Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Throughout the entire season, it felt like this was the year that Miami Trace had all of the pieces to finally claim its first-ever FAC championship.
But on Friday, Jackson nixed that thought, proving to be the king of the conference’s mountain — still.
Despite an awful start that led to an early deficit, the Ironmen (7-2, 4-0 FAC) responded in championship fashion before flexing their muscles in the second half.
They outscored the Panthers by a 20-7 margin in the final two quarters en route to a 41-27 victory.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
“This was such a battle. I can’t remember the last time we trailed by double digits that early in a game. But huge credit to our kids for sticking with the plan and executing as the game progressed,” Jackson coach Andy Hall said. “We made a lot of formation switches, but our offensive line deserves a lot of credit. They did such a great job of being physical and winning the battle up front from the second quarter on. We gave up just one touchdown in the second half, so credit to our defense as well for adjusting and executing. What a win.”
The win marks the fifth consecutive season where Jackson has won at least a share of the FAC title. It also marks the first loss for Miami Trace (8-1, 3-1 FAC) this fall.
“This is such a huge win for us. It puts us right where we wanted to be at the top of the FAC, and it was massive for our computer points since we’re in the same region as Miami Trace,” Hall said. “We’ll definitely enjoy this win, but there’s more work to be done and we want that outright title.”
Out of the gates, Miami Trace couldn’t have dreamed of a better start. On the first play, standout Julian Baker took a handoff, found a seam, broke three tackles and sprinted 71 yards for a touchdown, putting his team ahead 7-0.
The Panthers’ defense turned around and made a huge play of its own as Kooper Nicks intercepted Jackson’s first pass, on the first play from scrimmage. With a short field, MT’s Cooper Enochs then took a handoff and went 26 yards for the touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0 with 9:26 left.
Although momentum was clearly on the Panthers’ side, Jackson remained calm in the face of adversity.
The Ironmen pieced together a nine-play drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown from Charlie Woodard to cut the deficit to 14-7.
That score completely flipped the script.
Jackson forced a Miami Trace fumble and recovered the ball, which led to a one-yard touchdown plunge from Bodhi Wolford, tying the game at 14-14 at the beginning of the second quarter.
“It all comes down to leadership from us captains. We were telling everyone to calm down after they scored to go up 14-0,” Jackson’s Ryan Seimetz said. “We started really flat, but we also knew that we were the better team. We made a stand at that point that once we retook the field, we were going to be better.”
PHOTOS: Images from Jackson’s win over Miami Trace
With all the energy shifted towards the Ironmen sidelines, they couldn’t seem to be stopped.
After forcing a punt, Dayton Kallner became the featured player as he caught three straight passes to set Jackson up at MT’s 24-yard line.
On the next play, Seimetz found a crease and broke a couple of tackles before muscling his way 24 yards into the end zone, putting Jackson ahead 21-14.
“It felt great to make those catches. We had been practicing all week and noticed their linebackers like to play back and not cover the under route,” Kallner said. “They weren’t really guarding on the under routes and I was open, so it was my chance to make some plays.”
Needing to regain some footing, Miami Trace went back to the basics with a heavy dose of Baker. He carried the ball on six of the Panthers’ next 11 plays, the final of which resulted in a two-yard touchdown, bringing Jackson’s lead to 21-20 at halftime — following a blocked extra point try.
Out of the break, though, Jackson was off to the races.
Wolford connected with Eli Ray on a 13-yard catch before adding a 15-yard rush. Seimetz then cashed in on a 31-yard touchdown run for a 27-20 tally, following a failed two-point try.
“The second half was really when we started to pick things up. We knew that we were the most physical team and we emphasized that during halftime,” Jackson’s Jake Allen said. “It really just came down to which team was the toughest and it was us tonight.”
The Panthers responded as Baker broke contain, hit the edge and found pay dirt for the third time on a 27-yard touchdown scamper that produced a 27-27 tie.
Jackson was forced to punt on its next possession, but the ball bounced, ricocheted off a Miami Trace uniform and the Ironmen recovered.
That was the ultimate turning point.
The Panther defense tried to once again get a stop, but on 4th and goal from the MT 5, Wolford connected with Ray on a slant for a five-yard touchdown to make it 34-27.
It was time for Jackson’s defense to get a stop, and it rose to the occasion when Wes Clagg came up with a third down sack to force a punt.
The Ironmen then chewed up clock and converted two massive fourth down tries, including a six-yard run from Wolford. The drive ended with Wolford finding the end zone for his second rushing score of the night, putting an end to the Panthers’ undefeated season.
“I have full confidence in my offensive line and all my guys that they’re going to give me a hole to run through when my number is called,” Wolford said. “I knew that I had to chew the clock a little bit with time on our side, and at the end of the day, it was all about who wanted it more.”
Unofficially for Jackson, Wolford finished 10-of-11 passing for 77 yards with a touchdown and an interception, alongside 12 carries for 60 yards and two rushing scores.
Seimetz had 18 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns, and Ray had two catches for 18 yards and a score.
Baker finished with 20 carries for 199 yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers while Enochs added three carries for 28 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson will try to win the outright FAC championship on Friday, hosting Chillicothe. Meanwhile, Miami Trace aims to rebound that same evening against Washington.
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