The Mendenhall Tigers defeated Northeast Jones last Friday to remain undefeated in district play with now a shot at the District Championship.
It was supposed to be senior night for Mendenhall High School, but the weather had other plans. Heavy rain fell throughout most of the day prior to the game, followed by a light mist during, which stopped the celebration.
The muddy field affected the strategies of both teams. It was evident early on that the game would be relatively one dimensional. Both sets of Tigers justifiably relied on their running games on offense. Reggie McLaurin scored on a 50 yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Northeast Jones answered shortly after, putting together a solid offensive drive that ended with a touchdown to tie the game. Both defenses were solid despite the mud. The teams continued to trade possessions until midway through the second quarter.
McLaurin had been running the ball effectively all night. The Tigers were on their 34 yard line facing third and long when McLaurin took a handoff up the middle. He broke two tackles and was off to the races for a 66 yard rushing touchdown. The extra point was good, and the Tigers took a 14-7 lead.
Defensively the Tigers continued to shine. The defensive line anchored by Brushawn Garner and Dakota Lofton did well at controlling the line of scrimmage. This led to a lot of negative plays by Northeast Jones and extra possessions for the offense.
Head Coach Chuckie Allen was aggressive to end the first half. In a last second effort to score he dialed up a deep shot to Walter Owens. Quarterback DK Jenkins threw a 50-50 ball deep down the sideline and Owens won the fight for the football near the 9 yard line. Before Owens was tackled he pitched the ball to Keshun Collier, who drove through a defender and stretched the football towards the pylon, knocking it over. The crowd and sideline erupted with excitement, but the referee ruled him short of the goal line so the Tigers kept a 14-7 lead into the locker room during halftime.
Northeast Jones possessed the ball to start the second half but was stonewalled by the Tigers defense. A desperate fake punt attempt was almost successful for Northeast Jones, but they were ultimately denied thanks to a booming tackle by Keshun Collier. The Tigers took over, but were met with the same treatment by the Northeast Jones defense.
Field conditions remained a factor in the play calling and both teams struggled to gain any momentum on offense. Field conditions aside, much credit was earned by both defenses. The score remained 14-7 to start the fourth quarter.
Neither side gave an inch as the cycle of “three and outs” continued until late in the fourth quarter. With time now a factor, Northeast Jones gave a valiant last minute effort to put themselves in a position to win and found some success in the passing game consistently on their final drive. A good mix of run and pass led to some chunk plays. Northeast Jones moved the ball to the Tiger 6 yard line, but with no timeouts remaining. With time for a single play Northeast Jones hurried to the line. The Tigers defense dug in and won at the line of scrimmage to push Northeast Jones back and bring the ball carrier down in the backfield. Time expired, and Mendenhall won 14-7.
It was a spectacular defensive display by the Tigers as they fought and clawed their way to a victory. The Mendenhall Tigers have now won five straight games and are playing with confidence. With this win the Tigers assured themselves a home playoff game and will enter the playoffs no lower than a second seed.
The coaches were extremely proud of their team. Defensive Coordinator Derrick Jenkins said, “We’re in the ship now. For us to come out here and get a win in the mud is amazing. We can see the evolution of this team every week and now we’ve hit our stride.”
Head Coach Chuckie Allen’s message has been consistent throughout the season. He said, “We’re still grinding. We’ve had two ugly wins, but we’re getting it. We’ve continued to work, get better, and trust the process, and now we’re going to play for a District Championship next week.” He expressed how proud he was of his team and the growth they have shown over the season.
The Mendenhall Tigers will travel to Quitman this Friday to take on the Panthers for the District Championship.
