Sports
GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS • WEEK OF WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012 • 20B
Falcons win 8th grade game Finish undefeated
BY BYRON C. WESSELL Gazette Newspapers JEFFERSON – The Jefferson Falcons 8th grade football team finished out their season with a perfect record. The Falcons put their undefeated season on the line against a tough Braden Bulldogs team. Jefferson trailed early on and Braden continued to put pressure on the Falcons all night long. Jefferson went onto win the game 2014 to stay undefeated. Jefferson tried to get going on a trick play to start the game as Jeremiah Knight picked up ten yards on a reverse. The Falcons would hand the ball of numerous times to Knight who can score from anywhere on the field. However, Braden’s defense came to play with a game plan of stopping Knight as he picked up three yards on his next carry. Tyler Pocatko and Alex S t u r g i l l c o m bi ne d f o r a s a ck on Jefferson quarterback Sam Hitchcock. After an incomplete pass the Falcons were facing a fourth down. Jefferson elected to punt and a high snap forced Falcons punter Same Cheney to throw an incomplete pass as Braden took over at the 42. Jimmy Fogherty came up with a big tackle for a loss for the Falcons as Braden was facing a second and long. Sturgill got back six of the yards needed before Marcus Ernst hooked up with Quintin Blair for a 43-yard passing touchdown. Jefferson tried to respond as Knight picked up a 27-yard gain. After another short gain by Knight, Sturgill picked up a tackle for a loss for the Bulldogs. Jefferson tried to get the yardage back on a ten yard pass from Hitchcock to Jon Jackson, but the Falcons eventually turned the ball over on downs. The Falcons defense got a tackle for loss by Jared Hill and Brandon Hamper to set up a fourth and sixth. However, on fourth down the Falcons had too many players on the field and Braden picked up a first down on a fourth and one. Jimmy Fogherty had back-to-back short yardage tackles for the Falcons to set up a third down. Sam C h en e y fo l l o w e d w i t h a sa c k a n d Braden was forced to punt. Braden got the ball right back as Sturgill tackled Knight in the backfield for a loss of eleven yards. One play later and Josh Offenberg recovered a fumble for Braden setting up excellent field po-
sition. Quintin Blair and Sturgill carried the ball for Braden near the endzone as Fogherty came up with another short yardage tackle to force a fourth and one. Braden picked up the first down on a carry by Sturgill. The Falcons then created their own turnover as Jesse Williams came away with the loose ball on a fumble to give the ball back to Jefferson. Jefferson made the most of it as Knight carried the ball for 13 yards and Hitchcock kept the ball for three more yards. Hitchcock then connected for a 62-yard touchdown to Knight to tie the game at 6-6. Jefferson picked up the important two point conversion that Braden failed on earlier as Hitchcock threw it in the endzone to Cheney, making it 8-6 in favor of the Falcons. Jon Jackson picked off a Marcus Ernst pass to give the Falcons the ball with 49 seconds left. Hitchcock hit Cheney for back-toback completions of 22-yards and 21yards, but the offense would eventually stall going into halftime. The Falcons picked up a key turnover on downs to start halftime as Knight The Braden Bulldogs line up on defense during a game against Jefferson. and Jared Hill combined to tackle Ian Katon on fourth and four. Jeremiah Knight and the Falcons wasted no time as Knight scored on a 92-yard run to give the Falcons the lead at 14-6. The Bulldogs then handed the ball off five straight times to Sturgill who picked up a pair of first downs. Ernst then kept the ball for seven yards and later found Katon for an eight-yard pick up on third and 12 after a holding. Sturgill picked up three straight first downs as the Bulldogs had the ball first and goal. Sturgill eventually plowed in from a yard out and also converted the two point conversion to tie the game at PHOTOS BY BYRON C. WESSELL 14-14. The Falcons turned to their work- The Braden Bulldogs run a play during an 8th grade football game against Jefferson. horse Jeremiah Knight who picked up three first downs of his own before scoring on a 19-yard run to give Jefferson a 20-14 lead. Jefferson’s defense did their job as Hitchcock had tackle for a loss of four setting up a second and 13. The Falcons forced an incomplete a pass and Tony Gaterallo picked up a sack making it fourth and 24. Jefferson forced another incomplete pass on fourth down and the 7th grade team was able to close out the game in the victory formation.
The Jefferson Falcons 8th grade football team runs a play against the Braden Bulldogs.
The Jefferson Falcons hosted the Braden Bulldogs in a recent 8th grade football game.
Jeremiah Knight, of Jefferson, stretches forward during an 8th grade football game.