One thing that a coach hopes to establish in the early portion of a season is an “identity”. After Friday nights 48-8 loss to Class 5A Pineville it is obvious Jonesboro -Hodge has two. Jekyll and Hyde.

For those not familiar, Jekyll and Hyde is the title of a classic novel that illustrates one person with two totally diverse characteristics, with Jekyll representing the bad and Hyde the good. 

JHHS head coach, Terrance Blankenship, has seen all he wants of Jekyll.

“I can’t explain it,” said Blankenship. “It’s like we are two different teams. One game we play as well as we can, then next we can’t do any worse.” 

Over the five games that JHHS has played in the 2023 LHSAA football season, the “Jekyll” identity has appeared three times and Hyde twice, leaving the Tigers with a 2-3 record heading into district 3-2A competition next week. 

The contest started bad for JHHS.

A pair of illegal procedure penalties on the Tigers opening drive and a short punt gave Pineville the ball at the Tiger 33 yard line. One play and seven seconds later JHHS trailed by a touchdown.

Then it got worse.

On the Tigers next two possessions Pineville started at the JHHS 22 and 4 yard line following a bad snap that sailed over the JHHS punters head and a Tiger fumble in the shadows of their own end zone. Pineville would add three more scores in the third quarter thanks to three more Tiger turnovers to head into the fourth quarter with a 41-0 lead. 

Out of the darkness there was a couple of bright spots. 

Three times the JHHS defense held Pineville out of the end zone after first and goal situations and all through the game played with a fierce intensity. 

“The score doesn’t reflect it but our defense actually played well,” said Blankenship. “You just can’t gave a team that many possession on your side of the field and have a chance.”

Blankenship also was pleased with the effort that his squad gave, especially after the game had been all but decided.

“The mistakes we made was too much to overcome but the guys played hard all the way to the end,” reflected Blankenship. “If we can clean up our play we can win with that kind of effort.

JHHS celebrates Homecoming and opens district 3-2A play against Red River (Coushatta) next Friday. Game time is set for 7:00 pm.