Moments after his 30-yard catch-and-run put his team on top of Greene County for good 26-22 in the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs on Friday, North Pike running back Jalen Adams jubilantly returned to the sideline and informed every teammate within earshot, “It’s meant to be.”
Given the circumstances, it was hard to argue with him.
The Jaguars, who trailed the Wildcats 22-19, were down to their last chance on a fourth-and-12 from the Wildcat 30-yard line with two minutes, 45 seconds separating them from a catastrophic end to their season.
Then, North Pike quarterback Revis Butler connected with Adams at the first-down marker. The running back saw green grass and one defender to beat, darted around him and tiptoed down the right sideline for the score.
The play will never achieve the notoriety that famed Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris garnered on the “Immaculate Reception” in a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, but Adams insisted he had divine help on the play.
“It wasn’t nothing but God,” he said. “God answered my prayers.”
He also answered the Jaguars fans’ prayers for a defense that relinquished a 19-7 lead on two fourth down conversions in the second half.
Greene County quarterback Tyler Summers connected with wideout LaMarcus Franks on a fourth-and-goal from the Jaguar 4 to trim the deficit to 19-14 with 5:16 left in the third period.
Two possessions later, Summers hooked up with wide receiver Gus Walley to convert a fourth-and-5 from the Jaguar 15. Walley outjumped a pack of Jaguar defenders to snag the touchdown reception.
Logan Brewer’s 2-point run gave the Wildcats a 22-19 advantage with 7:14 remaining in the contest.
“It felt like a bad dream,” said wide receiver Tonnie Collins. “It was a wake up call.”
North Pike head coach Chris Smith said the lapses were partly due to the Jaguar defense missing standout linebacker A.J. Jefferson, who suffered a partial tear of his medial collateral ligament against South Pike on Oct. 29.
Jefferson was held out of Friday’s contest, and Smith said his knee will be re-evaluated Thursday.
Despite its earlier shortcomings, the North Pike defense stood tall after Adams’ late heroics.
Jaguar defensive tackle JaDarrius Weatherspoon sacked Summers for 4-yard loss to set up a fourth-and-18 from the Wildcats 30. Greene County (4-8) turned the ball over on the next play when Summers overthrew running back Kenja Blakely.
The Wildcats got one more chance with 38 seconds left in the game. Summers hit Walley for a 39-yard gain to the North Pike 45. But three plays later, Butler intercepted Walley at the Jaguar 20 to seal the win.
“We left it all on the field,” said Greene County head coach Johnny Ainsworth. “North Pike has a good football team.”
Friday’s contest didn’t go the way North Pike (11-1) hoped it would, as the Jaguars had to fight to keep their postseason hopes alive against an opponent that was overmatched on paper.
The game proved to be North Pike’s toughest test since a 14-7 loss to Bay High in the second week of the regular season. That loss also marked the Jaguars’ only deficit of the season.
“We needed a game like that to wake us up again,” Butler said, referring to the Jaguars’ string of lopsided victories that followed the early loss.
Smith echoed Butler’s view.
“It’s good that we had a tight game like that,” he said. “It’s good that we had to play four quarters. I’m proud of our guys for not hanging their heads when (Greene County) took the lead.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the Wildcats struck first blood on a 4-yard running back Kenja Blakely touchdown run to cap an 11-play, 81-yard drive and put Greene County on top 7-0.
Summers accomplished most of the damage on a 32-yard pass to Walley. Four plays later, the Jaguars jumped offside on a fourth-and-2 to keep the drive alive.
Two minutes after the Wildcats’ initial strike, North Pike wide receiver Jemerick Jordan got behind the Greene County secondary, and Butler hit him in stride for a 55-yard touchdown pass to cap a four-play, 67-yard drive. Placekicker Tommy Beasley kicked the PAT to tie the game at 7-7.
The North Pike defense stood tall on Greene County’s ensuing possession, forcing the Wildcats to turn the ball over on downs on a Summers incompletion at the North Pike 24.
The Jaguars struck on their first play after Butler hit Collins on a short hitch route. Collins did the rest, splitting the Wildcat secondary and racing 76 yards for a touchdown. Beasley’s extra point attempt caromed off the right goalpost, but North Pike led 13-7.
North Pike had a chance to extend its lead after linebacker Tariq Johnson fell on a Summers fumble at the Greene County 40, but the drive ended at the Wildcats 5-yard line when Butler was stopped for no gain on fourth down.
It marked the Jaguars’ second turnover on downs of the night. The first came on the Jaguars’ first possession of the contest, which ended at the Greene County 20.
“We don’t like to punt,” Smith said. “Our philosophy is, ‘We’ve got four downs to get 10 yards, once we get around the 50.”
Despite the disappointing finish, the Jaguars built their lead to 19-7 on their opening possession of the third quarter. Adams capped a six-play, 75-yard drive with a 5-yard run to extend the lead to 19-7.
But from there, the Greene County defense kept the Jaguars in check, until Adams’ 30-yard touchdown effort put North Pike ahead for good.
“Yes ... our players overlooked them,” Smith said. “I didn’t feel like we prepared today like we had been. We played a real good team, and were lucky to get by.”
North Pike will host the Laurel Golden Tornadoes in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday.
Laurel (7-4) crushed Florence 41-16 in its opening playoff game on Friday.
