That’s more like it: a handful of explosive plays, 300 yards of offense, a defense playing downhill and the general attentiveness of a team looking to make a play. The Mineola Yellowjackets rebounded Friday to record a 28-6 win over visiting Hughes Springs. 

It was a welcome development. To the delight of the homecoming crowd and under new LED lights which ensured no one missed a thing, the Yellowjackets played Yellowjacket football.

Mineola opened with a classic 56-yard, 8-play scoring drive – all of it on the ground. Braydon Alley carried over on a quarterback power lead left.    

After exchanging fumbles, the Mustangs mounted their only significant drive of the night. They carried the ball to the Jackets’ 4-yard line before a huge pile-up of bodies forced the ball free. 

It squirted out the back side of the pile-up where defensive lineman Moses Medellin picked it up and began a 96-yard sprint for the end zone. Medellin won that race, but the score was called back on a penalty. 

The Jackets promptly drove 63-yards to record their second touchdown. Alley took the power play to the right side for this score, and Mineola used the same play to record the 2-point conversion. 

Alley ran with much abandon throughout the night. His 47-yard scoring run near the end of the third quarter was a highlight-reel run. Alley took the ball through the right side, slicing through the Mustangs’ line. He reversed field in the second defensive level, fighting through a couple attempted tackles. Once headed back to the left, he outflanked the defense, and by using a great deacceleration/acceleration move, speed and agile feet, sped down the sideline.  

Alley wasn’t the only contributor on the offensive side. Corde Berry and Trenton Seeley produced solid efforts out of the backfield, while wide receiver Colton McMahon continued to excite every time he touched the ball.

On Mineola’s last scoring drive, McMahon carried a jet-sweep 18 yards through midfield. Several plays later he took a pass from Alley and turned a short pass in the flat into a 15-yard rampage. Mineola scored on the next play from four yards. 

Freshman Braelyn Geremonte made his mark as well, with a punt return which almost went the distance. The freshman also recorded Mineola’s only interception, when he undercut a pass from his safety position. 

The Jackets also forced three fumbles. The Mineola defense played an excellent game. They were aggressive, disciplined and adapted well to game situations. The middle of the Jacket defense took the brunt of the Mustangs’ run-heavy veer option offense. 

They more than met the challenge. Defensive lineman Medellin and Juan Villanueva, along with filling linebackers Berry and Paul Stanley, stuffed the inside running game.

The Jackets allowed 119 yards from scrimmage. The Hughes Springs score came with :34 seconds left.       

Mineola travels to West Rusk Friday to face a Raider team that beat Sabine 51-31.