Pirates plunder Jaycee Stadium
By Luke Eden
STAFF WRITER
The pirates sailed away with a 28-2 victory after a lethal raid on Wayne County Friday night. Coming off a two game winning streak against Groves and Glynn Academy, and with a 3-1 record this season, the Pirates clearly have their eyes on a playoff spot--and they certainly played that way Friday.
The blitzing, attack-oriented defense of the Pirates took a heavy toll on the Jackets’ offense, and injuries to Sterling Young, Pat Smith, Rafael Hendrix, Laquavious Brown, and Vinson Merritt sorely taxed the Jackets ability to move the football.
“Our running game is not the same without Smith in the lineup,” said head coach Craig Davis after Smith limped off the field in the third quarter with a taped ankle.
With an injured offense unable to manage the clock, it was a defensive battle as the Jackets struggled to stave off the Pirates’ invasion. Primarily driven by Pirates powerhouse rusher Richard Cash, Brunswick’s offensive line was big, mean, and ready to get physical. But the Jackets’ defensive line was ready to match their intensity and pulled together to hold the Pirates at bay, keeping them scoreless for the first half.
“We came out like gangbusters,” said Joey Roberts. “Travis played good; Avery played good; all of them played good. That first half is about as good as we can play.”
The solid teamwork of the defensive line was highlighted by some big individual plays that came out at just the right time to keep the Pirates from crossing the goal line.
After nearly five minutes of uninterrupted Pirates possession, Laquavious Brown stopped a 12-play drive with an interception in the end zone. But the offense stalled at the 20 and, after a five-yard penalty, was forced to punt at fourth and 15.
Brunswick took possession on the 38 at the bottom of the first quarter and came on strong after being foiled by Brown.
Just over two minutes into the second quarter, the Pirates were in scoring position once more, but another standout play from the Jackets defensive line turned the tide, stealing a sure touchdown from the Pirates yet again. Bending low to scoop up a fumble on the 5-yard line, Jarred Patterson put the Jackets in their best field position of the night with a 50 yard dash that ended on Pirates’ 45.
“It felt pretty good to get some yards back for the defense,” noted Patterson after the turnover.
But yet again the Jackets’ offensive linemen found themselves unable to move the ball, and yet again found themselves in a three-and-out situation.
A big punt by William O’Quinn pushed the line of scrimmage to the Pirate’s 3-yard line; with their backs to the end zone, the Pirates were about to feel the sting of the Jackets’ defensive line.
On the first play of their possession, Pirates quarterback Johnathan Dixon went down in the end zone, sacked by Michael Formey and Avery Coleman for a safety. The two points from the safety were the first points posted by the Jackets on the defensive side of the ball this season and the only points the Jackets were to score that night.
The Jackets finished out the half strongly. Solid defensive play, another fumble recovery by Patterson, and a good bit of luck kept the Pirates down 2-0 after a missed field goal attempt at the end of the half.
But the third quarter marked the beginning of a lethal barrage by the Pirates. Coming out with determination, the Pirates started the second half off from the 20, driving 80 yards to reach the end zone.
It took the Pirates 12 plays and nearly six minutes to get their first touchdown, but the second was to come much easier.
On their second play of the half the Jackets turned the ball over on a fumble, putting the Pirates only 20 yards away from another seven points. After a quick two-play drive and another successful PAT from the Pirates, the Jackets were down by 12.
It was a quiet quarter for the Wayne County offense, which yet again turned the ball over on their very next possession with an interception.
The Pirates were quick to capitalize on the turnover. In what was surely the most electrifying play of the night by the Pirates, Dixon threw a short lateral pass to wide receiver Jarvis Williams, who--moments before going down under a host of Jackets defenders--pitched the ball to running back Darius Slay as he came tearing up the sideline. Slay was forced out of bounds at the 5-yard line, and the brutish but effective rush by the monstrous Cash across the goal line seemed almost anticlimactic after such a dazzling play.
While surely the prettiest touchdown made by the Pirates, it wasn't the last, and Brunswick put seven more on the board in the fourth quarter.
The real failure of the Jackets Friday was the offense’s inability to move the ball. Going three-and-out on nearly every possession, the Jackets picked up only a single first down during the first half of the game, only four the entire night.
“We were just inconsistent on all phases; we’re just not doing anything we can hang our hat on right now,” said offensive coordinator Brent Norris. “It’s just a total inconstancy; it’s not anything where we can say ‘It’s this section’s fault or that section’s fault’--nobody is executing very well.”
With the offense unable to maintain possession of the football, the Jackets’ defense was overworked in the first half.
“We played real aggressively and took them on,” noted Roberts. “But we kind of wore down in the second half physically--we’re not real big in a lot of places.”
The season rolls on as the Jackets continue to work the kinks out of their program and prepare for next Friday. In the words of Patterson, “We should have won, but hey, it’s a loss--put it in the book, get ready for next week, get ready for Waycross.”
/yardstick/
JACKET YARD STICK
WAYNE COUNTY 0 2 0 0-2
Brunswick High 0 0 21 7-28
Second Quarter
WC--Coleman, Formey Safety 7:56
Third Quarter
BH--Slay 13-yard run (PAT Martin) 6:02
BH--Slay 10-yard run (PAT Martin) 4:42
BH--Cash 6-yard run (PAT Martin) 3:17
Fourth Quarter
BH--Billue 25-yard interception return (PAT Martin)
WC BH
First downs 4 21
Total yards 42 398
Rushes-yards 12-(-8) 45-286
Passing yards 50 112
Comps.-Att.-Int 13-30-5 11-21-2
Punts 5-23.5 1-40
Penalties 5-25 9-95
Fumbles-lost 3-1 3-2