Two halves make a whole. This is a simple mathematical truth, even when the two portions represent a completely diametrically opposed result of a football game. For further clarification, Jonesboro-Hodge High School scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half of the District 1-1A battle against Glenbrook School of Minden to rally for a thrilling 18-14 victory.
The win of the historic fourth Thursday night contest in a single season that was played at Glenbrook ups the Tigers’ record to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in District 1-1A play, while the Apaches fell to 3-5 and 2-4.
A breakdown of halves found Glenbrook jumping out to a 14-0 lead after the first two quarters, with Jonesboro-Hodge playing without question their most lackluster first half in the nine games that have been played to date.
“I don’t know whether it was because we were out of school all week or what, but we did not give a good effort in the first half,” said JHHS head coach Terrance Blankenship. “It wasn’t just in one area or two but in every phase of the game.”
The first half statistics reflected Blankenship’s observation as JHHS managed only 62 yards in total offense over the first 24 minutes of play, and Glenbrook, playing with almost entirely underclassmen, moved the ball at will up and down the field.
The second half was a different story.
If there was a silver lining in the fact that JHHS was down two scores at the half, it was that it wasn’t the first time this season the Tigers had been in that kind of predicament. Actually, not the second, third, or fourth time either. As in games against Delhi Charter, Lincoln-Prep, and Arcadia, the Tigers played an inspired second half of football to overcome the deficit and take the victory.
Maybe it was the familiarity of being in that position that gave the Tigers hope of making a comeback.
“It isn’t like this is the first time this year we have been two scores down at the half,” laughed Blankenship after the game. “We told them at the break that we had been here before, and they knew what had to be done. It was simply up to them to do it.”
The Tigers did!
Totally “flipping the script,” JHHS scored on their first possession of the second half by marching 41 yards on four plays, climaxed by Tre Burns taking a Dakota Knox pass 30 yards for a score to bring the Tigers to within 14-6 with 9:17 left in the third quarter.
JHHS would creep even closer early in the fourth quarter after Knox bulldozed his way into the endzone from three yards out to put the finishing touches on a 15-play 76-yard drive that took a little over 9 minutes off the clock.
The ‘coup de gras’ came with 7:46 remaining in the game when newcomer Jaquan Qualls reeled in a Knox aerial across the middle and outran Apache defenders for the 43-yard, go-ahead score.
The main ingredient in the recipe for the second-half rally was something the Tiger braintrust has cooked up many times before this season. That was putting the ball in Dakota Knox’s hands and letting the chips fall where they may. The result was Knox shredding the Apache defense for 106 yards on 17 carries in the final two quarters.
“We decided to go back to what has been working for us all year, and that was to put Dakota in the backfield by himself, and let him go to work,” Blankenship said. “He is a great leader and put us on his shoulders like he has done all year.”
Special mention goes to the Tiger defense as well as the unit completely shut down the Apache attack in the second half, limiting Glenbrook to 48 yards in total offense and taking the ball away on interceptions by Channing Gray and Landon Boston when the Apaches were making a late attempt to retake the lead.
“Can’t say enough about the way our defense stepped up in the second half,” beamed Blankenship, “It wasn’t like we changed the scheme or anything, but it was simply a matter of each of them making the effort to win their assignments.”