Sports
Jackson Trumps Ironton in Thriller
By: Seth Austin
Posted on:
It took all 48 minutes of a physical contest between Jackson and Ironton, but when the dust settled the Ironmen came out with their undefeated season still in tact defeating the Fighting Tigers 28-22.
As it has been all season for the Ironmen, their success rested on their three playmakers, Austin Osborne, Drew Ervin and Ty McNelly, who tallied all four of the Jackson scores on the night.
Osborne was the first to put a score up on the board after he plowed through the line to cap a Jackson drive.
After starting off slow, Ironton took a hold of momentum after picking Osborne on defense. The Tigers would then take a shot deep to Michael Lawless to get into Jackson territory and running back Tyler Hager would finish the drive. A successful two-point conversion put Ironton up 8-7.
Next Tigers possession, Dion Brown would then break a 69-yard run all the way to the Jackson 15-yard line. From there, Hager would add to the Ironton lead on a scamper up the middle. Another two-point conversion made the score 16-7.
With little time left in the half, Osborne took over trying to narrow the deficit. With just seconds left in the half he heaves one up to McNelly for the Jackson score taking the game into halftime with Ironton up 16-14.
Jackson came out in the second half and pounded the ball down the middle of the Ironton defense. After eating up much of the third quarter clock, McNelly would find the end zone for his second time on the night, this time on a sweep handoff making the score 21-16.
In the latter moments of the fourth is when the craziness of the match ensued.
After Ironton stopped the Jackson offense down one score, McNelly fumbled the ensuing punt and the Fighting Tigers took over on the Jackson 20-yard line.
Ironton punched the ball down to the goal line, but would need all four downs to cross the plane on Hager’s third score of the contest. Ironton led 22-21 with five minutes left.
But five minutes was too much time for Osborne and the Ironmen offense. After sustaining a solid drive, Ervin, who had been quiet all night, bounced off defenders to the left side for the go-ahead score.
With time running short facing a 4th and 5, Tigers quarterback Tyler Kratzenberg rolled out but the pass fell incomplete sealing the victory for Jackson, 28-22.
The win for Jackson was the first time the Ironmen took down Fighting Tigers in Ironton since 1968 and improves Jackson to 7-0 on the season.
Jackson looks to remain perfect next week when St. Charles comes to town.