WATERFORD — Gritty. grinding. Thoroughly. work horse. Bell cow.
None of the above would be a great way to describe University of Waterford sophomore quarterback Hayden Jones’ performance in Friday night’s Tri-Valley Conference showdown with the undefeated Eastern Eagles.
Jones’ performance and a standout second half from the Waterford defense helped the Wildcats erase a 13-point deficit and rally for a thrilling 22-19 victory.
Jones carried the ball on 25 of the 26 plays the Wildcats ran from scrimmage in the second half and scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to give the Wildcats the lead for good.
“I felt like we had the numbers in that formation and were able to get four or five yards per pop.” Waterford head coach Eric McCutcheon said. “I kept asking him if he needed a break and he said he didn’t, so we kept giving him stones and he was incredible.”
Eastern came out and did exactly what everyone knew they were going to do, banging the football behind their big offensive line.
They ran the ball 12 times in a row on the first possession of the game, but the drive stalled at the Wildcats’ 32-yard line.
The Wildcats struggled a bit to get on the football in the first half, though they turned it back twice, including an interception by Eastern defensive back Gavan Murphy on the first possession when the Eagles had great position near midfield.
Eastern went right to work on the ground again, using running backs Tyler Hill and Trayvon Bears to move the ball deep into Wildcat territory.
The Eagles took a 7-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter when the Bears ran down the sideline for a touchdown.
The Wildcats turned the ball over again on their next possession, and Eastern sophomore Blaze Gilmore recovered a Wildcat fumble at the Waterford 26-yard line.
This time, Eastern got the ball back in the end zone in just four plays, and Hill scored from 18 yards left.
The extra point kick failed and Eastern led 13-0 in the second quarter.
The Wildcats needed to get on the scoreboard in the worst possible way before intermission, but they did just that when they put together an 11-play, 68-yard drive that culminated with Jones’ 5-yard touchdown run to narrow the lead. I was able to accomplish that. Go to 13-7.
This shift in momentum lasted about a minute, and the Bears took the field on Eagle’s first play from scrimmage, sprinting unscathed for a 58-yard touchdown run with just over a minute left in the first half.
Eastern tried to make up for the missed extra point by scoring two points, but it came up short and they were forced into the locker room with a 19-7 lead.
McCutcheon was not entirely satisfied with his team’s defensive performance in the first half.
“I don’t know why, but the first half was flat.” McCutcheon said. “We upped them at half-time and told them it wasn’t Waterford football, it was some kind of regrouping.”
Waterford started the second half with possession and quickly put together a statement drive to get back in the ball game.
The Wildcats marched 67 yards in eight plays, with no one touching the ball except Jones and the center, and again Jones scored from five yards left.
The Wildcats took the field to kick the extra point, but after Eastern’s offsides penalty brought the ball closer, they brought the offense back down the field and Jones drove into the end zone for the two-point conversion, narrowing the lead. Ta. 19-15.
Waterford’s defense, which struggled so much in the first half, looked brand new in the second half. They stopped the Eagles on four consecutive plays and stole the ball at their own 40 points.
The only play in which Jones did not run the ball in the second half was when he fired the ball into the air, but it was again picked off by Murphy, giving the Eagles great field position.
Murphy actually ran the return into the end zone, but Eastern’s block-in-the-back penalty sent it back to its own 39-yard line.
Waterford’s defense was as good as it was on the first Eagle possession of the second half, forcing a three-and-out as well on the second Eagle possession when Eastern punted the ball for the first time in the game.
Just like on the first drive of the second half, the Wildcats relied on the running of Jones, who carried the ball nine times for 77 yards on the Wildcat drive, ending with a 3-yard touchdown for his first score. lead of the match.
“Hayden is a stubborn kid who never gives up, and you’ll see that tonight.” McCutcheon said. “We have a lot of kids like that and I love them to death.”
The Eagles started their next drive in great position near midfield and moved the ball all the way to the Waterford 22-yard line before the Wildcat defense held again and gave the ball back to the offense with a turnover on downs. .
Dylan McCutcheon and Trevin Zimmer led the Waterford defense with seven and six tackles, respectively, and Kolten Jones added five tackles.
The Wildcats stole the ball with six minutes left, Jones carried the ball eight times in a row, giving Eastern no chance, and got three first downs, giving them a big win over a great football team in a playoff-like atmosphere. I got it.
“Our kids are growing every week and that’s what you want to see as a head coach.” McCutcheon said. “They are improving every week and really understand what we are trying to accomplish.”
Jones carried the ball 37 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns.
“It took all 11 of us and our offense played great.” Jones said. “We played the same play over and over again, but it worked because everyone gave 100% and everyone was on the same page.”
The Wildcats improve to 4-2 with the win and will remain at home next week to face Southern in another TVC game.
“I’m so proud of everyone, from the kids to the coaches to the trainers to the fans.” McCutcheon said. “It was a complete team effort and a big win for us.”
The Bears rushed the ball 14 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Eastern (5-1), while Hill carried the ball 22 times against 88 markers. The Eagles will look to get back on track next week against Wahama.