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Jackson outlasts Cardinal Ritter for 56-32 road win
The Jackson football team has beaten a pair of top 10 programs over the past two weeks in wins against Farmington and Fox. On Friday, the Indians found themselves in a dog fight Friday against their toughest foe test yet, as they defeated Cardinal Ritter on the road in 56-32.
Class 5 No. 3-ranked Jackson (8-0) started strong, as a four-and-out by the Lions gave the Indians their opening drive and it culminated with a Cael Welker two-yard rushing touchdown and successful extra point, giving Jackson a 7-0 lead.
The Indians were in business once again when a Cardinal Ritter fumble was recovered by a pumped-up Jackson defense and it gave Welker and Co. the ball again.
The Lion turnover set up a Tony Williams rushing score, giving Jackson a 14-0 lead.
Cardinal Ritter's offense struck next, as a Luther Burden Jr. receiving touchdown from quarterback Tyjuan Atkins, put the Lions on the scoreboard 14-6. Cardinal Ritter would miss a two-point conversion.
Jackson ended the first quarter with another Welker rushing touchdown, making the score 21-6 heading into the second quarter.
After a Cardinal Ritter punt, the Indians wouldn't waste much time making their way down the field as Cael Welker eventually missed his first completion of the game, going 9 for 9 on his first nine throws, but found the end zone again on the ground, making it 28-6 with the extra point successful.
Again, the Lions' offense sputtered, providing Jackson another chance on offense with a punt.
Williams found pay dirt again, this time from one yard out, giving the Indians a 35-6 lead.
Cardinal Ritter (0-2) eventually found the end zone again, on a 53-yard bomb from Atkins to wide receiver Keavian Long to pull the Lions closer at 35-12 but missed on another two-point conversion.
After a Jackson turnover on downs, Cardinal Ritter scored again, as Atkins found five-star recruit and Oklahoma Sooner declared Burden, Jr. on a 37-yard touchdown, cutting the Jackson lead to just 15 at 35-20 heading into halftime.
The third quarter started with an Indians four-and-out punt, giving the ball back to a smoldering Lions offense. They found the end zone and cut the lead to just nine at 35-26 after another failed two-point conversion.
On the next offensive possession for Jackson, after an interception by Indian linebacker Ryley Styer, Welker hooked up with wide receiver Rhet Liley, extending the Indians lead to 42-26.
Another Welker rushing touchdown made it 49-26 going into the final quarter.
Play for both teams would slow to a crawl in the fourth quarter, as penalties on both teams extended the game. Jackson totaled 10 penalties for 100 yards for the game.
After a Kannen Turley rushing TD made the contest 56-26, Atkins again would again find Burden, Jr. on a long TD reception, pulling Ritter closer at 56-32.
But that's as close as the Lions would get.
Welker found the end zone four times (three rushing, one passing). He ended the game 25-38, with 310 yards.
Welker, with 92 yards on the ground and three rushing scores, led the rushing attack.
Kannen Turley scored two touchdowns of his own with 62 yards rushing for the game. Williams added two more touchdowns for the Indians.
Turley had a very nice game receiving, catch 12 passes for 180 yards, while Liley caught one pass for 20 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson finished with 657 total yards (347 rushing, 310 passing) out-gaining their opponent by 225 yards.
Jackson heads into a showdown next Friday with Hickman in Columbia. Game time is at 7 p.m.