Brock Netter, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
JACKSON — Jackson’s Cade Wolford didn’t practice all week. As a matter of fact, he barely made it out of bed prior to Friday’s game.
However, after battling the flu, he managed to muster up just enough strength to turn in arguably the best game of his already-storied career.
Wolford finished the night with 199 total yards of offense and three touchdowns, leading his Ironmen (2-1) to a tough-nosed — and potentially season-defining — 28-20 victory over Wheelersburg.
CREDIT: Seth Fain/Fainphotography.com
“We had six starters out all week in practice, and Cade was one of them. I had to call him earlier today just to see if he was even going to get out of bed since he was under the weather all week,” Jackson coach Andy Hall said. “He told me that he was going to try and gut it out, and what a performance he had. Our offensive line played much better, our defense rose to the occasion and this was a win that we really needed.”
The victory also gave Jackson’s senior class the ability to say that it’s the first in school history to go undefeated against the Pirates throughout a four-year period.
“That’s definitely a nice feather in their cap, and it’s something that they can hold onto forever,” Hall said. “Even though they’re disappointed about that Ironton game [a 35-14 loss in Week 2], we got this one and now we can move forward.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Jackson managed to grace the scoreboard first.
After converting three fourth downs on the scoring drive, Wolford found the end zone on a five-yard run to put the Ironmen ahead 7-0.
He was just getting started, though.
On the team’s next drive, he made a double move and showcased his athleticism, jumping over a defender and wrestling the ball away. After the catch, he broke a tackle and waltzed 61 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0.
“That was just a brother-to-brother connection right there. Bodhi [Wolford] threw me a great ball and I was able to jump, use my athletic ability to come down with it and sprint to the end zone,” Cade said. “The offensive line did a great job on that one and gave him a lot of time to make that throw, so they deserve credit as well.”
Wheelersburg (1-2) adjusted its game plan and took to the air, converting three long passes to invade Jackson territory.
That eventually set up Landon Hutchinson to take a direct snap and score on a two-yard plunge, cutting the lead to 14-7.
The Ironmen were still on top, but momentum was about to take a massive swing towards the Pirates.
On a punt attempt, Jackson made a mistake with a high snap. A short, rushed punt then gave Wheelersburg excellent field position. Two plays later, Braylon Rucker rolled to his left and connected with Kenyon Evans on an 18-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone, tying the game, 14-14, at halftime.
“I told our guys at halftime that we needed to be tougher. The game is back at 0-0 and we have to show the world, as well as each other, what we are made of,” Hall said. “We’ve put in so much work this week and went back to some old school type of practicing that I think we needed. It was time to show it on the field.”
Wheelersburg opened the second half with the ball, and continued to build off its strong first half finish. The Pirates marched down the field before Hutchinson capped a lengthy drive with his second touchdown plunge of the night from two yards, putting his team ahead 20-14.
However, Wolford and company wasted no time with a quick response.
On Jackson’s second play of its next drive, Wolford took a handoff and found an opening before dashing 72 yards to pay dirt, putting Jackson back on top at 21-20.
“That was just a simple power play off the tackle and he hit it backside before just taking off,” Hall said. “It was a huge play that we needed to get some momentum back on our side.”
From that point on, all eyes were on the Ironmen’ defense as they continued to bend, but never fully break.
Wheelersburg had its chances to score, but couldn’t get out of its own way with penalties third down misfires. Later, Jackson’s Ryan Seimetz stepped in front of a pass and picked it off, giving his team a chance to pull away.
The Ironmen capitalized on the opportunity when Nolan Johnson powered his way past the goal line from two yards out, pushing the lead to 28-20.
The Pirates had one final chance to score and managed to invade Jackson territory. But after a sack on second down via Bryce Dulaney, ‘Burg took to the air, only for Gaven Jones to tally an interception of his own, sealing the win for the Ironmen.
“It came down to us having to be relentless, and we knew that we were tougher,” Jackson’s Drew Wiley said of the team’s second half defensive performance. “The key to this week was toughness and coming off a loss, you find out who you are and I think we proved that we’re a tough team.”
After Cade Wolford’s final numbers, Bodhi Wolford finished 4-of-7 passing for 115 yards and a touchdown while Johnson added 38 yards on 13 carries with a score.
For Wheelersburg, Rucker finished 17-of-30 passing for 281 yards alongside a touchdown and two interceptions. Hutchinson had two rushing touchdowns. Devon Lattimore also helped out by tallying seven catches for 177 yards, while Evans added four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson returns to action on Friday at Western Brown while Wheelersburg hosts Northwest.
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