Jackets swarm Big Sandy

Posted 9/25/19

The Mineola Yellowjackets defeated the Big Sandy Wildcats, 36-9, to wrap up the predistrict season Friday. The Yellowjackets dominated the game giving up a mere 117 yards on the night, while amassing 378 yards from scrimmage. 

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Jackets swarm Big Sandy

Posted

The Mineola Yellowjackets defeated the Big Sandy Wildcats, 36-9, to wrap up the predistrict season Friday. The Yellowjackets dominated the game giving up a mere 117 yards on the night, while amassing 378 yards from scrimmage. 

Some wins are ugly wins and the first half indicated it might just be an ugly win for the Yellowjackets. At the half, the score stood 15-3. Mineola had committed six penalties including one personal foul and two holding penalties. They gave up an onside kick recovery to start the game, and a fumble killed their first drive. The game started as a bit of a head-scratcher and hardly a tune-up for district. 

One characteristic of the 2019 Yellowjackets is clear, they persevere.  Having given up the initial onside kick, the Yellowjackets defense attacked. A 10-yard sack by Nate Griffin and two stops for no gain set the defensive tempo for the night.  In nine Big Sandy possessions in the game, Mineola forced six punts and one turnover on downs. 

The Jackets embarked on their first drive behind the slashing running of halfback Montrell Williams and the shifty feet of quarterback Thomas Hooten. A nine-yard jet sweep scoring run by Cole Castleberry was negated due to a personal foul.  On the next play, Hooten lost the ball while fighting through the line of scrimmage.  

The Jackets defense registered the second sack of the night and forced another punt. Return specialist Dalton Rogers fielded a long punt on one hop and returned it 15 yards to midfield. Facing a third-and-20 from their own 42, Hooten hit Williams on a screen pass which went for 19 yards. Williams, who had a great start to the night, was assisted off the field with a knee injury.

With Williams out and Trevion Sneed yet recuperating, the running back duties fell to freshman Dawson Pendergrass. He took a fourth-and-1 carry off right tackle, sidestepped a defender and out-raced the Wildcats around the right end for a 58-yard touchdown run.   

The perseverance was paying off. Great defensive work by Wiley Franks forced yet another Wildcat punt, and the Jackets offense clicked into rhythm.  Hooten rolled left on first down and threw a beautiful, arching, deep ball which most folks in Big Sandy thought was long overthrown. It wasn’t. Castleberry accelerated down the left sideline and ran under the ball for a 40-yard gain. 

With just under a minute in the half, Pendergrass scored from seven yards out over right tackle. The extra point holder, Rogers, put his shortstop skills to work on the PAT attempt. He effortlessly scooped up a low snap, bailed out of his stance over his left shoulder and raced to the corner of the end zone for two points.  Mineola led 15-0.

The ensuing Gustavo Sanchez kickoff was a hard low-liner which Big Sandy’s Cain Martinez, in the initial line of return team blockers, fielded in stride. He rambled through the Yellowjackets all the way to the 11-yard line.  The best the Wildcats could muster against the Jacket defense was a field goal.  

The Yellowjackets are known for their second half performances, and this night was no different. Zero penalties in the second half, three touchdowns in four possessions, a suffocating defense, aggressive line play and stellar individual effort marked the second half of play.

Defensively, it would be appropriate to simply name all those who played on the defensive side. Across the board, the defensive squad indicated readiness to commence district. 

On the offensive side, Pendergrass rattled off three long runs in each of the Jackets three second-half scoring drives. The first was a 28-yard carry around right end, the second was a 95-yard effort which broke right up the middle, and the third was a 79-yard score in the waning minutes.

Mineola hosts the West Rusk Raiders Friday at Meredith Memorial Stadium. The Yellowjackets will be staking a claim to district 8-3A in the opening week of district, as the Raiders appear to be one of several teams with playoff ambitions.