CLASS 2A: Bears quarterback overwhelms Jaguars

Tim Cooper
November 28, 2009

McCRORY — McCrory quarterback Paul Keen fumbled on the game’s opening play and the Jaguars never recovered.

Bearden sophomore quarterback Defonta Lowe had three touchdown passes and ran for two more as the Bears earned a 42-7 victory over the Jaguars in the Class 2A playoffs Friday night at Joe Hart Field.

In a battle between unbeaten teams, the visiting Bears scored on their first three possessions and never trailed.

Lowe ran 10 times for 122 yards, scoring on runs of 8 and 33 yards. He threw only five times on Friday, but he completed four for 94 yards. Senior running back Rickey Brown led the team in rushing with 143 yards on 16 carries. Brown scored on a 5-yard run and a 43-yard pass to give him 12 touchdowns during the postseason.

Bearden (13-0) will play Spring Hill in next week’s semifinals. McCrory’s season ends at 11-1.

McCrory came into Friday’s game with the state’s most prolific offense, averaging 48.1 points a game, but after managing 211 total yards in the first half, the Jaguars were snuffed in the final two quarters and finished the second half with only 42 total yards.

“We’re a real physical team, and we take pride in that,” Bearden Coach Mike Cox said. “They gave us some problems with some passing stuff. We just tried to dial in on that in the second half. I’m not going to take away what we did in ’07, but this is one of the best defenses we’ve ever put on the field.”

Bearden’s offense wasn’t bad either. The Bears ran up 389 total yards and scored on seven of their nine possessions.

The Bears wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After Rashad Beets recovered Keen’s fumble 11 seconds into the game, the Bears marched 40 yards in 1:54, scoring on Lowe’s 7-yard run.

Aaron Stell kicked the first of his seven successful extra points for a 7-0 lead.

Bearden made it 14-0 on Lowe’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Beets with 3:20 left in the first quarter and led 21-0 after Lowe’s 21-yard scoring pass to Jarell Moore with 10:17 left before halftime.

McCrory’s lone touchdown came with 4:57 left before halftime when Keen hit Jordan Cain for a 15-yard scoring pass.

McCrory had a chance to cut the Bears’ lead to a touchdown before halftime, but the Jaguars ran out of time after reaching the Bearden 7.

Bearden took the second half kickoff and marched 63 yards on 11 plays. Brown’s 5-yard run capped the drive that took 4:45 to complete.

“They had their moments in the first half, but when we took the second-half kickoff and drove it down their throats, that kind of took the wind out of their sails,” Cox said. “We just outphysicaled them.”

Keen finished 10 of 18 for 129 yards and Jadrien Holiday caught seven passes for 91 yards, but the Jaguars’ running game managed only 121yards.

Boyd Williams, who entered the game with more than 1,700 yards this season, finished with 72 yards on 13 carries. He had 12 yards rushing in the second half.

Bearden also forced three turnovers with Beets recovering the fumble and Lowe and Moore intercepting passes. Bears linebacker John Bradley came up with two sacks.

SPRING HILL 30, HAZEN 19

HAZEN - Rodrea Jones rushed for 302 yards and scored four touchdowns as the Spring Hill Bears (11-2) defeated the Hazen Hornets (12-1).

Corey Powell added 81 yards rushing for the Bears.

The score was tied 7-7 at the half, but Spring HIll outscored Hazen 23-12 in the second half for the victory.

Sports, Pages 29 on 11/28/2009