Jackets storm Rains for playoff spot
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Simply put, the Mineola Yellowjackets ran roughshod over the Rains Wildcats last Friday. After two weather delays and a ton of scoring, the Yellowjackets returned from Emory with a 63-41 win and a …
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Jackets storm Rains for playoff spot
Simply put, the Mineola Yellowjackets ran roughshod over the Rains Wildcats last Friday. After two weather delays and a ton of scoring, the Yellowjackets returned from Emory with a 63-41 win and a ticket to the post-season.
Mineola will face the undefeated District 8-3A champion Jefferson Bulldogs Thursday at 7 p.m. in Lindale.
To earn that role as David versus Goliath, the Yellowjackets had to go to Emory last Friday and secure a victory by five points. More than that, Mineola would face a Rains squad that could take that playoff spot with a win. Likely most challenging, the Rains team was saying good-bye to 21 seniors off their roster. Emotions would be running high.
The Jackets would have to be alert and locked in from the opening whistle. They were.
Mineola took the opening possession 64 yards and scored. They mixed a wide receiver screen from Kipton Neighbors to Colton McMahon in with an aggressive ground game. Braelyn Geremonte scored on an 8-yard run over the right side behind a lead block by Jose Silva.
After Rains evened the score, Mineola went on a 57-yard drive to retake the lead. Geremonte sliced 31 yards through the Wildcat defense and scored after cutting back through the secondary.
Mineola scored three more times in the first half while giving up only one additional score. Those Mineola scores were some of the best football Mineola has played this year.
The first came on an 8-play drive – all on the ground – which ended with Neighbors carrying the ball into the end zone from 13 yards out.
The second was a beautifully-executed pass from Neighbors to McMahon on a 47-yard wheel route. This play started with a full-house backfield. Neighbors took the shotgun snap – McMahon came out of the backfield and slipped-up the west sideline. Neighbors hit him perfectly in stride.
The final score of the half came after Steven Reyes forced a Wildcat turnover by punching out the ball on a tackle.
With the ball deep in Mineola territory, Neighbors carried around the left end. He had to evade two tackle attempts on the edge of the formation. Once clear, he accelerated through the Wildcat defenders, sprinting 81 yards to make the score 36-14 at the half.
Neighbors then assured Mineola would take that big lead into halftime by intercepting a Wildcat pass on the next possession. Neighbors read that play from the snap and closed the post-route from his safety position.
The Jackets ground out 283 yards on those first five scoring drives of the night. It was classic Yellowjacket football – probing each gap along the Wildcat defensive line and running with abandon.
The second half was played largely in a driving rainstorm. Mineola found the end zone four more times.
The initial score featured three tough runs by Geremonte, who eventually scored on a 5-yard carry.
Rains answered, but Mineola took an insurmountable lead after scoring back-to-back touchdowns. An expertly placed on-side kick by Noah Turner and an athletic play to recover the ball by River Strange gained Mineola the consecutive possessions.
Rains mustered one final rally in the second half when a sequence of Rains score, Mineola turnover, Rains score and Rains on-side kick recovery closed the margin to 14 points.
Mineola withstood the challenge.
Despite all the offensive production on both sides, the game was determined by Mineola’s ability to make key tackles at critical times of the game. Blaine Harris led the Yellowjackets defense, ably assisted by Reyes, Turner, Juan Cervantes, Gabriel Thompson and Eddrick Irving.
Freshman Neighbors announced his arrival in Emory last Friday. There were a couple of his runs which evoked memories of Dawson Pendergrass. Neighbors’ deceptive strength, speed and especially his vision, was a joy to watch.
It will take that and a whole lot more to face Jefferson this week.