(Clay Williams – JPJ)
Jonesboro-Hodge made the long trip south of Lake Charles on Friday night as the #20 seed in Division IV Non-Select to take on the #13 seed Grand Lake Hornets. The Tigers went into the contest riding high on a 3-game winning streak and looked to continue their play as a feisty underdog into the playoffs. J-Hodge was never going to go out without a fight, and the 23-20 heartbreaking defeat provided Tiger faithful with the exact fight and effort they were hoping to see.
The four Tiger senior captains met at midfield for the coin toss with the smell of south Louisiana jambalaya in the air, and J-Hodge elected to receive the kick. A good kick return by Dakota Knox set up the Tigers at their own 45-yard line to start the game.
The first quarter was quick, as each team had a long, sustaining drive deep into enemy territory that ultimately stalled out due to numerous offensive penalties. Those were the only two drives of the 1st quarter, and J-H got the ball to start the 2nd quarter.
J-Hodge moved the ball consistently using the legs of Dakota Knox, and also incorporating Landon Boston back into the running game. Marquise Baker caught a 4th down pass to set up the Tigers inside the 5-yard line. The Grand Lake defense didn’t make it easy for J-H, but on 4th down the Tigers finally pushed through on a QB sneak by Knox to take a 6-0 lead with 8 minutes left in the half.
Grand Lake had their longest drive of the game over the next 6 minutes, as they went 52 yards on 15 plays, converting numerous 1st downs along the way. J-H’s defense bent, but it did not break, and they forced a turnover on downs by the Hornets at the Tiger 15-yard line.
With less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half and Grand Lake getting the ball to start the second half, J-Hodge tried to extend the lead to two possessions. Knox launched one deep down field that was undercut by a Hornet defender and intercepted at the J-H 40-yard line. To make matters worse, Grand Lake would score on the next play on a touchdown run. The Tigers got through and blocked the extra point to keep it a 6-6 game.
After those two quick plays, J-Hodge still had plenty of time to go 75 yards. DJ Palmer made sure his team didn’t come away scoreless this time, as he burnt the Hornets defender down field and hauled in a pass from Knox for a 65-yards touchdown. After a wild few plays, J-Hodge would take a 12-6 lead into halftime.
The Tigers came out of the break energized on the defensive side of the ball. Grand Lake felt the power of family, as brothers Ken’Wuan and Kyron Atkins continued to wreck havoc in the backfield with the help of cousin Dylan Hayes. The Hornets was forced to punt quickly into the 3rd quarter, and J-Hodge looked to extend their lead.
Dakota Knox started to find his two favorite targets in Christian McGuire and Z’Mauryian Palmer, and J-H worked their way into the red zone once again. Knox scrambled left and decided to tuck it and run instead of throw, and then he fought his way through four defenders all the way into the end zone. The facemask penalty on the Hornets when trying to stop Knox was a cherry on top to show what an impressive run it was. DJ Palmer continued his great game by hauling in the important two-point conversion to make it a 14-point lead for J-Hodge in the 3rd quarter.
It seemed as if Jonesboro-Hodge fans were about to start having to make plans to take off work next Friday for another trip south, but that’s when the game took a turn for the worse.
J-H held a 20-6 advantage at the start of the 4th quarter. After a quick three-and-out by the Tigers, an awkward punt, that saw Knox get ran into after kicking the ball, gave the Hornets their best field position of the night at the J-Hodge 28-yard line. A few running plays later, and Grand Lake had cut the deficit to 7 points.
The next 5 minutes of nail-biting football saw three punts, two of them by J-Hodge. The Tigers didn’t have a single punt in the first 3 quarters but had to punt three times in the final quarter of their season.
Grand Lake’s two-headed backfield monster of Brycen Guillory and Charles McFarland accounted for 64 yards on just 3 plays, and they tied the game at 20 with 2:54 remaining in the ballgame.
The Hornets tried an onside kick earlier in the game that the Tigers recovered, but this time it didn’t go J-H’s way, and the ball was bounced around and recovered at the J-Hodge 37-yard line by Grand Lake.
Grand Lake took a conservative approach trying to run the clock out, and after 8 plays they finally settled for a chip shot field goal with 15 seconds left that put them ahead 23-20.
J-Hodge got the ball at midfield praying for a miracle. After two quick plays that gained 14 yards, the Tigers had 4 seconds left to make something happen, or their season would be over.
Dakota Knox took the snap at the 36-yard line, lofted the pass up the seam to Christian McGuire who caught it, made a cut to the outside, got a block from his wide receiver, and it looked like the miracle might come true for Tiger fans… but then a Hornet defender got a hold of his jersey, and McGuire made a desperation attempt to get into the end zone, but ended up falling short at the 3-yard line. The season was over.
Although the outcome was not what Tiger fans wanted, they had a lot to be proud of with this team. They fought all year long despite the low number of players, numerous key injuries, and most starters playing both ways.
The four seniors, Ken’Wuan Atkins, Christian McGuire, Z’Mauryian Palmer, and Samuel Combs will definitely be missed next season, and were instrumental to the success and fight of this team all year long.
Jonesboro-Hodge finished the 2024 season with a 4-7 record, and many memorable moments to look back on.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Jonesboro-Hodge (4-7) | 0 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Grand Lake (7-3) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 23 |
2nd Quarter: (JHHS) Knox 1 yd run (2-point NG)
2nd Quarter: (Grand Lake) Fontenot 41 yd run (XP Blocked)
2nd Quarter: (JHHS) Knox 65 yd pass to D.J. Palmer (2-point NG)
3rd Quarter: (JHHS) Knox 9 yd run (Knox to D.J. Palmer 2-point conversion)
4th Quarter: (GL) Guillory 11 yd run (XP Good)
4rh Quarter (Grand Lake) McFarland 53 yd run (XP Good)
4th Quarter (Grand Lake) Wainright 20 yd FG
JHHS PLAYER STATS:
Passing:
Knox – 9/14/205, 1 TD, I Int
Rushing:
Knox – 22/103, 2 TD’s
Boston – 8/31
Receiving:
D.J. Palmer – 1/65, 1 TD
McGuire – 2/63
Z. Palmer – 3/58
Johnson – 1/10
Baker – 1/6