Safety lifts JCHS

BROOKVILLE - In the final quarter, both teams got within striking distance of the end zone on multiple occassions. Neither was able to get the ball across the goal line.

Instead it was an errant Franklin County snap that helped give the Jay County High School football team a 24-22 victory Friday.

Forced to punt deep in their own territory, a miscue led to a second straight heart-breaking defeat for the host Wildcats. With just 4:15 to play in a tie game, their snap went over punter Forrest Kunkel's head and out of the end zone for the safety that represented the final margin.

Franklin County (0-3) also lost 20-19 last week to Connersville.

Jay County (2-1) trailed 14-7 at the close of the first half, in which it had no rushing yards and no first downs. But Patrick Williams provided a spark to open the second half.

The senior brought a kickoff back for a touchdown for a second straight week, this time running 74 yards to tie the score at 14. The teams traded rushing touchdowns make the score 22-22 and set up a strange fourth quarter.

First Franklin County drove down the field only to be stone-walled by Dillon Easton and the Patriots on fourth-and-goal from inside the 1-yard line. JCHS responded with a 99-yard drive, but Ben Vance fumbled the ball at the goal line resulting in a touchback.

Next came the Wildcats' errant snap for the safety, on which Jay County had 12 players on the field but was not called for a penatly.

On the ensuing possession Michael Daniels broke a 50-yard run before being pushed out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

He apparently fumbled the ball after going out of bounds, but the officials ruled otherwise and gave the ball back to Franklin County on another touchback.

The Wildcats nearly took advantage, moving all the way down the field before facing a fourth down from inside the 20-yard line in the final 20 seconds. They went for the end zone, but quarterback Austin Neeley overshot his receiver and Adam Coats of the Partiots intercepted the pass to seal the victory.

Daniels led Jay County with 17 carries for 145 yards, including a 4-yard TD in the first quarter and a 24-yard scoring run in the third. Quarterback Zach Cash ran eight times for 81 yards and completed three passes for 26 yards.

In the loss, Franklin County outgained the Patriots by nearly 100 yards of total offense as they racked up 305 on the ground. Pete Schalk led that attack as he scored on runs of 29 and 37 yards and finished with 138 yards on 18 carries. Caleb Smith added 12 rushes for 105 yards, and Neeley (14 carries, 47 yard) scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter.[[In-content Ad]]