Bob Jones beats down Buckhorn
Bob Jones running back Trai Ragland fights for extra yards during the third quarter of the Patriots’ 28-14 victory over the Buckhorn Bucks. (RECORD PHOTO/AUSTIN PHILLIPS)
The Bob Jones Patriots inched a step closer to a Class 6A, Region 8 championship Oct. 8 as quarterbacks Zach Freeman and Jeffrey Moss accounted for two touchdowns apiece to lead BJHS over the Buckhorn Bucks, 28-14.
“This was a huge win for us,” Bob Jones head coach Kevin Rose said. “I thought we played really well tonight.”
The Patriots got off to fast start as the defense held the Bucks to three-and-out on the opening possession, and then Freeman connected with Moss from 30 yards out to put Bob Jones up 7-0.
After forcing the Bucks to punt a second time, the Patriots threatened to score again before the end of the opening quarter, but Braden Hager’s 37-yard field goal barely sailed right.
The Bucks went for it on fourth down on the ensuing possession, but the Patriots’ defense held strong once again.
On the next possession, Moss struck again, this time from the quarterback position, as he connected with Collins Moore from 26 yards out to put the Patriots up 14-0.
After forcing the Bucks to punt again, the Patriots threatened to score again, but Trai Ragland fumbled the ball as he drew back to throw a halfback pass and the Bucks recovered.
Buckhorn took advantage of the turnover as Roddrick Anderson took the ball in from 1 yard out to cut the Patriot lead to 14-7.
The Patriots wasted no time padding the lead before halftime as Trai Ragland took the ball in from 5 yards out just 1 minute later to give Bob Jones a 21-7 lead at intermission.
In the second half, the Patriots’ opening drive stalled at midfield, but some trickery paid off when Darius Tibbs grabbed the punt snap and scampered for the first down. Freeman took the ball in four plays later from 2 yards out to increase the Patriot lead to 28-7.
“We’ve been working on that for four weeks, but we were just trying to find the right time to call it,” Rose said of the fake punt.
Buckhorn answered the score with a 15-yard touchdown run by Anderson to cut the lead to 28-14 in the third, but Bob Jones defenders Greg Gilbert and Tibbs each pulled down an interception in the final quarter to seal the victory.
“We’ve missed that the last two weeks,” Rose said of the forced turnovers.
The Patriots will travel to rival Sparkman Oct. 15, before hosting Decatur and Hoover to close out the regular season.
