[blue1424]

Jeffersontown lost four of its five fumbles and was penalized 14 times for 125 yards, yet it rallied from a 27-7 deficit to nip visiting Bullitt East 28-27 Friday night to make Nathan Jones’ debut as coach a happy occasion.

Richard Deloney, a junior transfer from Fairdale, scored two touchdowns and ran for 112 yards on 15 carries for J’town. The running back’s 19-yard touchdown run with 2:45 left in the game tied the score at 27-27. Mandera Jackson then booted the winning extra point.

“We just had to keep on fighting and get stops on defense,” Deloney said. “It was a dogfight, I tell you. We played with our hearts, and we pulled it off.”

J’town got its big break when defensive back Tye Bennett intercepted a pass by Bullitt East quarterback Anthony Doran at the Bullitt East 49 with 5:10 left.

“It was a screen pass, and their quarterback didn’t see Ty,” Jones said. “Ty stayed home, and that’s what he was supposed to do. We kept on fighting, and that carries over to life. We kept on competing when we were behind. We overcame sloppy football because we didn’t stop believing.”

Deloney had runs of 12, 11 and 2 before scoring on his 19-yarder.

“I saw the defensive end rolling off to the left,” Deloney said. “I had to make a play and push it in.”

Bullitt East (1-1) had three of its four TDs set up by recovering J’town fumbles, including a one-yard plunge by Brandon Samuels with 29.5 seconds left in the first half. The Mount Washington team increased its 21-7 halftime lead to 27-7 when Doran hit Trent Meredith on a 53-yard TD strike with 4:14 left in the third period.

J’town struck back quickly on Deloney’s 11-yard TD run with 1:18 left in the third. Quarterback Kendrick Gardner hit wide receiver Mikal Howard on a 13-yard pass and Tremaine Williams for an 18-yard gain before Deloney scored.

J’town closed to within 27-21 on Gardner’s 35-yard TD pass to Williams with 11:47 left in the game. That four-play drive was set up by a recovery of a Bullitt East fumble.

Howard caught five passes for 105 yards. He thought he had a 77-yard scoring catch early in the second quarter, but the TD was nullified by a sideline interference penalty on J’town. One of the officials ran into an assistant J’town coach during the play.

Gardner, who played behind All-State quarterback-defensive back DeMichael Jackson last year, credited Deloney with making “some huge plays. He gives it his all all the time.”

Bullitt East, which beat Doss 49-21 last week, led J’town 13-0 early, thanks to J’town’s fumbles. Samuels scored on a six-yard run and Jesse Porter scored from 12 yards out. Porter set up his own TD when he returned a punt 45 yards to the J’town 15.

“We remember Deloney from Fairdale last year,” Bullitt East coach Darrell Vincent said. “We pinned him up some, but he got loose some. He’s a load. We gambled some late, and we made some questionable choices (of plays). I’m not going to fault the kids. They fought their guts out.”

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2...East-28-27

[NEWARKCATHOLICFAN]

Happy to see J-Town post the win in this one.