From nearly the opening kickoff until the final whistle, West Marion controlled the action on the road in a 46-8 win over Columbia Academy to improve to 6-0 and drop the Cougars to 2-4.
While West Marion head coach Brad Duncan said he was proud to be 6-0 for the first time since 2015, he knows the Trojans’ district schedule that begins Friday night against Seminary is what really matters. Duncan refers to the Region 8-3A schedule as the “Count Club,” with games now affecting playoff positioning.
“All these first six are fine and good as we’re trying to get better, but I told them it’s kind of like eating a salad. We just got through with the salad, and now let’s get into the meat part,” he said. “It’s going to be tough.”
Columbia Academy head coach Randy Butler, meanwhile, said the Cougars need to find themselves after losing back-to-back games by a combined 66 points before hosting Simpson Academy Friday for their homecoming.
“I go back to (former Southern Miss coach) Jeff Bower. Doing the little things away from the field like in the classroom, in your faith, socially — something is missing because we’re missing things out here like our assignments. I told them it’s self-check time, and it starts with me,” he said. “I told them when they got back on Monday, they would have a better head coach and I would coach them up better.”
Butler added there wasn’t a single phase the Cougars could take pride in after the drumming on their home field.
“I got outcoached, and we got outplayed and out-physicaled. It showed on the scoreboard,” he said.
West Marion quarterback Jeremiah Holmes stole the show, completing 16-17 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 37 yards and a touchdown. For the season Holmes is completing 69 percent of his passes with a 14-to-0 touchdown to interception ratio to go along with four rushing scores.
“Jeremiah, all year, has been great every Friday night,” Duncan said. “I just told coach Butler he would love to have a kid like that. I’m being sincere and being honest, he could play any position on the field and be that kind of guy at that position. That’s the type of kid that he is. I can’t say enough about him. He’s a special, special kid.”
Duncan added he knew after an interaction with Holmes when his class was entering the junior high football program that the junior had a chance to be special.
“I started to walk away and he came up to me and said ‘Coach, I wanted to tell you that I’ve never lost a game as a starter.’ I thought (he’s about to put some pressure on me). That’s the type of kid he is,” Duncan explained. “He’s that way in the classroom. I wish had more like him. Coach (Todd) Harmon said a while ago he wishes he could take (Holmes’) DNA and just shoot it into some of these other guys.”
West Marion’s DonTavious McGowan intercepted CA’s Ras Pace on the opening drive of the game as the passed sailed a little too high and a little behind the intended target. Then McGowan was on the receiving end of a 24-yard touchdown from Holmes for the first score of the game, and Holmes ran in the 2-point attempt to make it 8-0 midway through the first quarter.
Trojans linebacker Daqwan Jones then came up with the first interception of his prep career, picking off Pace to set up a 29-yard touchdown pass from Holmes to Noland Miller Jr. on the very next play. West Marion’s defense shut down the Cougars offense once again on the ensuing possession, this time forcing a punt, leading to another trip to the end zone.
Holmes capped off a 10-play, 85-yard drive that included a 43-yard bomb to McGowan by powering into the end zone from two yards out on a quarterback draw. Gabe Miller ran in the conversion attempt on a trick play, giving the Trojans a comfortable 22-0 lead with just over five minutes left in the first half.
The Trojans were far from over lighting up the scoreboard in the first half, though, with their special teams stepping into the spotlight. West Marion forced another punt, which Jartavious Martin fielded, made a man miss, captured the edge and weaved through the Cougars’ punt coverage for an 85-yard touchdown. West Marion’s Ketarious Cotton then punched the ball loose from Columbia Academy return man Trevor Courtney on the kickoff, and Larry Magee pounced on it for the Trojans.
“One of the differences we think on special teams is we’re putting some young kids running down there — I’m talking about freshmen — and making plays. That’s big. It’s on our punt team (and) kickoff team,” Duncan said. “Octavious Harvey, a little freshman, keep up with him with all the tackles he makes on special teams. Larry Magee, another ninth-grader, is making tackles and had a big catch (tonight).”
Five plays later Holmes connected on a seam route with Miller, who juked CA safety Robert Johnson and scampered into the end zone for a 33-yard score. The Trojans failed to convert the 2-point try but carried a 34-0 lead into halftime.
To begin the second half, the Trojans turned to the ground game and methodically drove the ball back down the field until Adryane James found pay dirt on a 2-yard run off left guard. The Trojans defense forced CA into a 3rd-and-15 on the next drive and came up with another interception. Pace tried to connect with Johnson on a deep ball, but Martin made a good adjustment on the underthrown pass and came down with it.
The turnover set up a Jayden Duncan 4-yard touchdown run to make it 46-0 with 7:54 left on the clock.
“When you turn it over (three) times and have two (touchdowns from special teams), that’s a killer,” Butler said. “You can’t win when you’re almost even (talent wise). Athletically, we’re not them. But they’ve got a good team, and I hope they go a long way. I love Brad. He’s a good man, good teacher and good football coach.”
The Cougars avoided a shutout, though, as Drew Havard bounced a run to the outside and scored from 15 yards out on the game’s final play from scrimmage.
Pictured Above: West Marion quarterback Jeremiah Holmes scrambles outside of the pocket at CA. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
