COLUMBIA -- In an important get-right situation, the Jefferson City Jays took care of business Friday night and put together a dominating 57-22 win over the Hickman Kewpies in Central Missouri Activities Conference play.
Coming off a 28-7 loss to the Capital City Cavaliers last week and having a date with the Helias Crusaders next week, the Jays knew they needed to get back on track. They did that, and then some.
“It feels great,” Jays quarterback Jacob Wilson said. “It’s all about momentum. Football, there is just so much momentum, not just every play but week by week. We took that loss, and sometimes people may look like we may be all down and stuff, but I think we did a great job of turning that into positive energy and fueling our practices throughout the week. We need to keep that going.”
Getting momentum early in the contest was in the gameplan for the Jays, and they did just that.
Jefferson City won the coin toss and chose to receive. The Jays got the ball and scored in a hurry, driving 91 yards in nine plays to score on a Wilson 2-yard touchdown run. It was the longest and first of five touchdowns Friday for Wilson.
“Absolutely it was the gameplan, we chose to have the ball,” Jefferson City coach Damon Wells said.
The Jays jumped ahead 21-0 before Hickman could run its second offensive play of the game, thanks to a fumble on the Kewpies’ first play from scrimmage and a short kickoff that was recovered by Colton Bishop for Jefferson City. The fumble recovery was the first turnover forced since Week 2 against Hannibal for the Jays.
Ethan Garnett picked up the second touchdown and Wilson added his second to put the Jays ahead 21-0 with 53 seconds left in the first.
“That’s huge,” Wells said. “That’s why we do what we do, we scheme for a reason. We are proud of the boys, we are proud of the way they were able to rebound from an emotional week last week.”
Hickman threatened to get on the board on its next possession, but Kendric Johnson high-pointed a deep pass on a post route and snagged an interception at the Jays’ 1.
It was just one part of a big night for Johnson, as he filled in for Joe Kuster as the team’s kicker for the night and went 7-for-7 on PATs. Kuster missed the game due to a soccer tournament in Camdenton.
“It was awesome,” Wells said. “What a great addition to our program. On top of being a phenomenal athlete, he’s a better young man.”
The Kewpies did get on the scoreboard after a Jefferson City three-and-out when Zack Wright punched in a 2-yard touchdown run after a 45-yard completion from Carter Holliday to Tionne Milo. Jefferson City stopped the 2-point try and kept the score 21-6.
The Jays responded with an eight-play, 60-yard drive that ended with Kantrell Jordan scoring a 12-yard touchdown run to make it 28-6.
Hickman grabbed momentum at the end of the half with a 26-yard touchdown pass on a screen from Holliday to Tarez Connor. After a Holliday run for the 2-point conversion, the Jays took a 28-14 lead into the break.
The real test was going to be whether Jefferson City could put together as good of a second half as it did the first, something the team had struggled with in recent weeks.
The Jays put that question to bed with a great start to the third quarter.
After another good kickoff return left the Kewpies starting their first drive from their own 48, Jefferson City blew up a screen pass for no gain before Cohen Davis made the play of the game, picking off Holliday’s pass on a curl route and running it all the way to the Kewpies’ 4.
“He likes to throw it to the left a lot, all those quick hitches and all,” Davis said. “I just kind of figured, second-and-long, it’s going to be a pass left. I went out to my right and he threw it right to me. I was a little bit slow and got caught, but that’s alright.”
Two plays later, Wilson punched in another 1-yard touchdown run and moved Jefferson City ahead 35-14.
After a Hickman three-and-out, the Jays added another Wilson 1-yard touchdown run and put the game away early, grabbing a 42-14 lead with 7:19 left in the third.
The Kewpies got their only points of the second half on their next drive with a Holliday touchdown pass to Lucas Murray on a double move. A successful 2-point try cut their deficit to 20.
The stars aligned perfectly for Wilson again two drives later as the Jays got the ball to the 1-yard line, allowing Wilson to sneak in his fifth TD.
“I mean it was great, but really I have to give the credit to my O-line,” Wilson said. “I think one touchdown should go to each of my hogs up front.”
Jefferson City punched in its final touchdown of the night after a Hickman turnover on downs, this one being a 9-yard touchdown run by Rodney Wilson.
The Jays’ defense has put together two solid games in a row and really showed out in the second half Friday, hold Hickman to just 83 second-half yards and 8 points.
“Our defense has been a little under the gun and it was great to see them respond by giving up 8 points in the second half,” Wells said.
Jefferson City (3-3, 2-2 CMAC) picked up its 10th straight regular-season win against Hickman (1-5, 1-4) in the second longest rivalry west of the Mississippi River in the 115th meeting between the two teams.
“It’s hard to win high school football games and it’s harder to win in a hostile environment like this,” Wells said. “We feel lucky and blessed to even have a small chapter in this storied rivalry.”
The Jays were led by a huge night from Garnett on the ground, who rushed 24 times for 273 yards to lead the 484-yard rushing performance from Jefferson City.
Jefferson City outgained Hickman 512-to-259 in the contest.
The Jays will now shift their focus to a battle with Helias (4-2, 3-1) on Friday night at Adkins Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.