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All-around victory
Published November 18, 2009
To advance in the playoffs, teams must be solid in all three phases of football.
A lapse on offense, defense or special teams can spell the end of the season. Last Friday, solid play in all three kept North Jackson's season going.
The Chiefs (9-3) got big plays in all three areas in a 16-14 victory over Guntersville in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.
The win avenged a 30-23 regular season loss to their region rival and sent North Jackson into a state quarterfinal matchup against top-ranked Cherokee County (12-0) Friday night at 7 p.m. at R.D. Hicks Stadium in Stevenson.
It's North Jackson's first quarterfinal appearance since 2005 and the first for a Jackson County squad since Section went to the 2A quarterfinals in 2006.
North Jackson entered last Friday's game looking for redemption after letting a 23-7 first half deficit slip away in that earlier loss to Guntersville on Oct. 8.
The North Jackson offense set the tone early, marching 86 yards on 12 plays for a touchdown. Will Richard completed a 25-yard pass to Jovani Taylor on the drive, which also included a 15-yard run by Montel Hale, a 13-yard Richard to Wordlaw screen pass and a 12-yard run by Wordlaw. Hale capped the drive with a 5-yard TD run on third-and-goal.
"That was a big drive to establish some momentum early," said North Jackson coach Shawn Peek.
Freshman kicker Cesar Diaz booted the extra point to give North Jackson a 7-0 lead with 6:38 left in the opening quarter.
Diaz also three first-half field goals (26, 27 and 22 yards), accounting for 10 of North Jackson's 16 points in the victory. Prior to Friday's game, Diaz had kicked just two field goals all season.
"(Diaz) did a great job," Peek said. "You tell your guys how important special teams are, and they see it tonight. Special teams can win or lose (a game), so you've got to be good there. They came through for us."
With the exception of two second-half scoring drives, North Jackson's defense was stout. The Chiefs held Guntersville to only 61 total yards and four first downs in the opening half. The Wildcats managed just 183 yards for the game and committed three turnovers.
The first came on an interception by Denzel Bynum in the first quarter. Next came Kahne Cooper's 39-yard interception return to the Guntersville 4 which led to a Diaz field goal.
Mark Kelly sacked Guntersville quarterback Chris Daniel on the following possession and recovered Daniel's fumble, setting up Diaz's 22-yard field goal with one second left in the half.
The defense also rose up late in the game to preserve the win. Corey Cahill's 7-yard TD run with 7:39 remaining cut the Chiefs' lead to 16-14, but the ensuing 2-point conversion try was no good, preserving North Jackson's 16-14 lead.
Guntersville got the ball back at its 25-yard line with 5:28 to play, but North Jackson's defense held Cahill to 2 yards on first down and then forced two straight incomplete passes.
"The defense came up big there," Peek said. "They found a way to get it done."
The Chiefs' offense got the ball back with 4:29 remaining and nursing a two-point lead.
"I told them two first downs would get it done," Peek said.
Turns out it was three, all of which came via third down conversions.
The first came on a third-and-12 play when Richard floated a pass to Hale between two defenders.
The next came on Hale's 13-yard run on third-and-2, and the last came when Richard got four yards on third-and-4. That was followed by a kneel down which sparked a spirited victory celebration.
"It's good to still be playing," Peek said. "Our kids came through that stretch during the season where we lost those three (in four games), they responded and kept battling. We're excited about getting to play (in the quarterfinals)."
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