The turnaround season that was nearly a dream for the West Marion Trojans came to a close in a hard-luck loss to Jeff Davis County (8-5) on their home field Friday night with a trip to the south state championship up for grabs. West Marion (12-2) had several opportunities to score but was unable to find the end zone for the first time this season in a 14-0 loss.
What made the biggest difference in head coach Brad Duncan’s eyes was the intensity level.
“It’s one of the disadvantages of having an easy four weeks there, and you have to turn it back up and we didn’t turn it back up to match theirs. They had to match our intensity in the (first) game, and their intensity level was a little higher than ours (Friday). We were a step slow all night,” he said. “The defense played well, but the offense didn’t give them any help at all. We couldn’t block them.”
The Trojans far and away exceeded expectations this year, though, to win 12 games, average 30.6 points per game and allow just 7.6 points. That came after West Marion missed the playoffs last season after starting 6-0 before going 1-4 in Region 8-3A competition.
Duncan said even though the Trojans didn’t go as far as they hoped he’s proud of everything they achieved this year, especially considering they were picked to finish last in Region 8-3A. He said the seniors made a commitment in January to turn West Marion’s fortunes around, and they were able to get the Trojans within a game of the south state championship.
“Those seniors are such good leaders; they’re good people and good kids. There’s not a single one of those guys that didn’t give it everything they had,” he said. “And when the young guys can see that and see that’s the way you’re supposed to play, it’ll pay off down the road for the underclassmen. But those seniors are a special, special group. They’re going to be really, really missed.”
West Marion graduates 11 players, including Jeremiah Holmes, Gabe Miller, Blake Lowery, Jordyn Mahaffey, Brian Blakeney, Nick Thompson, Ott Mitchell, Josh Ham, Blaten Norris and Jarvis Conerly, all of which are starters. Holmes started at quarterback for three seasons and accounted for 73 touchdowns in his career.
Norris was recently chosen as the unanimous selection for Region 8-3A Defensive Player of the Year, and Duncan said his heart and motor are second to none. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound nose tackle went into the Jeff Davis game with 66 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Another person who will be missed is assistant coach Don Clanton. The longtime assistant is leaving coaching, and Duncan said he’s an even better guy than he is a coach and that he hopes Clanton will eventually change his mind.
Jeff Davis was forced to punt on its opening drive Friday, but an offsides penalty extended the drive. It was an odd call with no players seeming to jump for the Trojans, but the officials said West Marion lined up in the neutral zone despite the ball never being snapped. Two plays later the Jaguars struck on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Lyric Hall to Deandre Shorts to make it 7-0 with the secondary being sucked in on a playaction fake.
The Trojans were able to get inside the Jaguars’ 30 on the ensuing drive but turned it over on downs. They got inside Jeff Davis territory on their next drive as well but once again turned it over on downs with quarterback Holmes having the ball slip out of his hand on a designed screen to Qavonte Swanigan.
Jeff Davis nearly added to its lead on the next possession, but Octavious Harvey made a big tackle on 4th-and-goal at the 3 to get the ball back. West Marion drove it down to the Jeff Davis 7 just before the end of the half but had four chances inside the 10 stuffed by the Jaguars.
It was West Marion’s best chance at scoring in the game — and had the Trojans scored and tied it 7-7 going into halftime, it could’ve changed the complexion of the game in the second half — the offense had two plays very nearly go for touchdowns in a four-play sequence. On 1st-and-goal from the Jeff Davis 7, Holmes initially wanted to throw a slant to Swanigan at the goal line, but a linebacker was in the throwing lane so he rolled out to his right where a wide open Miller was in the end zone. Holmes tried to lob it to him for an easy score, but the pass hung in the air just a fraction of a second too long and allowed the cornerback to make a diving deflection at the last moment.
Then after a pair of quarterback draws netted no yardage, the Trojans were flagged for 12 men on the field following a timeout that led to 4th-and-goal from the 12 with five seconds remaining in the half. West Marion dialed up a post to Swanigan in the end zone, but it was well covered and forced Holmes to roll to his left. Swanigan cut outside when he saw Holmes scrambling and was held on the break — no flag was thrown — but Holmes tried to fit it into him anyway, and the pass was broken up. Jartavious Martin nearly made a diving catch on the deflection, but he was unable to haul it in, keeping it 7-0 in favor of the Jaguars.
“We should’ve scored right there,” Duncan said. “We get down there and have a silly penalty out of a timeout with the wrong personnel in there. We still had a chance to make a play and didn’t do it. It was 7-0 and if we tie it up right there, we’re about to get the ball back (to start the second half). It could’ve been a different ball game.”
West Marion held Jeff Davis’ offense in check on its first drive of the second half to force a punt, but the punt turned out to be just what the Jaguars needed to expand their lead. Larry Magee attempted to field the punt while he was backpedaling with a defender quickly closing in on him and dropped the ball, which was recovered by Jeff Davis. On the next play the Jaguars completed a deep ball down to the West Marion 5 on a great one-handed snag that preceded an 8-yard touchdown run by Kyser Booth on a sweep that made it 14-0.
West Marion once again got into Jeff Davis territory with five straight running plays but had the drive stall with four straight incompletions. On third down, the Trojans had a would-be touchdown dropped by O’Marion Husband that seemingly took the wind out of the Trojans’ sails. The four incompletions combined with the ones at the end of the first half and into the fourth quarter highlighted an 11-pass stretch where Holmes failed to complete a pass.
Holmes left the game with an injury to his throwing arm with about three minutes remaining, prompting Jayden Duncan to take over the comeback bid. The Trojans had a pair of passes to Martin and Harvey pick up 51 yards, but Duncan was subsequently intercepted to end any hope of a comeback.
“We had plays there and didn’t make the plays,” Brad Duncan said. “At this level at this time in the season, you have to make the plays. They made the plays and we didn’t.”
Pictured Above: West Marion athlete Larry Magee hauls in an 18-yard reception against Jeff Davis Friday night. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
