Jaguars demolish Gators
Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 17, 2009
Madison Central is now 2-0 against teams from Warren County and did so in dominant fashion both times.
The undefeated top-ranked Jaguars mauled Vicksburg 53-0 on Friday at a muddy Memorial Stadium behind four first-half touchdowns from quarterback Peyton Johnson, three of which came through the air and another on the ground.
Madison Central ripped Warren Central 49-0 last week.
The winless Gators (0-8, 0-4 in Region 2-6A) didn’t exactly help their own cause.
Quarterback Cameron Cooksey threw two interceptions and bad snaps on punts resulted in two safeties, one of which led to a 62-yard kickoff return by Xavien Griffin. The Gators didn’t get their first new set of downs until midway through the third quarter.
“It gets old,” Vicksburg coach Alonzo Stevens said. “They are a good football team, to take nothing from them. But we are so self-destructive. We’re just so inexperienced about how to do the little things. We’ve got to grow up.”
The contest didn’t start off well for the Gators. After a three-and-out on their first possession, the Vicksburg defense yielded a 48-yard hookup between Johnson and junior wideout Tobias Singleton. Johnson found Singleton again on the next play on a quick slant for a 1-yard TD pass.
The Gator defense made a stand on the next Madison possession. Vicksburg defensive back Bobby Twilley read Johnson’s eyes perfectly and intercepted the wayward pass. But on the ensuing Vicksburg possession, Cooksey was picked off by Raphael Dent to end the threat.
Johnson then found Singleton six plays later for their second hookup of the contest and with the Mitch Huff extra point, the Jaguars were on top 14-0. Elliott Carson scored on a 5-yard run as the horn sounded to end the first quarter as Madison Central took a 21-0 advantage.
It would be in the second quarter when the proverbial wheels started to fall off the wagon.
After another Gator three-and-out, the Madison Central offense went on another foray, as Johnson hit Josh Crowder with a 10-yard TD pass to cap a seven-play, 50-yard drive. Johnson capped another short drive with a 13-yard TD scamper to put Madison Central up 35-0 after the Huff kick.
After another three downs of futility for Vicksburg, the snap for a punt sailed over Cooksey’s head and he was forced to kick it out of the back of the end zone for a safety. Griffin then returned the free kick for the Jaguars’ final score of the half to put Madison Central up 44-0 at the break.
In the second half, Madison Central cleared the bench, but still got a TD run from Spencer Turnbull and forced another safety off another bad punt snap to complete the scoring.
Madison Central improved to 8-0 overall.
“We knew we were big favorites tonight, but we wanted to come out and be relentless,” Madison Central coach Bobby Hall said.
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Contact Steve Wilson at swilson@vicksburgpost.com