Jackets escape with win

The Williamsburg Yellow Jackets took a huge step in defending their district football title with a 28-27 win over the Campbellsville Eagles Friday night at Dave Fryrear Field in Campbellsville.

At the end of the game Williamsburg Coach Jerry Herron could be heard letting out a big sigh of relief as he watch his young Yellow Jackets hang on for the one-point win.

There were two sides to Herron’s team Friday night. One that saw the Yellow Jackets dominate the pre-season favorites in the first half and take a 28-8 lead at the break. Then there was the team that held on for dear life as the Eagles came storming back, but in the end it was junior Logan Hamblin who stepped in front of a Josh Hicks pass and put the game to an end.

“I knew I had a chance to intercept the pass,” Hamblin said.

The win put Williamsburg in the driver’s seat, but Herron said his team couldn’t overlook Berea or Lynn Camp.

“We had a great week of practice and the kids were focused,” Herron said. “They knew what we wanted to do and they came out an implanted the game plan. It was a big game for us.”

Herron gave credit to Coach Jay Cobb and the Eagles. “They made some adjustments in the second half. This is what we’ve done all year; we have played one great half. This one we played a great first half and a poor second half.’”

“It was a combination of a lot of things,” Herron said. “We missed some tackles and gave up the long run to Hoskins. Then we as a staff and team started playing not to lose and lost our focus and got a little off track.”

“But, the kids bucked up when they had to and made a stop on Rafferty (82) and did some good things,” Herron said. “Now we are rolling into the Berea game with a 1-0 record in the district, but they are too. So, this will pretty much be for the district championship. The winner of this will probably be the district champ, so we know it’s a big game.”

The Yellow Jackets didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard as Williamsburg took the opening kick off down the field and scored after a seven-play drive. The big play during the drive came when sophomore quarterback Dalton Sizemore broke loose on a 25-yard run to the Campbellsville nine-yard line. Three plays later Sizemore hit freshman Skyler Griffith on a 13-yard pass play to put the Jackets ahead. Sizemore ran in the conversion for the two points.

Early in the second quarter freshman Corey Shelton intercepted a Hicks pass and returned the ball to the Campbellsville 26-yard line. After a 17-yard keeper by Sizemore to the nine-yard line Jefferson Patrick went the distance, putting the Jackets ahead, 14-0. Patrick added the PAT for a 16-0 cushion.

Midway through the second quarter the Williamsburg defense held the Eagles on a fourth-and-one try from the Jackets’ 47-yard line and took over the ball on downs with 5:21 left in the half.

A 20-yard pass to Griffith gave the Jackets a first-down at the Campbellsville 25-yard line. Two straight runs by Patrick got the Jackets to the 24-yard line where Dalton hit Griffith on an 11-yard pass to give Williamsburg a new set of downs at the 13-yard line.

Two plays later it was Sizemore teaming up with Griffith once again for a 16-yard touchdown that sent the Jackets ahead, 22-0.

Campbellsville got on the scoreboard late in the quarter when Tashaun Hoskins scored from three yards out with 30.9 seconds left in the half. Quarterback Josh Hicks ran in the conversion and the Eagles were within 22-8.

However, the Jackets answered. After returning the ball to the 31-yard line, Sizemore had a short gain of six yards, but a personal foul on the Eagles, gave Williamsburg a first-down at the 49-yard line. Sizemore connected on a 48-yard pass to Griffith to the three-yard line. After Sizemore killed the first-down play, 2.4 seconds were left on the clock. Just enough time for Sizemore to reach the end zone and put the Jackets ahead, 28-8.

Campbellsville came roaring back in the second half. The Eagles scored on their first series of the third quarter when Hoskins broke loose down the right side for a 48-yard TD run. Brad Bates booted the PAT, cutting the lead to 13 points.

A hurdling penalty caused a Williamsburg drive to stall then a fumble late in the quarter set up a Campbellsville score. Hicks took the ball in from 16-yards out with 9:23 left in the game to get the host within 28-22. The kick for the PAT failed.

Campbellsville had a chance to win the game on their final big drive of the game after a Williamsburg punt with 4:48 left in the game. The Eagles started at their own 13-yard line and it appeared that the Williamsburg defense had held Campbellsville on a fourth-and-three at the 21-yard line, but a generous spot by the officials gave the host new life. Two plays later Hicks hit Alex Brunelle on a 76-yard scoring play that pulled the Eagles within a point with 1:51 left in the contest. The Eagles set up for the tying PAT, but went for the win on a pass to Mike Rafferty. The junior dropped the ball in the end zone allowing the Jackets to maintain the lead.

The Eagles tried the on-side kick, but the ball didn’t roll the required 10 yards and the Jackets took over at the Campbellsville 44-yard line. With great clock management, the Eagles held and forced Williamsburg to punt. Sizemore’s punt rolled to the one-yard line, but an official ruled that it was hit into the end zone by a Williamsburg player and the Eagles were awarded the ball at their own 20-yard line with :53 left in the game.

A pass to the 34-yard line and a nine-yard run by Hoskins quickly pushed the ball out to the 45-yard marker. But, on second-and-one, Hamblin stepped in front of a Hoskins pass for the interception. Williamsburg ran out the final 27 seconds to secure the win.

For the game, Sizemore hit on 11 of 20 passes for 223 yards with eight of those going to Griffith for 179 yards. Griffith has over 900 yards for the season.

Williamsburg 28, Campbellsville 27

Williamsburg                          8  20   0    0- 28

Campbellsville              0    8   7  12- 27

First Quarter

WHS- Skyler Griffith 13 pass from Dalton Sizemore (Sizemore run)

Second Quarter

WHS- Jefferson Patrick 9 run (Patrick run)

WHS- Griffith 16 pass from Sizemore (run failed)

CHS- Tashaun Hoskins 3 run (Josh Hicks run)

WHS- Sizemore 3 run (run failed)

Third Quarter

CHS- Hoskins 48 run (Brad Bates kick)

Fourth Quarter

CHS- Hicks 16 run (kick failed)

CHS- Alex Brunelle 76 pass from Hicks (pass failed)