Friday night's district matchup between the Velma Jackson Falcons and the Magee Trojans may have been the pseudo district championship game, as the game pitted the top two contenders for the Region 6-3A crown in a battle of the titans.
Magee came into the game riding a two game win streak and an 3-0 record away from home. There's a saying in football that defense travels and Friday night Magee's defense traveled well. The Trojan defense led by Chase Rankin put one of the nation's most explosive playmakers on the run. Coach Teddy Dyess praised Rankin and the defense after the game stating that Rankin played his best game yet in a Trojan uniform. Magee's defense forced an astounding five turnovers on the night and held the vaunted Falcon offense in check for the most part as they bent but didn't break for most of the night. The opportunistic defense capitalized on some sloppy ball handling by the Velma Jackson offense to compensate for the big gains the Falcons compiled on the night.
Early in the game, the two teams went through a bit of a feeling out process as they exchanged big plays, then periods of stagnant offensive drives that saw the teams trade punts.
Magee's opening drive was off to a promising start after Javo Thurman hooked up with Chandler Pittman for a 15-yard gain on a quick screen. Ross McInnis then added runs of 4 and 2 yards to set the team up with a 3rd and manageable situation. Thurman found Zacc Hall on a bubble screen that fell short of the down marker and forced the first punt of the night. When Velma Jackson got the ball, it became clear early that the feature player for the Falcons' offense was #4, Antavious Willis, the do everything playmaker who is one of the most explosive offensive forces in the country. Throughout the night, their #4 became very well acquainted with Magee's #4 Chase Rankin. Rankin played like a man possessed Friday night and led the charge for the Trojans as he found a second home in the opposing backfield. The Falcon drive started inauspiciously with two plays that moved them backwards with an offside penalty and a sack to set up a 2nd and 16. Then we got our first glimpse of what Mr. Willis can do as he flared out wide as the slot receiver on a bubble screen that saw him maneuver his way down the field for a 85-yard gain before he was hawked down by Pittman. Pittman's effort proved to be a point saving play as Rankin and the Trojan defense took the Velma Jackson offense to task on the next four plays. The Falcons were not up to it as they turned the ball over on downs deep in Magee territory.
Thurman and the Trojan offense set up shop at their own 10 with 90 yards to go if they hoped to break the scoreless tie. Thurman connected with the electric Josh Sanders on a screen pass for 15-yards on second down to get the ball rolling. The Thurman-Sanders connection continued for 8 more yards on an out route to get Magee near midfield. The Trojans looked to take a deep shot early, allowing Thurman to show off his arm strength as he fired a 45-yard bomb that was intended for Xavier Franks, but due to pass interference by the man in coverage, the ball fell incomplete. However, the penalty did aid the Trojan cause as they marched within scoring range. Thurman finished off the drive flashing some fancy footwork along the home sidelines as he sidestepped a Falcon defender and jetted for a 13-yard touchdown run to put Magee ahead 7-0 with only 1:03 remaining in the first quarter. Rankin and the boys went back to work as they continued to stifle Willis and crewm, leaving Velma Jackson to settle for yet another punt.
After stalling on offense and an attempted fake punt, the Trojans gave the Falcons the ball near midfield. Willis continued to be featured as a receiver, showing off some quick moves for 7 to get a first down for the Falcons just inside Magee territory. Pittman continued his stellar start to the game as he locked down the far side of the field, making a spectacular interception to give Magee the ball. Pittman is not only an amazing DB, but a weapon on offense as well. CP2 (Chandler Pittman #2) started the Trojan drive with a quick 10-yard gain. Sanders followed up with a dynamic 15-yard gain to put Magee into Velma Jackson's end of the field. Ross McInnis was not to be outdone by the two speedsters as he brought his lunch pail to work with him and the defense needed hardhats as McInnis hit them with the force of a sledgehammer, bowling over would be tacklers in route to a destructive 45-yard run. Magee found themselves up 14-0 on the road with 5:45 left until intermission. Spirits were high on the Magee sidelines as the band and fans chimed in with one of the largest "baby shark" song and dances I have ever witnessed.
After showing spurts of explosiveness in the half, the high powered Velma Jackson offense finally awoke after a good return set them up at their own 38. Willis' backfield mate, Santavis Vaughn, is equally as dangerous as the more famous of the two as Vaughn jolted for a 70-yard gain that set Willis up for a 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-7 late in the second quarter. Magee's offense was forced into a quick 3-and-out, giving the ball back to the Falcons with enough time to tie the score. Wills continued his onslaught, now as a passer, finding Darryne McDonald for a 16-yard gain near the 50. Willis showed off impressive arm strength as he dropped back and launched a rocket deep into the Trojan secondary. However, the Wills pass was plucked from the air by an outstretched, diving Terrell Thornton for a stunning interception at the Magee 8. The ensuing Magee drive looked promising at the start as Thurman and CP2 connected for 11 on a quick toss sweep. After getting deep into Falcon territory, snapping issues cost the Trojans a chance to increase the lead as a poor snap hit Thurman in the ankles and was recovered at the Velma Jackson 15 by the Falcons. The half drew to a close with Magee boasting a 14-7 halftime lead over the home standing Falcons.
The second half saw the awakening of the Velma Jackson offense as Willis showed why he is so highly touted. Early in the second half, Wills hit the ground running, literally, as he found room around the outside on the Trojan defense. Willis then connected with Lamar Harris for a 50-yard gain to give the Falcons a chance to tie the game. Willis jutted ahead for a 15-yard gain that ended with his coughing up the ball for yet another Velma Jackson turnover at the Trojan 4-yard line that was recovered by K.D. Dampeer, who had a stellar night on defense. Magee's offense could only manage to get the ball out of the shadow of their own goalpost and punt it away to set the Falcons up for a quick 39-yard Willis touchdown run and 2-pt conversion to give Velma Jackson a 15-14 lead with 8:45 in the 3rd. Several drives later, Magee managed to regain the lead after a 29-yard Sam Rials field goal that was set-up by big gains by Sanders and Pittman on the drive to give the Trojans back the lead at 17-15 with 4:28 in the 3rd. The opportunistic Magee defense increased the lead as Sanders forced another Willis fumble that was scooped and taken to the house by Rankin for a 20-yard touchdown to make the score 24-15 with 4:07 left in the 3rd.
Despite being an explosive force for the Falcons, Willis often hurt the team by trying to do too much himself. He made up for his mistakes on the following drive as he showed some good short-term memory loss, putting the past behind him as he connected with Lamar Harris for a long 40-yard touchdown pass to narrow the gap to 24-21 with 2:21 remaining in the 3rd.
After the game, Coach Dyess called this the turning point of the game that saw momentum swing in favor of the Falcons, despite a valiant effort by the Trojans to regain control. Magee's offense became very predictable and conservative with the lead as they became content running the ball up the middle and punting as they continued to lean heavily on their defense to carry the night. The Trojans gave one too many opportunities to Willis to take the lead without increasing the gap. The Magee defense gave it their best effort as they dug in and continued to hold back the Falcon offense, but Velma Jackson broke through for a 38-yard touchdown by Jordan Harvey to give the Falcons a 28-24 lead with 7:33 remaining. Magee's best chance to regain the lead came up short as the team faced 3rd and 4 near midfield and two plays to get a first, neither of which were handoffs to McInnis, who had been a dominate force throughout the night. The hard fought battle ended with the Trojans hanging their heads in defeat, but there was little to be ashamed of on the night for Magee. The players and coaches gave it everything they had and then some.
Games like this define a season, good or bad. It is now up to the Trojans to decide which they will allow it to do for them. I've seen teams lose heartbreakers and go downhill and I've seen teams catapult upwards with renewed vigor. Judging from the character and makeup of the Magee Trojans, it is my guess that nobody is going to want to play this team going forward as they will be on a warpath to go deep into November and hopefully early December. All I know is the Trojans are for real and they are a very good team that will put a lot of fear into opposing teams going forward as they continue to get "1 percent better every week."
Next week, the Trojans celebrate Homecoming against the Raleigh Lions, who have had an impressive past two weeks, despite a close lost to Mendenhall. Arrive early for the Homecoming festivities and enjoy the pomp and circumstance of the Homecoming royalty that will be on full display prior to the game, culminating in the exchanging of the crown from last year’s queen to this year’s.
