Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by Holzer Health System.
JACKSON — Since the formation of the Frontier Athletic Conference, Jackson and Miami Trace have faced off 11 times, including twice in the playoffs.
Jackson was 11-0 in those matchups.
It was the one team Miami Trace simply couldn’t beat.
Until Friday night.
The Ironmen had a two-touchdown lead in the second half, but that didn’t stop the Panthers. It only fueled them to hit harder, dig deeper and push further to make what felt impossible a reality.
Behind a play-making defense, a solid special teams unit and the will to win, MT completed the comeback and got the most important stop of the night to secure a 21-20 victory over the Ironmen.
“This is a game that is circled every year on our calendar. There’s extra work we put in during the offseason to prepare for big games like this,” Miami Trace coach Jerry Williams said. “Jackson is such an excellent program and they’ve been the standard of the conference for a long time, but these kids have worked so hard to try and change that narrative. We’ve had a lot of battles with them, including twice last year and lost both times. So to finally win one is such a great moment for our program. These kids and our seniors.”
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
The victory marks the Panthers’ first victory over Jackson in this century, while it also ends the Ironmen’ 25-game FAC win streak.
“First things first, we couldn’t do any of this without Jesus, so all blessings to him,” Miami Trace’s Julian Baker said. “We were down at halftime, but we knew it wasn’t over. We came back, fought and proved how tough we really are, and smashed them in the second half.”
Baker was the catalyst behind the Panthers’ victory, and although his fingerprints were all over the game, it didn’t start that way.
On the first drive, MT took to the air and a pass was picked off by Jackson’s Dayton Kallner, who took it back 64 yards for a touchdown to give his team a 7-0 lead.
The Panthers (5-1, 1-0 FAC) regrouped on the next drive, one that lasted for 15 plays, and converted a handful of third downs before Baker found the end zone on a two-yard plunge to bring the deficit to 7-6 after the first 12 minutes.
Jackson (3-3, 0-1 FAC) didn’t run an offensive play until the end of the first quarter, but it got the final possession to end the half.
After forcing a punt, the Ironmen pieced together a 13-play drive that chewed up more than five minutes of clock before C.J. Crabtree called his own number from six yards out to make it 14-6 at halftime.
The Ironmen opened the second half with the ball, and were met with no resistance.
PHOTOS: Images from Miami Trace’s win over Jackson
A long 14-play drive ended with a five-yard run into the end zone from Tate Rosler, pushing the lead to 20-6, following a block point after.
That blocked kick turned out to be a turning point.
On the ensuing kickoff, Baker fielded the kick and found a seam before hitting the afterburners on an 88-yard kickoff return for touchdown, cutting Jackson’s lead to 20-13.
“That play was the turning point. All momentum changed at that moment, going from down two scores to a one-possession game in less than 15 seconds,” Williams said. “That play gave us all the energy we needed and suddenly everything started coming together.”
“I had a feeling they were going to kick the ball right, so that’s the direction I went. We were supposed to go return middle, and luckily a lane was wide open,” Baker said. “Once I hit the hole, I cut back a little and then was gone.”
Both teams’ defenses then came up with important stops, but MT’s stop gave the Panthers a chance to seize control of the game. After moving the chains on a critical 4th down play, quarterback Baron Phipps found Evan Parsley on a 19-yard slant for the touchdown.
The Panthers rolled the dice with 1:30 left and decided to try for two. When Baker muscled his way across the goal line to convert, it gave his team a 21-20 lead.
“I haven’t played football since my freshman year, but Julian asked me to come back out and play, and I believe it was for moments like that,” Parsley said. “I remember hearing the play call in the huddle, and I asked for it like four plays prior since their safety kept dropping to defend a bubble screen. So I knew the slant was going to be open and it was cash money.”
It all came down to the final possession, and for a moment, it felt like Jackson still had enough magic left in the hat.
The Ironmen converted on a 4th-and-12 play to keep the drive alive, but the Panthers were up to the challenge. They forced another fourth down, and this time, a pass fell to the turf, sending Miami Trace’s sidelines into a frenzy with the sweet taste of victory.
“To beat Jackson is quite the accomplishment, and we know that year after year, this is who the championship runs through,” Williams said. “Our defense consists of 11 seniors and you rely on that leadership with the guys who have been through those battles over the last four years. They knew what to expect and how to seize the moment. Couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”
Baker finished with 20 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown, alongside his kickoff return for a score. Phipps went 6-of-10 passing for 60 yards and a touchdown, while Parsley had a touchdown catch.
For Jackson, Rosler had 17 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown while Crabtree added five carries for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Miami Trace returns to action on Friday at Chillicothe for FAC play, while Jackson hosts Hillsboro that same evening.
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