Jays Refuse to Fold, Snatch a 17-15 Jamboree Win from Cougar Jaws
View the Photo Gallery of the Jesuit – Karr Game
The Blue Jays were in the driver’s seat for most of Thursday evening’s game against the Karr Cougars at the Bonnabel Jamboree. Jesuit had a comfortable 14-0 lead up until 3:45 of the second half (jamborees are two 15-minute halves).
That’s when the Jays must have felt like they hit an eject button on the driver’s seat.
The Cougars cut the lead to 14-7 and with 24 seconds on the clock, Karr scored again to make it a 14-13 game. Eschewing the point-after kick for a tied game, the Cougars turned a busted play into a two-point conversion. And just like that, the Jays were down 15-14.
Down but not out. A lot of teams would have folded, but not this Jesuit team.
On the ensuing kickoff, junior Jakirai Wiley went right up Karr’s middle, breaking tackles and finding daylight to the 35-yard line of the Cougars. Wiley almost went all the way for a TD. The Jays had time to run one play and they had to at least pick up enough yardage to be in junior Crew Jacobs’ field goal range. Senior quarterback Trey LaForge hit junior Kalija Lipscomb up the middle for 15 yards.
Three seconds left. In comes Jacobs to kick a 30-yarder, a distance well within his range. The snap, the kick is up, time expires on the clock, and… the ball sails wide right. Except a flag is on the ground. The referees confer and Karr is penalized 10 yards for roughing the center after the snap.
The game cannot end on a penalty so Jacobs and the Jays get a redo. This time, Jacobs splits the uprights from 20 yards out. Jays 17, Cougars 15.
The Jesuit players run on the field and briefly surround Jacobs before forming a line to shake hands with the Cougars.
Senior safety Dillon Knight scored the first touchdown when he recovered a blocked punt in the Cougars’ end zone. The punt was blocked by senior linebacker Mitchell Melito. The Jays’ second touchdown came on a 20-yard pass from LaForge to senior running back Malcolm Ben.
“I know we’re going to get that effort week in and week out,” said head coach Mark Songy after the game.”Our special teams did well today and we were able to get one out even with all the mistakes. Against a quality opponent like Karr, this propels us forward. I’m excited for the kids. They’ll be a bounce in our steps when we get back to work.”
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N.O. Advocate: Jesuit tops Karr, 17-15
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