Tigers hold off late rally by Hornets for rivalry win
Several hours after undergoing testing for COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon, Jones High held off a late rally by rival Bishop Moore for a 32-26 win in College Park in the season opener for both teams.
The Tigers (1-0) led 32-6 with under seven minutes to play in the third quarter on the strength of three rushing touchdowns by Daquan Harris and a stripped fumble that was returned 55 yards for a score by senior Jonathan Aleem Jr.
The Hornets (0-1) reached the end zone on their next three possessions after forcing Jones into a pair of punts and a turnover. Bishop Moore then moved the ball to the 9-yard line with nine seconds to spare, where Jones senior Darrian Hawkins made a gamesaving tackle on a run to the left side by Daniel Flatch.
“It was tough seeing the lead slip away from us because we’re a state-championship defense,” Hawkins said. “The play was there, so I just kept fightin’ for my team. To let them come back on us and almost beat us, it don’t feel right. We’ve got to work a lot harder, starting this next week.”
Jones lost in the Class 5A state championship game last December to Miami Northwestern.
The Tigers were one of 19 varsity football teams mandated to take part in COVID testing by Orange County Public Schools. Evans High had its Friday home game versus West Orange canceled after five positive results forced coaches and players into quarantine.
That means Jones, which was scheduled to host the Trojans this week, must now find a new opponent or sit out a week.
“There was a lot of uncertainty for us because when you look at what happened to Evans, [the kids] didn’t know if they’d be able to play or what was going to happen,” Jones coach Elijah Williams said.
Jones, ranked No. 3 in the preseason Sentinel Super 16, made an early impression in the game when senior Rickey Smith ended Bishop Moore’s opening drive at the 5-yard line with a spectacular interception along the sideline.
“I was reading the quarterback and I seen the threat coming into my zone, and I just broke on it and toe-tapped it,” Smith said.
The Tigers pounced from there as Tysan Robbins threw deep to Jabari Smith for a 60-yard gain and Harris found the end zone on a short run four plays later.
Harris, who had eight runs of 10 or more yards, also scored on a 35-yard carry on Jones’ next possession and for the final time to open the second half. The senior finished with 16 rushes for 176 yards before leaving the game with an right leg injury with a little more than three minutes to play.
Bishop Moore, ranked No. 12, lost versatile senior Janiero Crankfield to a leg injury on a punt return in the closing minutes of the first half while trailing 18-6.
Jones appeared to put the game on ice when it scored for the final time on Aleem’s defensive touchdown midway through the third. But the Hornets found the end zone on consecutive drives as senior quarterback Luke Hedrick connected with C.J. Smith and Jeremy Ruiz for TDs.
Trent Allen recovered a fumble on Jones’ next possession and Flatch bullied his way in for a score on a 6-yard carry with under six minutes to spare. The Hornets then took possession for the final time three minutes later after forcing Jones to go three-and-out.
Flatch took a handoff while deep in Bishop Moore territory and converted on fourth down but wasn’t as fortunate when his number was called nine plays later with just four seconds left on the clock. After juking to his left between the guard and tackle, he was met by Hawkins and several defenders for a loss.
“That was tough at the end. They probably knew it was coming because I was getting the ball quite a bit,” Flatch said. “It was a heartbreaking loss, but we’ll rally and be ready for next week.”
Flatch rushed 15 times for 57 yards and caught four passes for 56 yards.
Hedrick was busy in his first game as the full-time starter for the Hornets while going 27 of 49 passing for 335 yards and three touchdowns.
“We got a lead and we put our [second- and third-team players] in and they didn’t perform like we thought they should, then they came roaring back,” Williams said. “Bishop Moore played well.
“Once you get that momentum going it’s tough [to stop it] in a rivalry game.”