Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WHEELERSBURG — Nolan Johnson was probably very sore when he woke up on Sunday morning. But the aches and pains were completely worth it after his performance the night before.
Of Jackson’s 32 offensive plays in the second half, the University of Army commit carried the ball on 21 occasions … and also caught a screen pass. He was literally the team’s entire offense, carrying the ball 27 times for 181 yards and a touchdown.
“We don’t like to give guys the ball that much, but that’s the way the game was unfolding with Wheelersburg having guys on their defensive line, so just continued to pound the ball inside,” Jackson coach Andy Hall said. “I know he’s hurting right now, but Nolan played a great game as did our offensive line, setting the tone in the trenches and opening some holes for him to run through.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
After Johnson led his team into scoring position during the game’s most crucial drive, it was Bodhi Wolford lowering his shoulder and finding pay dirt from one yard out with 6.5 seconds left.
That score put the Ironmen over the top as they edged out Wheelersburg in a 28-24 dogfight in non-conference action.
The last four meetings between Jackson and Wheelersburg have each determined a winner in the final minute.
And for the fourth straight season, and fifth overall, the Ironmen have escaped in a victorious manner.
“This is a situation that I’ve never been in, nor have any of the players. Starting a game on Friday, then having to come back on Saturday and having to refocus mentally after being out of a normal routine,” Hall said. “I thought our kids responded really well to everything, playing on the road against a tough Wheelersburg team. I don’t care what their record is, Wheelersburg is a really tough, physical team and they made us earn every single yard. But this was a great win for our kids and something to continue building from.”
After a scoreless first quarter on Friday, Wheelersburg’s defense got the Pirates on the board first on Saturday when Jake Clevenger jumped a pass and intercepted it, before returning it 34 yards to the end zone.
Jackson, however, responded two plays later.
Going back to the air, Bodhi Wolford connected with a streaking Ryan Seimetz for a 61-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.
The Pirates (0-3) put a drive together on the following possession, meticulously marching down the field with short passes and runs. Braylon Rucker connected on a 45-yard pass to Kenyon Evans, putting ‘Burg on the one-yard line, and Elijah Brown scored on the next play, giving the Pirates a 14-7 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Pirates kicked it short and Johnson broke left and turned on the burnersm racing up the sideline for a 77-yard touchdown and tying the game, 14-14.
“That was a huge play for us, and it’s been a long time since we had one of those,” Hall said. “The whole second quarter was something else. We commit a turnover, then score in two plays, give up a big pass play that leads to a touchdown and then score 10 seconds later. And that was after neither team scored on Friday.”
Wheelersburg got the final points of the half, though, as Cooper Heimbach drilled a 24-yard field goal, giving his team a 17-14 halftime lead.
“We were in the same position last week against Ironton. Down at halftime, still in the game but came out incredibly flat,” Hall said. “I challenged them and flat out told them, ‘We can’t have that happen again’. The second half was going to show us how tough we really are.”
Jackson forced a punt to open the third, and put Johnson to work. He carried the ball on six of seven offensive plays, ending with a four-yard touchdown run to put the Ironmen ahead, 21-17.
The Pirates weren’t going down without a fight, though.
They put a drive together, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They found it when Jack Doerr connected with Kenyon Evans for a 40-yard touchdown, putting ‘Burg back ahead 24-21 with less than five minutes left.
However, that set up the final, and game-winning, drive for Jackson.
Johnson carried the ball six times and Wolford converted a huge third down completion to Seimetz to continue the drive. With the ball at the seven-yard line, and less than a minute to play, Wolford kept it three times with the final run being the game-winner, moving the Ironmen to 2-1 on the season.
“We moved some guys around defensively, but I thought Ryan Taylor played a great second half. We moved him from the line back to linebacker to give us a little more size and he was all over the place, much like Ryan Seimetz was on Friday in the first quarter,” Hall said. “The main thing was we just played harder. Guys did their assignments, we didn’t have many breakdowns, only gave up one big play and our guys stayed together.”
After Johnson’s stat line, Wolford finished 5-of-9 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown with a rushing score, while Seimetz caught four passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Evans finished with four catches for 104 yards and a touchdown for Wheelersburg, while Doerr finished with a 40-yard passing touchdown. Rucker was 15-of-21 passing for 135 yards, and Brown added a rushing touchdown.
Jackson returns to action on Friday at home against Western Brown, while Wheelersburg aims for its first win of the season on Friday at Northwest.
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