Jackson defeats Central in battle of 0-9 teams

Central's Brandon Pickens is tackled by Jackson's Henrie Williams, left, and Austin Gonzaque during Thursday night's game at Houck Stadium. (LAURA SIMON) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Ethan Ruch darted to his left and expected to be tackled after a short gain.

But the Jackson running back managed to wiggle free for the decisive touchdown against archrival Central.

"I got a little off balance and I thought I was going to get caught from behind," he said. "But I kind of kicked around my shoulder and then from then on it was nothing but joy."

Ruch's score capped the Indians' comeback in their 20-13 victory Thursday at Houck Stadium. Jackson avoided its first 0-10 season while pushing the Tigers to 0-10.

"It was the best feeling I've had in a long time playing Jackson football," Ruch said. "You go through a season like this and then to be able to come back and to see your teammates not give up like that."

Jackson quarterback Bobby Clark looks to pass during Thursday's game. [Click to enlarge]

Ruch broke free for a 26-yard score with 1 minute, 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter for the Indians' first lead. But the victory wasn't secure until Jackson senior Bennett Smith intercepted Central quarterback Christian Cavaness with 1:07 left in the game.

"I initially tried to swat it," Smith said. "Then I was like, wait, I can catch this. I palmed it. I couldn't think of a better way to end my senior season."

Jackson ran out the clock, finishing its season 1-9.

Another interception set up the Indians for the game-winning drive, which started at their own 47 with 3:44 left. Jackson kept the ball on the ground, and quarterback Bobby Clark said the Indians felt comfortable calling on kicker Morgan Johnson to tie the game, if necessary.

"We wanted to run as much clock as possible," Clark said. "We knew we had a field goal kicker. He's the best high school kicker I've seen. But we didn't want to settle for a field goal."

Johnson already had kicked two field goals -- a 35-yarder and a 21-yarder -- to even the score at 13-13. Ruch erased the need for Johnson.

"It just feels like a big weight lifted off our chest," Ruch said of avoiding an 0-10 season. "I think everyone feels like that. We struggled and we struggled game in and game out. To come out here and struggle in the first half, to get it going in the second half, it's just an amazing feeling."

Ruch finished with 139 yards on 18 carries. He gained 129 yards after halftime.

Central punched Jackson in the mouth in the first half. The Tigers attacked with a healthy dose of Brandon Pickens on the ground. The senior running back gained 92 yards on 11 carries, but he injured his leg on a 52-yard run with about eight minutes left in the second quarter. He didn't return.

"I hyperextended my knee on the big run," he said. "I was really, really upset, sad. I tried my hardest to come back in, but it just wasn't working. I couldn't sprint on it. They wrapped it up and everything."

Pickens opened the scoring with a 1-yard run early in the second quarter. Central added another touchdown four minutes later when Cavaness took it in on a quarterback keeper.

The Tigers rushed for 154 yards on 28 carries in the first half.

"We were just really sticking to our blocks and working the thing we were working all week and getting to the outside," Central tight end Zach Boerboom said. "We tried to use our speed as much as we could."

The Tigers collected eight first downs and didn't commit a penalty in the opening half.

"Our line, we've got a good line," Pickens said of the first-half success. "Our line played strong, plus we had the rivalry adrenaline."

Central's defense played as well as its offense before the intermission. The defense limited Jackson to one first down and 34 yards in the first 24 minutes.

"They were taking it to us in the first half," Jackson senior Cole Rodgers said. "Everything they were running was working. Offensively we didn't move the ball. At halftime, coach didn't say much. The seniors got the team together. We didn't want to go out with a loss, especially to Cape."

Jackson's offense ignited quickly in the second half. Clark hit a pair of big passes to set up scores. His first one was a 57-yarder to Eli Gohn that gave the Indians first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Rodgers ran it in on the next play.

The next pass was a 38-yarder to Tommy Selsor, who hauled in the ball while falling to the turf. That led to Johnson's first field goal.

"We went in the locker room and coach wasn't happy to say the least," Clark said. "It was a whole different team in the second half.

"The first half, I was pretty nervous. I had to settle down. I had to find my rhythm. I had to make my plays."

The Indians avoided their first winless season in the program's 115-year history after reaching the Class 5 state semifinals the last two years.

"It's not as good of a feeling as going to the quarterfinals and getting a win there," Rodgers said. "But to end the season with a win after you've had such a hard season, it's nice. I'll take it any day."

For the Tigers, it was their first winless season since 1983.

"This is a very tough one to take," Boerboom said. "It's a tough one right now, but I know in a couple months we're going to look back on this and use it as a building block for next season."

Second Quarter

C -- Brandon Pickens 1 run (Matt Ponder kick), 10:10

C -- Christian Cavaness 1 run (run failed), 6:09

Third Quarter

J -- Cole Rodgers 1 run (Morgan Johnson kick), 10:44

J -- Johnson 35 FG, 7:04

Fourth Quarter

J -- Johnson 21 FG, 6:50

J -- Ethan Ruch 26 run (Johnson kick), 1:52

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Jackson, Cole Rodgers 6-3, Ryan Marble 3-18, Ethan Ruch 18-139, Bobby Clark 2-(minus 2), Tyler Seabaugh 1-3. Central, Brandon Pickens 11-92, Ray Woldtvedt 1-(minus 3), Keilon Moore 7-48, Christian Cavaness 6-0, Terrance Howard 4-9, Tae Jenkins 3-14, James Poindexter 10-30.

PASSING -- Jackson, Bobby Clark 7-20-145-0, Tommy Selsor 1-1-9-0. Central, Christian Cavaness 6-14-32-3.

RECEIVING -- Jackson, Ethan Ruch 2-11, Tommy Selsor 2-37, Eli Gohn 2-65, Bobby Clark 1-9, Skyler Kempf 1-32. Central, Tae Jenkins 3-12, Andrew Williams 1-9, Zach Boerboom 1-7, Keilon Moore 1-4.