Hornets shut out at Jackson-Olin
BIRMINGHAM -- Jackson-Olin High School shut out Chelsea, 22-0, in a Class 6A, Region 5 matchup on Friday night, leaving Chelsea and first-year head coach Dustin Goodwin still searching for their first win of the season.
“I thought our defense played outstanding,” Goodwin said. “We played pretty well on special teams...Offensively, we struggled moving the ball, there’s no secret in that. It is what it is. Our kids played extremely hard. They didn’t quit and that’s all we can ask them to do. ”
The Hornets defense had a strong second half, but struggled to gain momentum on offense throughout the game, a trend not helped by three lost fumbles.
The Mustangs began the game with a four-play drive, featuring two passes from quarterback Brandon Ward to receiver Kentrel Calhoun, including a 45-yard reception that went for the game’s first score. Jackson-Olin went for two points after every score, and was successful on its first try, going up 8-0. Calhoun was held without a reception in the second half, but racked up 127 yards on seven catches in the first half. Ward finished 10-of-21 with 142 yards passing and two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The first of Chelsea’s fumbles came with a little under two minutes to play in the first quarter, as running back Collier Blair fumbled at the Hornets 13-yard line, setting up a 13-yard touchdown run on the next play by Jackson-Olin running back Kason Jones, who finished with 93 yards on 21 carries. Blair finished with 60 yards on 21 carries.
The Hornets defense forced a Ward interception around midfield halfway through the second quarter, and moved the ball, for the first time in the game, into Mustangs territory. However, a bad snap on third down forced a punt.
Just before halftime, the Hornets came up with another key interception, this time inside their own 35-yard line to stop the Mustang drive.
In the second half, the Hornets stepped up on defense. With the exception of a 28-yard run during the Mustangs final drive, Jones was held to 15 yards on 11 carries in the second half, as opposed to 50 yards on nine carries in the first half. The passing game became nearly non-existent for Jackson-Olin, with only two passes attempted and one completed, although the completion was a seven-yard touchdown to finish the game.
A third-quarter fumble marked the Hornets second turnover, though the defense forced a punt on the next drive. The Hornets also fumbled a punt inside their own territory in the fourth quarter, setting up the final drive for Jackson-Olin. After Jones ran for 28 yards, Ward completed a pass to Alvin Toney for a touchdown. The subsequent two-point conversion was successful, leading to what would be the final score of 22-0 in favor of Jackson-Olin.
Going into another Region 5 matchup with Pelham next week, Goodwin said he hopes to have his team healthy and ready to go.
“We need to regroup this weekend, continue to heal guys up best we can and get back to work on Monday and get ready for Pelham,” Goodwin said.
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