just a 3-2 turnover advantage, but it was the points off turnovers that made the difference. The Patriots cashed in 2-of-3 times while Southside's ensuing drives went nowhere.

"In a game like this where the momentum can swing at any second, turnovers are huge," said Daniels, who recovered a Smith fumble on a fourth-and-goal play with just 4:48 left in the game. "Those interceptions and the fumble were absolutely huge and key to our victory. ... Turnovers win ball games."

Southside fought back and Smith's third passing touchdown - a scrambling 9-yarder to Cody Reynolds with 2:36 left in the game - pulled the visiting team within 27-21. But with time waning Daniels recovered the onside kick and Franklin put the game away.

For coach Shane Hill, it was a roller coaster ride all the way.

"I was elated about the way we came out and played in the beginning," he said, "and then a little disappointed about the way we sustained some things later, and then back to elation when we shut them down defensively and then put the final nail in the coffin."

And while it was Franklin who hammered that final nail, Jobe did the brunt of the second-half work for the second straight week. He picked up 115 of his yards on 21 carries after the intermission - one was a 30-yard touchdown run, his third of the game - as the Patriots did not attempt a pass in the second half.

"I just put my head down and run and my line opens up those holes," who got many of his yards following senior linemen Kaleb Hemmelgarn and Baxter Holdcroft. "I just hit them as hard as I could."

Southside actually out-gained Jay County 417-320, but failed on two key fourth downs in the final period and couldn't find much to complement quarterback Jamil Smith until it was too late.

Smith did just about everything for the Rebels, running 30 times for 159 yards and completing 15-of-38 passes - he was often victimized by drops - for 236 yards. More than 200 of those yards through the air came after Southside had already fallen behind by 21 points.

"I think the biggest part of the game was that this was the first time all year our kids were saying, "We're getting beat,'" said Rebel coach Mike Paul, who watched his team give up 241 rushing yards. "They were getting beat at the line of scrimmage. They were getting dominated. We haven't had that happen the entire season, even in losses.

"I thought Jay County did a great job."

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