COLUMBIA - Even though they earned their first win of the season last week at Hannibal, the Jefferson City Jays weren't completely satisfied with how they performed.
They got closer to where they want to be Friday night, defeating the Hickman Kewpies 23-8.
"Everything just came together tonight," Jays defensive end Tyler Johnston said. "The energy was there, the morale was there, the preparation was there. I feel like this is the first game since coach (Terry) Walker came here that we've all really come together. And I really think it's the start of a turn of a new program."
It's the eighth straight win for the Jays (2-1)against the rival Kewpies (1-2), and third consecutive game they've held Hickman to fewer than 10 points.
Friday's win was also the 700th victory in the history of Jefferson City football.
"Very pleased with the defense and how we, for the most part, contained a pretty explosive quarterback," Walker said.
Walker was referring to Hickman senior Jeaven Brown, who didn't get much going against the Jays other than a 64-yard run and a 3-yard touchdown in back-to-back plays to make it 17-6 with 4:21 left in the third quarter.
Brown added the 2-point conversion.
But the Jays burned time off the clock with a 17-play, 77-yard drive that took nearly 10 minutes.
Cole Gresham converted a fourth-and 1 at the Hickman 3 with a quarterback sneak. Two plays later, he bounced outside and reached for the pylon for a 4-yard touchdown.
Hickman blocked the extra-point attempt to keep it 23-8 with 6:25 remaining.
"I thought we controlled the line scrimmage for the most part," Walker said.
The game was scoreless until David Bethune ran it in from three yards out with 2:46 left before halftime.
Ben Folz added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
The Jays had receiver Devin White come in motion and Gresham faked a handoff before giving it to Bethune.
Jefferson City found success with those type of misdirection plays for much of the game.
"That was by design," Walker said. "There's no team at the high school level, college level or professional level that can just rely on just single flow plays. You've got to have some sort of cross flow, some sort of hint of misdirection.
"And we did that this evening, and the results kind of speak for themselves. We were able to control the football a little bit better, and we put ourselves in some real nice positions."
Gresham connected with White for a 10-yard strike to the end zone with just seconds remaining in the first half to lead 14-0 at the break.
Folz added a 26-yard field goal at the 8:09 mark of the third quarter.
Jefferson City will host its first official home game of the season next Friday against the St. Louis University High Junior Bills, who fell 49-7 to De Smet to drop to 1-3 on the season.