Jackson football team wraps up season with district loss against Vianney

ST. LOUIS -- The alternative version to the "Miracle at The Pit" played out Friday night in the first round of the Class 5 District 1 playoffs at Vianney High School.

Nearly a year after Jackson pulled off one of the most shocking comebacks in Missouri high school playoff history, emerging from the ashes of a 32-point halftime deficit, the Indians went quietly into the night with a season-ending 49-14 loss to the Golden Griffins.

The Indians scored both of their touchdowns in the first quarter, but it all went downhill from there with the help of Devin Marty, who led Vianney with 212 yards rushing and three scores.

Jackson's Bryndan Reid is tripped up on a play against Vianney in the third quarter during a Class 5 District 1 game Friday, Oct. 24, 2015 at St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, Missouri. (GLENN LANDBERG)

"He could definitely lay the lumber, and he could run downhill," Jackson senor linebacker Zach Norrick said. "He's an effective player for them."

Marty had rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown in last year's stunning district collapse, and he was at the forefront as the Griffins gouged the Indians' defense for a second time this season.

Vianney posted 603 yards of offense in a 52-28 victory over Jackson in Week 2, and the Griffins accumulated 510 yards of total offense Friday.

"Last year, it was terrible losing that game," Marty said. "It was great to get our revenge tonight."

The season-ending loss of 2014 marked the third straight year the Griffins had been ousted from the district playoffs by Jackson, and Vianney coach Paul Day said it was the worst loss he had ever encountered.

"When my sons were eliminated as seniors in high school, that was tough from a personal connection, but that was the toughest one other than those," Day said. "It was tough because both teams battled so hard all night and so many plays were made by both teams all night, and to look your seniors in the eye when that was over, it was gut-wrenching. But all you can do is go into the offseason and go into the process to try to get back to the game."

Day said his team never discussed the loss, and the preparation for Friday's game was based soley on this year's teams. Marty figured heavy into the game plan, as he did in the Week 2 game when he rushed for 165 yards and finished with 221 total yards.

Jackson coach Brent Eckley talks with Cooper Callis on the sideline in the third quarter against Vianney during a Class 5 District 1 game Friday, Oct. 24, 2015 at St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, Missouri. (GLENN LANDBERG)

"We figured he'd pound it a bunch because we struggled to stop him the first time," said Jackson coach Brent Eckley, who saw his sixth-seeded Indians close with a 5-5 record in his fourth season.

The Indians received a steady diet of the 6-foot, 180-pound senior from the start. Marty had 13 carries for 78 yards in a first quarter that ended in a 14-14 stalemate, and he had 112 yards by halftime.

Vianney sophomore quarterback Tionn Harris added 108 yards rushing as the Griffins ran for 420 yards on 53 attempts.

With the grinding ground game leading the way, Vianney ran 70 plays to 51 for the Indians, who finished with 298 yards total offense. The Indians unleashed 180 of their yards in the first quarter, with the bulk coming on two plays.

Junior Bryndan Reid broke loose for a 58-yard run on the game's first play from scrimmage as the Indians covered 83 yards in five plays for a 7-0 lead. And after Vianney answered with a pair of touchdowns, junior Quentin Kent pulled the Indians back even at 14-14 on a 78-yard pass play with 1 minute, 6 seconds left in the first quarter.

"I was real pleased with how our kids came out to start with," Eckley said. "They got off the ball well early and ran the ball hard. If we can run the ball, it makes us pretty tough."

The Indians' offense was held in check the remainder of the night, with Reid finishing with 61 yards on 14 carries. Kent had three catches for 104 yards.

Jackson's Cooper Callis carries in the second quarter against Vianney during a Class 5 District 1 game Friday, Oct. 24, 2015 at St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, Missouri. (GLENN LANDBERG)

Receiver Jeremy Elliott, who averaged 120 yards a game entering the night and a streak of six games with multiple touchdowns, was limited to seven catches for 75 yards. His only score came in the first minute of the game, when he followed up Reid's run with an 8-yard reception in the corner of the end zone.

"I think their defense just figured out how to stop us," Elliott said. "They got a hold of our game plan, and they stopped us."

Sophomore quarterback Cooper Callis completed 3 of 10 passes in the first quarter, tossed one interception and barely overthrew an open Elliott behind the Vianney defense on the Indians' second possession. Callis, who missed much of the season with a fractured elbow, completed 13 of 29 passes for 245 yards in his second varsity start. He was sacked four times.

Both teams had 180 yards of offense in the first quarter, but Vianney maintained its attack in the second. The Griffins capped a 52-yard scoring drive on the first play of the period when Kylen Williams rushed from 17 yards out to put Vianney ahead for good at 21-14.

It was the third consecutive scoring possession for the Griffins.

Marty scored the first of his three touchdowns with a 3-yard run with 1:45 left in the half to give the Griffins a 28-14 halftime lead.

"We talked about how hard we were going to play and not it let it be our final two quarters of football," Callis said about the halftime conversation. "Instead of more scheme-wise, we talked more about heart and how we were going to finish the game."

In the meeting earlier this year, the teams were tied 28-28 at halftime before the Griffins outscored the Indians 24-0 in the second half.

Vianney nearly duplicated that feat, scoring on its first three possessions of the second half while blanking the Indians.

Marty scored the first two touchdowns out of the wildcat formation, taking direct snaps from center. His 2-yard touchdown run capped a 10-play drive to open the half, and he culminated the Griffins' next series with a 1-yard run for a 42-14 lead with 4:32 left in the third quarter.

After a three-and-out by Jackson, Williams capped a 78-yard drive with a 1-yard run to enact the running clock with 1:29 left in the period.

Vianney, which improved to 7-3, will play Rockwood Summit in the district semifinals next week. Eckley called the third-seeded Griffins possibly the best team in the district.

"We thought this was the toughest team to pick up because of how physical they are and how well they're coached," Eckley said.

As for his own squad, Eckley voiced respect for a team that opened its season 0-3 and encountered numerous season-ending injuries thoughout.

"We won five of our last seven. That's saying something for our kids and our program," Eckley said. "Coming out of the gate as young as we were, as inexperienced as we were and as injured as we were, we kind of righted the ship. The kids did a good job of playing hard and trusting the coaches."

Jackson 14 0 0 0 -- 14

Vianney 14 14 21 0 -- 49

First quarter

J -- Jeremy Elliott 8 pass from Cooper Callis (Eliott kick), 11:06

V -- Cam Coleman 22 run (John Antonacci kick), 5:17

V -- Kyron Williams 2 run (Antonacci kick), 1:54

J -- Quentin Kent 78 pass from Callis (Elliott kick), 1:06

Second quarter

V -- Williams 17 run (Antonacci kick), 11:50

V -- Devin Marty 3 run (Antonacci kick), 1:45

Third quarter

V -- Marty 2 run (Antonacci kick), 8:35

V -- Marty 1 run (Antonacci kick), 4:32

V -- Williams 1 run (Antonacci kick), 1:29

TEAM STATISTICS

J V

First downs 15 34

Rushes-yards 22-54 53-420

Passing yards 245 90

Passes 14-29-1 10-17-0

Punts-average 2-41.5 1-57

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0

Penalties-yards 1-17 5-64

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Jackson, Bryndan Reid 14-61, Ethan Laster 1-15, Kent 1-12, Callis 6-(-34); Vianney, Marty 27-212, Tionne Harris 16-108, Coleman 3-30, Williams 7-41, Mickey Morrell 5-25, Nick Vorhees 5-4.

PASSING -- Jackson, Callis 13-29-1-244 Vianney, Harris 10-17-0-90.

RECEIVING -- Jackson, Elliott 7-75, Kent 3-104, Drew Moran 2-44, Reid 2-22; Vianney, Coleman 4-28, Marty 2-14, 2-22, Williams 2-26.