The Mineola Yellowjackets took the best shots that the Bonham Purple Warriors could muster Friday night and came home with a 31-22 win. It was not a beautiful game to watch, but the ability of Mineola to adjust to the game and play a strong second half gave them a 2-0 start in district play. 

Bonham owned the opening quarter. The Purple Warriors were primed for the Jackets. Bonham rolled up 100 yards of offense in the quarter and built a 15-0 lead. 

Absorbing the initial momentum of a home side is something that is common in scholastic football. However, it was the way that Bonham did it which is worrisome for the Jackets.

Offensively, Bonham was beating the Jackets on the line of scrimmage, something not many teams have done. 

Mineola was simply not getting off their blocks – initial contact on Bonham runners was often well beyond the line of scrimmage. 

An early interception which Bonham returned to the Mineola 15-yard line just added fuel to the fire.    

Meanwhile, the Purple Warriors were doing an excellent job pursuing evenly down the line. Their pursuit limited the cut-back lanes which Mineola so often exploits.

The Yellowjackets needed one of those long drives to settle the state of play and set their game tempo. Following a nice kick-off return by J.J. Gandy, the Jackets moved 45 yards in nine plays for their opening score. It came on a Dawson Pendergrass direct snap carry over the right side from four yards out. Score: Mineola 6 - Bonham 15.

A troubling sidenote to the evening was the failure to convert four of five PATs. Officially, two were snap/handling errors, one kick was blocked and another kicked into the line. 

Bonham came roaring back. They hit two mid-range pass plays and were on the verge of scoring.

Great defensive effort by Drew Robertson, Julian Ramos, Adam Blalock and Calem Redding forced a turnover-on-downs deep in Jackets territory.

Mineola took over possession on their 10-yard line. Two plays later Pendergrass found daylight through the right side, cut through the middle of the Warrior secondary and sped 85 yards for a score. Score: Mineola 12 - Bonham 15. 

Bonham threatened once more in the half. Nearing the break they were on the Jacket 25-yard line. A heave into the end zone was intercepted by Pendergrass.

As Mineola fans expect, it was a different team which came out for the second half. The Jacket defense –  which gave up 231 yards in the first half – shackled the Warriors, surrendering only 41 yards in the second half. Nate Griffin, Moses Medellin, Tanner Crenshaw and others stepped up to stone the Warriors offense. 

Pendergrass came out of the game early in the second half due to an injury, and primary ball-carrying duties fell to Calem Redding. He responded with abandon. Redding carried for 131 yards on 13 carries and two scores in the second half. 

Redding took a delay through the middle on a 40-yard scoring jaunt midway through the third quarter to make the score Mineola 18 - Bonham 15. 

At the turn of the third quarter, it was a fourth-down touchdown pass from T.J. Moreland to Gandy which next etched the scoreboard. The toss, a fade route from 15 yards out, was perfectly delivered by Moreland, and Gandy made a difficult catch look easy. Score: Mineola 24 - Bonham 15.

The teams exchanged punts. With 9:43 to play, Bonham broke a big play, returning a punt 60 yards for a score. Despite having been literally shut-down offensively, Bonham had just pulled to within two points. Score: Mineola 24 - Bonham 22. 

The Jackets needed to secure the game with a score. They did just that, driving 68 yards in nine plays with Redding beating the defense to the corner of the end zone around the left end. 

Jacket linebacker Paul Stanley then made an excellent break on a Bonham pass across the middle for a game-ending interception.  

The Jackets will have plenty to correct coming out of this game. They will also have great examples of personal fortitude and team perseverance.

They will need both in preparing for Mt Vernon which comes to town Friday.