Jaguars lose at away game against Blue Valley
The Tiger’s strong offense defeats Jaguars, making record 2-2
September 23, 2017
The Jaguars fell to the Blue Valley Tigers 49-9 on Friday, Sept. 22.
To open the game, the Tigers received the ball at the 5-yard line. On the same drive, they scored the first touchdown of the game.
On the kickoff return after the Tigers scored, junior running back Cameron Young ran the ball all the way back for a Jaguar touchdown. After failing to complete a two-point conversion, the Jaguars trailed 7-6.
“Up front, I felt like we did really well,” Young said. “We did move the ball, [but] the only problem we had was probably just finishing.”
Blue Valley responded with another touchdown two minutes later. A pass by senior quarterback Brody Flaming was intercepted by the Tigers the following play, resulting in another touchdown. This brought the score to 21-6 in favor of the Tigers.
Scoring another touchdown late in the first quarter, Blue Valley ran the ball 55 yards into the end zone. At the end of the first quarter, the Tigers were up 28-6.
Junior kicker Jack Matchette started off the second quarter with a field goal, giving the Jags three points. Shortly after the kick, Blue Valley ran in another touchdown making the score 35-9.
With just under two minutes left in the second quarter, Flaming’s pass was intercepted in the end zone. The Tigers took advantage of the interception and scored a 90-yard touchdown on the same drive. This put Blue Valley up 42-9.
Ending the first half, another pass by Flaming was intercepted at the Blue Valley 48-yard line, brought to the 3-yard line and later ran in by the Tigers for another touchdown. This ended the first half 49-9 with the Tigers in the lead.
Linebacker coach T.J. Finan had some ideas on how the Jaguars could improve for next week’s game.
“We have to be ready to match our opponent’s speed, execute right away and take care of the ball,” Finan said.
The second half started off with a 52-yard kickoff return by junior defensive back Tanner Moore, which brought the Jaguars to Blue Valley’s 38-yard line. After gaining a few yards, Matchette’s field goal attempt was no good.
As a result of solid defense from both teams, the score did not advance in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, junior linebacker Sage Sieperda recovered the Tiger’s fumble on Blue Valley’s 42-yard line. The Jaguar offense didn’t move the ball very far and had to punt it back to Blue Valley.
Sieperda believes that both offense and defense needs to improve.
“Offensively, we need to start out fast and move the ball,” Sieperda said. “Defensively, we have to stop them instead of letting them score every time.”
The final score of the game was 49-9 with no points being scored in the second half.
For the home game against St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday, Sept. 29, Moore feels the team will be ready.
“We’re going to be focused and we’re going to be locked in,” Moore said. “Aquinas is our biggest week of the year.”
