Jackson football improves to 2-0 with 49-19 win over Lindbergh

It seemed only fitting when Jackson played its first ever game against Lindbergh High School on Friday night that the Indians put on an air show.

Junior quarterback Cooper Callis marked the occasion with a “Spirit of Jackson” performance, throwing a career-high five touchdown passes as the Indians downed the Flyers 49-19.

Callis finished with 277 yards passing, which left Jackson coach Brent Eckley talking enthusiastically about several of his young quarterback’s 16 completions, from two slant strikes that went to junior Terrico Johnson for touchdowns, to a 37-yard TD swing pass to running back Bryndan Reid, to a time-buying, scrambling 37-yard scoring pass to junior receiver Jack Warren to a 51-yard pass play to senior Quentin Kent at the start of the second half.

Eckley was particularly pleased with the latter, as Callis had learned a lesson from a first-quarter interception, one about the corners pinching in, and took advantage of it when he waited for Kent to break free.

“I’m very pleased with him,” Eckley said. “Not surprised. Very pleased.”

Eckley even lauded the placement of a couple of incompletions, noting good decisions.

“He’s an accurate kid and he’s got an accurate arm,” Eckley said. “It doesn’t matter who is coaching him, he’s got an accurate arm. Some kids either they have it or they don’t, and you can work on drilling things, but bottom line is he can put the ball where he wants to put it.”

In the first half, the Indians (2-0) found their path on the ground impeded much more than in Week 1, when they gouged Hickman for 268 yards rushing in the opening two quarters. Against Lindbergh, the Indians had just 10 yards on four carries in the first quarter, and saw 10 first-half rushing attempts net just 23 yards.

After Callis threw the interception on the Indians’ first possession, he teamed up with Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown pass, hitting his receiver in stride on a slant over the middle. Matthew Jaco tacked on the PAT — as he did after all seven Jackson TDs — for a 7-0 lead with 4 minutes, 40 seconds left in the first quarter.

It was the first varsity touchdown for Johnson.

“It was a good feeling to get the first one, and then the second one was just as good,” said a smiling Johnson.

Callis said the two have been reunited after playing together on the freshman team two years ago.

“We threw a lot over the offseason,” Callis said. “I think, me, him and Quintin, we threw a lot over the offseason through the spring. It felt good to get a touchdown with him.”

Lindbergh (1-1), led by former Cape Central coach Nathan Norman, answered with a 35-yard TD run by Andre Richie on its next possession, but the PAT snap was botched and allowed the Indians to maintain a 7-6 lead.

Jackson’s next three offensive possessions ended in punts — the latter two did not pick up a first down — and the Flyers definitely had momentum as they handed the ball off to Richie on four straight carries to move 21 yards to the Jackson 33 with under three minutes left in the half. However, on a third-and-2 play, the Indians threw Richie for a 5-yard loss. On fourth down, the Flyers elected to punt, which netted 1 yard after the Indians’ Cole Welker fielded the kick at his own 20 and returned it to the 35.

“It didn’t’ work,” Norman said. “I thought that I wanted to punt deep, pin them back and make them drive the length of the field, but we had a high snap, which led to not a very good punt. Hindsight is 20-20, if I had to do it over I’d fake it and get it and score.”

Instead, the Indians took over with 1:22 left in the half and drove 65 yards in four plays for a 14-6 lead. Reid took a swing pass in the right flat, used a big block and hugged the sideline on his way to the end zone 31 seconds before halftime.

“The receivers did a great job blocking it, and got him covered up and then he turned it on,” Eckley said. “Drew Moran did a great job blocking tonight, and I think he was the one on that one.”

The Indians, who accumulated 165 yards of offense in the first half, used the play as a springboard into the second, where they scored on three of their first four possessions and rang up 328 yards of offense.

Callis threw two more TD passes in the third quarter, the first a 9-yarder to Kent and the second TD pass to Johnson on a fourth-down play to extend the advantage to 28-6.

Callis completed his first five passes of the second half for 96 yards, including the 51-yard pass to Kent, who finished with six catches for 110 yards.

The Indians pushed the lead to 35-6 on the first play of the fourth quarter on Callis’ scrambling pass to Warren.

Richie, who had 103 yards rushing on 19 carries in the first half, rushed just once for minus-2 yards in the second half.

“We’re building, and we have a long way to go, but I was proud of the kids, and they need to start believing in themselves,” said Norman, a former all-state player at Jackson. “That’s what I told them. They’re better than they think they are. And they’re going to have to start practicing like that and believing in themselves, and hopefully this first half showed them that. They did some nice things.”

Reid, who carried just three times for 27 yards in the first half, finished with 98 yards on 12 carries.

He had a 52-yard TD run in the fourth quarter before backup quarterback Jared Wren closed the scoring with a 5-yard TD run.

“They’re good at what they do,” Norman said. “They’re efficient and you’ve got to be ready for it. You have to play four quarters.”

Jackson begins SEMO North Conference play when it plays its first road game Friday against Sikeston.

Lindbergh 6 0 0 13 -- 19

Jackson 7 7 14 21 -- 49

First quarter

J -- Terrico Johnson 45 pass from Cooper Callis (Matthew Jaco kick), 4:40 L -- Andre Richie 35 run (Pass failed)

Second quarter

J -- Bryndan Reid 37 pass from Callis (Jaco kick), :31

Third quarter

J -- Quentin Kent 9 pass from Callis (Jaco kick), 8:34

J -- Johnson 12 pass from Callis (Jaco kick), 1:41

Fourth quarter

J -- Jack Warren 27 pass from Callis (Jaco kick), 11:45

L -- David Grenia 61 pass from Parker Powell (Paul Oligschlaeger kick), 10:45

J -- Reid 52 run (Jaco kick), 10:30

L -- Grenia 51 pass from Powell (pass failed), 5:42

J -- Jared Wren 5 run (Jaco kick), 1:11

TEAM STATISTICS

L J

First downs 14 22

Rushes-yards 37-140 47-216

Passing yards 179 277

Passes 8-23-3 16-28-1

Punts-average 5-34.2 3-37.6

Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-0

Penalties-yards 3-25 5-50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Lindbergh, Richie 20-101, Jaron Heller 5-11, Powell 2-(-11), Deandre Young 1-2, Theo Price 1-3, Jason Grenia 7-33, Nick Roth 1-1; Jackson, Reid 12-98, Ethan Laster 11-64, Quintin Kent 2-19, Callis 6-3, Jordan Kent 3-8, Wren 5-32, Dawson Southard 2-3, Team 1-(1-11).

PASSING -- Lindbergh, Powell 8-23-3-179; Jackson, Callis 16-28-1-277.

RECEIVING -- Lindbergh, Rami Issawi 1-11, D. Grenia 3-143, Eric Martell 3-26, Richie 1-(-1); Jackson, Q. Kent 6-110, Johnson 2-57, Warren 2-27, Drew Moran 1-15, Laster 1-(-5), J. Kent 3-36, Reid 1-37