The number seven has major significance in the last two games between Bunkie and Jonesboro. Last year it represented the number of touchdowns the Tigers scored in the most one sided win of the season. On Friday, it was the number of turnovers JHHS had in a disappointing 24-20 loss to a team that was winless coming in and had been outscored 96-12 in the first two contests. With the loss the Tigers fall to 0-3 to start the season for the first time since the year before head coach Terrance Blankenship took over 10 years ago.
Despite the loss, Blankenship remained upbeat about the Tigers prospects heading into back to back home games.
“We are getting closer,” said Blankenship after the contest. “Every week we are doing things a little better. Hopefully next week we will put it all together and get a win.”
What has been the biggest problem has been the inconsistency of the offense. This now seems to have been corrected through a most ironic way. Call it addition through subtraction. In week one offensive tackle / defensive end, Dominick Strickland was carted off with a seperated shoulder. An MRI conducted on Thursday showed that his days of a lineman were through.
Fortunately, the bum wing is on his non throwing side. Why is that important? What few remember is that coming from Junior High, Strickland was touted as the QB of the future for the Tigers. He had all the tools, but simply didn’t really want to play the position. Determined to complete his senior season on the field and quarterback being the only positions he could play, Stickland and the coaching staff decided to give it a try. Talk about immediate returns.
With the Tigers down 24-0 and looking as listless as a wet piece of paper, the effect of Strickland’s strong arm immediately began to pay dividends. A couple of impressive completions over the middle forced Bunkie to abandon their “stack the box” scheme.
Suddenly the Tiger ground game had room to run and in just two plays Ed’Tavious Drayton, who had struggled to gain 55 yards in the first half on 10 carries, busted loose for 39 and 18 yard gains, the later being a touchdown.
With the Tigers starting at midfield on their next possession Strickland found Raynald Bolds across the middle for a 41 yard score. A two point pass to Xavier Atkins narrowd the margin to 24-14. Tiger hopes skyrocketed early in the fourth period when Zion Gray caught a Strickland laser on the Bunkie 20 yard line, sprinted through a couple of defenders and dragged a few more into the endzone. The scoring play culminated a 6 play, 80 yard drive, by far the best possesion of the year.
“I can’t say enough about what Dom did tonight,” said Blankenship. “For him to perform like he did tonight is really amazing. He only had about ten minutes of practice on Thursday.”
Blankenship went on to speak on the courage Strickland had to play and the effect it had on the team.
“Realistically we thought he was through,” reflected Blankenship. “He wasn’t having any part of that though and now as result it looks like he has given us the missing link we needed to be able to run our offense.”
Twice the Tigers had a chance to complete the rally but both times turnovers killed any hope. The first happened when a perfectly thrown pass by Strickland bounced off the receivers chest and into a Bunkie defenders hands. The second came on an ill advised to field a dying punt that slipped through the returners hands allowing for Bunkie to run out the clock.
Bunkie opened the game by scoring on their first two drives in rapid fashion. Using a hurry up scheme the Panthers marched 40 and 52 yards in in just 2:20 of the first quarter. A 71 yard run on a reverse up the lead to 18-0 at the half. Following a JHHS fumble a third touchdown pass of the game by Bunkie upped the lead to 24-0.
Strickland ended the game with 8 completions in 13 attempts for 160 yards in just a half of play. Added were two TD passes and three interceptions. Ed’Tavious Drayton rushed 16 times for 134 yards and a score while Zion Gray led the receivers with 4 catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Atkins led the defense with 12 tackles and 2 assists, including 5 tackles for a loss. Taylor Lemoine carried the ball 42 times for 149 yards for Bunkie with quarterback Brady Wright completing 11 of 23 passes and 3 TD’s.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | TOTAL |
| JHHS (0-3) | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
| Bunkie (1-2) | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 24 |
Scoring:
1st Quarter
Bunkie – Johnson 4 yd pass from Wright (2 pt NG)
Bunkie – Compton Jr. 8 yd pass from Wright (2pt NG)
2nd Quarter
Bunkie – Johnson 71 yard run (2pt NG)
3rd Quarter
Bunkie – Johnson 35 yd pass from Wright (2pt NG)
JHHS – Drayton 18 yd run (2pt NG)
JHHS – Bolds 41 yd pass from Strickland (Stickland to Atkins – 2 pts)
4th Quarter
JHHS – Gray 28 yd pass from Strickland (2 pt NG)