Junction City knocks down Hampton in league play
JUNCTION CITY – With 3:55 to play in the third quarter, Junction City’s JaKiron Cook scored his second touchdown of the game, this one a rush from 34 yards out, to give the Dragons the lead. On the ensuing Hampton drive, the junior stopped a fourth-down attempt two yards shy of Hampton resetting the chains. Junction City surged from that point on to claim a 30-12 8-2A victory over the Bulldogs on Friday night from Paul H. Muse Field at David Carpenter Stadium.
Cook tallied 174 all-purpose yards on 18 touches, which included 15 carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns, two catches for 27 yards and a 61-yard punt return touchdown, which opened up scoring in the 40th meeting all-time between the Dragons and Bulldogs. Additionally, Cook added six tackles, including one for a loss and recorded an interception.
Junction City (3-2, 2-0 8-2A) ran 49 offensive plays with 43 of those coming on the ground and accounting for 177 of the team’s 219 total yards. Hampton (2-2, 1-1 8-2A) ran one more play and gained 16 more yards than the Dragons in a contest that saw the time of possession differ by less than two minutes in favor of the Bulldogs.
The Dragon defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions, and allowed the Bulldogs to convert just two
of their nine third-down opportunities, while also absorbing 235 yards rushing on 43 carries and two touchdowns from Hampton’s flexbone rushing attack.
Leading 8-6 at the intermission, the lone first-half touchdown for Junction City came on the aforementioned punt return by Cook. Hampton would take their first lead of the game on their second drive of the third quarter as they took advantage of a Dragon turnover deep in Junction City territory and covered 19 yards in four plays to take a 12-8 advantage four minutes into the second half.
Trailing by four, the Dragons remained on the ground on their next drive as four players combined for 31 yards on nine plays as Cook scampered for 34 yards and a score on the tenth play of the drive to give Junction City the lead at 16-12 following a successful two-point rush from junior Jamie Carroll.
With 48 seconds to play in the third quarter, senior Dhante Gibson scored on a six-yard rush and Carroll added the two-point try as the Dragons pushed their lead to two possessions at 24-12. The exclamation point in the key league
victory came with 3:31 remaining in the fourth quarter as Cook capped a 10-play drive that took 4:36 off of the clock with a three-yard touchdown run and a twopoint conversion as Junction City’s lead grew to 30-12.
Gibson added 80 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown, while senior Kevontae Haynes caught a pass for 15 yards as junior Brady Hutcheson completed 3-of6 passing for 42 yards.
Sophomore Tanner Barnett and junior Kyle Kidwell each collected nine tackles in the win, while senior Sema-J Levingston added seven tackles with senior J’Vacye’ Cook chipping in with five and an interception. Sophomore Devontay Gilbert also picked off a pass on Friday night.
The Dragons improve to 30-10 alltime against Hampton and have won 14 straight games in the series.
Junction City faces an off week before jumping back into 8-2A Conference play on Friday, October 12, as the Dragons return to Paul H. Muse Field at David Carpenter Stadium for a Homecoming showdown with Bearden. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from the Bordertown. Fans can follow the Dragons live each and every week on the Dragon Sports Network via UStream and 101.5 The Hog.