TYLERTOWN – North Pike had control of the game in the first half Friday night.
It didn’t last, as Tylertown’s halftime adjustments limited the Jaguars’ possessions and allowed the Chiefs to take a 22-13 win on their home field.
“They did a great job of controlling the ball, and that’s to their credit,” North Pike coach Chris Smith said. “They got back to what they’ve done well, playing in the double wing, and smashed it at us and kept us off the field.”
Tylertown wanted to play that game in the first half, eating up more than half of the first quarter on its opening drive with running plays or short passes that moved the Chiefs just 25 yards and barely into Jaguar territory. The drive included two running plays on fourth down and short yardage rather than punting the ball away.
Quarterback Jashon Baker then launched a pass to Derrick Smith around the Jags’ 20-yard line that was intercepted by North Pike cornerback Daniel Clark and returned to Tylertown’s 44.
North Pike had some success in the passing game, but shot themselves in the foot with big penalties, as well.
A 39-yard completion from Jag quarterback Alijah Martin to wide receiver Jacoby Matthews to the Tylertown 10 was negated by a 15-yard penalty for a chop block, and the next play, a 43-yard completion to Matthews to the Chiefs’ 26 was called back for a block in the back.
Martin went to Matthews again on the next play for a 25-yard completion to Tylertown’s 35-yard line, but the drive stalled and the Chiefs took over on downs after yet another pass from Martin to Matthews was broken up.
The failure to score after making it inside the Tylertown 30 was costly for the Jags.
Chiefs running back Javonte Walker gashed the Jag defense for 17 yards and 39 yards on back-to-back plays to put Tylertown in the red zone, and running back Nicholus Ratliff sealed the deal with a six-yard touchdown run and a 6-0 lead after the point-after kick was blocked.
After penalties hurt the Jags on their first drive, North Pike got some help from penalties on the ensuing drive, with roughing the passer and personal foul calls pushing the Jags deep into Chief territory. Martin carried the ball himself for 15 of the last 22 yards, including a one-yard surge for tying score. The point after kick went wide left.
Tylertown punted on its next possession, and North Pike made short work of its opportunity, with Martin scampering 65 yards for the touchdown on the third play of the drive and a 13-6 Jaguar lead.
The first half ended with a pass from Baker that was batted away in the endzone to preserve the lead for North Pike.
A promising drive by North Pike to start the second half, that included a 37-yard completion from Martin to Jermarius Lewis, fizzled after a fumble and a pass caught out the back of the endzone.
The Chiefs then marched 70 yards down the field, capped by a 22-yard touchdown reception by Stephen Tisdale. Ratliff ran in the two-point conversion to give the Chiefs the 14-13 lead.
After trading possessions, the Jags got their last chance to regain the lead after taking over at their own 40 on downs. After a solid series of runs and pass completions, an offside penalty brought North Pike to the Chiefs’ 24-yard line, but Martin, searching for a target, ended up taking a 21-yard sack.
The Jags punted the ball down to the 14-yard line, but Tylertown punched the ball steadily downfield. Walker put the exclamation point in the endzone with just 35 seconds left in the game, rambling 26 yards almost untouched. The two-point conversion by Rkale Magee provided the final margin.
North Pike had a chance to put one more score on the board, after a 29-yard pass got the Jags to the Tylertown 24, but Martin couldn’t connect with Matthews or Christian Wiggins on game’s last two plays.
“We just tried to contain their quarterback, tried to slow him down,” said Tylertown coach Oz Holmes Jr. “We tried to keep a wall around him and did the best we could.”
Up next
North Pike – at Brookhaven, Sept. 21
“(Having a week off) gives us a chance to get our bumps and bruises healed, a chance to get well. We can work with some of our young players, and work on fundamentals with everybody.” – Smith
Tylertown – at South Pike Friday
“South Pike is a good team, and we’ll do our best to try to prepare.” – Holmes
