Taking on the defending 3A state champions in Jefferson Davis County, West Marion (6-2, 0-2) gave a tremendous effort Friday night on the road only to come up two yards short in a 13-6 loss.
After the Jaguars captured their first lead of the night on a DeMario Booth 2-yard touchdown run with 3:46 left in the fourth quarter following a takeaway deep in West Marion territory, the Trojans needed to march 81 yards and get into the end zone for a chance to win on the 2-point conversion.
It didn’t come easy as Jeremiah Holmes had eight incompletions on the final drive, but he made several big plays in clutch situations to get West Marion down to the Jeff Davis 2-yard-line. He had two big third-down conversions to Adryane James and Noland Miller Jr. and one fourth-down conversion to Miller and a 14-yard scramble to give the Trojans a chance with 13 seconds on the clock.
The Trojans were trying to connect on a quick pass to the end zone to Miller, but Holmes fumbled while trying to gather the ball at the beginning of his throwing motion and the Jaguars pounced on it.
Head coach Brad Duncan’s postgame message to his team was brief but powerful.
“That’s one of the best teams in the state; we know that. We know that we had our chances. Defense — awesome, awesome, awesome. I don’t know what else to say,” he said. “That’s one of the best teams in the state, and we should’ve won the ball game. I didn’t do enough for you.”
The Trojans defense did what no team has been able to do since Sept. 8 of last year: not only contain the Jaguars’ vaunted rushing attack but completely shut it down for four quarters. West Marion’s defense stuffed the Jaguars twice on fourth down, forced three 3-and-outs, forced two more punts after just one Jeff Davis first down and held the Jaguars to just three first-half first downs.
The Trojans defensive line led by Patrique Martin, Charlie Wash, Ka’Marius Husband and Blake Lowery, along with linebackers Jayden Duncan and Holmes and box safety Jartavious Martin, completely handcuffed the Jaguars offense with sure tackling and big hits.
“Defensively, gosh dog, they played their hearts out,” coach Duncan said. “It was the same kind of offense we saw last week when we gave up (353) yards on the ground. They really got after it and laid it on the line.”
What plagued the Trojans, however, was the inefficiency of the offense, which had been explosive all season until district play. Holmes misfired on several throws throughout the game and the West Marion receivers had six drops, leading to a 40 percent completion rate. The running game failed to find any semblance of success, with Holmes, James and Ketarious Cotton combining for just 19 yards on 12 carries.
Duncan said he should have put his offense in better situations for success, and the offense needs to get back to creating explosive chunk plays.
“It’s a tough one. I didn’t do enough as a coach. I should have gave my kids a chance,” he said. “I’m proud of the effort. That’s the effort we expect to see that we didn’t see last week. We have to make those plays to win the football game, though. We had the chance and didn’t do it.”
While there were several missed opportunities, Duncan added he thinks his team came to the realization of what it’s going to take to win in perhaps the best district in the state, Region 8-3A.
“I think they understand now the intensity they need to play with. Those first six games we were able to cruise a little bit, then we didn’t have that intensity (last week). They got that back,” he said. “Now we have to get back to making the plays we need to make. Think about the number of drops we had.”
Neither team was able to pick up a first down in the first quarter outside of a roughing the passer penalty giving West Marion a fresh set of downs. But the Trojans were first to find some traction offensively midway through the second quarter.
A 26-yard catch-and-run by O’Marion Husband on the heels of an improbable scramble by Holmes finally breathed life into the West Marion offense. Holmes and Cotton nearly connected for a touchdown on a wheel route out of the backfield with the pass needing more touch and better ball placement, but it laid the framework for the only score of the first half.
On the very next play, the Trojans dialed up a nearly identical play with Cotton releasing into a wheel route, but this time it was to set up DonTavious McGowan. Cotton’s route forced the Jeff Davis corner to hesitate to honor the threat, which allowed McGowan to get behind him and come up with a 34-yard touchdown. The Trojans were unable to convert the 2-point try but had a 6-0 lead with 5:17 remaining in the second quarter.
The Jaguars’ ensuing drive ate up the remainder of the first half, but the Trojans defense stepped up when it mattered most. The Jaguars had just enough time for a heave into the end zone, but Ott Mitchell elevated to break up the pass at the buzzer.
However, the Jaguars finally found some traction offensively to open the second half, but it didn’t come easy as it needed three fourth-down conversions.
Jeff Davis methodically drove the ball down field, eating up nine minutes and eight seconds off the clock, before Markis Middleton capped off the drive with a 2-yard plunge to knot the game at 6-6.
Both teams then punted twice as the game crept late into the fourth quarter, but a great punt by Jeff Davis to pin the Trojans at their own 6 set up the game-winning touchdown. After an incompletion on first down, the Trojans dialed up a quick receiver screen to McGowan, but Jaguars cornerback Ikeem Showers read it the entire way, jumping the route and making a diving interception in front of McGowan. Booth’s touchdown came two plays later.
Now the Trojans go on the road to turn their attention to Wesson (4-3, 0-2), which has already matched its win total from last season.
“Everybody has told me they’re an improved football team. I haven’t seen any film on them,” Duncan said following the game. “(Columbia head coach) Chip (Bilderback) told me they were better. They run the spread with a good quarterback.”
Pictured Above: West Marion's DonTavious McGowan and Octavious Harvey team up to bring down a Jeff Davis ball carrier. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
