Sports
Jackson Rolls On Its Way To 48-13 Victory Over Rival Wellston
By: Justin Holbrock
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A Saturday night showdown that pitted bitter rivals Jackson and Wellston against one another ended in a 48-13 road victory for the Ironmen in the two teams’ 101st all-time meeting.
Jackson (1-0) started quickly with touchdowns on its first three possessions, while the defense stifled the offensive attack of the Rockets, giving the Ironmen a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Wellston (0-1) finally responded with two touchdowns late in the second quarter, highlighted by a 69-yard punt return by quarterback Braydon Womeldorf that cut the Ironmen lead to 20-13.
The punt return score, however, would be the Rocket’s last on the night, as the Jackson defense shut down the Rockets attack through the entire second half.
The Ironmen, however, thrived in the third quarter, scoring three times to push the Ironmen to a 35-point lead that they would not relinquish.
Senior running back Derek Rafferty led the Ironmen’s offensive attack with 98 yards rushing and three touchdowns as they outgained the Rockets 244-130. Quarterback Hunter Sexton also contributed on the ground with 65 yards rushing on seven carries.
“We made some mistakes in the special teams game in the first half and let them [Wellston] back in the game, but the main thing was to not panic and stay relaxed,” head coach Andy Hall said. “I thought in the second half we came out and really dictated the tempo of the game and I’m just really proud our staff and our kids tonight.”
Next up for Jackson is a trip to Waverly (1-0), and Wellston welcomes in Huntington (0-1) for the Golden Rockets’ home opener. Kickoff for both games is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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