James Clemens Comes Up Short Against Florence
Maceo Booker around end for 12 yards
RECORD PHOTO/Floyd Parks)
MADISON- The Florence Falcons came into Madison City Stadium Friday night and soared away with a 50-24 victory over the James Clemens Jets. The Florence running game proved to be the difference in the game as Falcons quarterback Kendrick Doss, a senior Ole Miss commit, rushed for 168 yards and threw for 126 yards.
Florence was coming off a 26-20 loss to Oxford.
Jets QB Heath Burchfield led the Jets effort through the air, completing 16 of 23, for 262 yards. The Jets looked good in the first quarter and were able to move the ball easily, and the two teams swapped scores. The James Clemens defense looked good early, but was unable to stop the talented QB Doss.
The Jets took the opening kickoff and marched down the field before a penalty stopped their momentum. Following a Jets punt, the Falcons marched down the field, scoring first as Doss ran it in from 18 yards out to take a 7-0 lead at the 8.04 mark in the first quarter.
However, the Jets took the ensuing kickoff and marched the ball to the Florence 10 yard line setting up a Will Grochowski field goal from 26 yards out, to make the score 7-3 Florence.
On the ensuing possession, the Jets defense stopped the Florence run oriented attack, and following the Falcons punt, the Jets began deep in their own territory.
Late in the first quarter, the Jets again drove from deep in their own territory to the Falcons 7 yard line where QB Heath Burchfield threw a perfect strike to WR Miles Whitlow in the end zone. With the extra point the Jets went ahead 10-7 at the 2:25 mark for their only lead of the game.
In the second quarter, Florence scored on an 11 yard run by Roland Adams and a 1 yard run by Kameron Davis to quickly grab back the lead at 21-10.
Jets QB Burchfield then led a drive that culminated with a 44 yard Burchfield to Anthony Bolden touchdown pass and with the Grochowski extra point, the score was Florence 21, Jets 17.
Florence closed out the first half scoring as QB Doss ran it into the end zone from 4 yards out, and with a successful two-point conversion, the first half scoring was over with Florence up 29 to 17.
The third quarter saw Florence score on rushing touchdowns by Davis and Doss and the Falcons jumped out to a 43-17 at the end of the third.
The Jets lone second half score came in the fourth quarter as Maceo Booker ran the ball in from the 4-yard line. Late in the game QB Doss handed the ball to Ronnie Vaughn who pushed into the end zone from 6 yards out with 54 seconds remaining on the clock. The game ended with the Jets punting from the shadows of their own goal line.
The Jets are now 2-4 overall and 1-3 in Region 8 play. They visit Austin next week in another Region 8, 6A showdown.
