Rockets spoil Jets’ debut
CONTRIBUTED
By MIKE EASTERLING / For the Record
GARDENDALE – James Clemens took a handful or more of college prospects and a Class 7A, No.2 ranking on the road to open its high school football season flush with high expectations.
Two scoop-and-score touchdowns on Jets fumbles in a span of 11 seconds, as well as two more turnovers on interceptions, spoiled the team’s debut in a 26-13 loss to 6A Gardendale.
James Clemens must now rebound quickly with city and Region 4 rival Bob Jones on deck Friday in the Madison Bowl. The Patriots, ranked No.5, are coming off a 29-14 loss to Austin.
“We just want to get back to the way we do things,” Jets senior defensive lineman Jeremy Garth said. “We want to practice hard and play hard. We have to correct the things we did wrong.
“We made mistakes on both sides of the ball. It was a group effort. We’ve got to clean things up and be the complete team like we’ve been in the past.”
The game against Gardendale was scoreless with less than a minute to play in the first quarter. In two plays from scrimmage the game changed for good when the Rockets scored twice on fumble recovery returns to make it 13-0 before the period ended.
James Clemens, which trailed 20-6 at halftime, got a 29-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Nowlin to Joseph Logan in the second and a 1-yard TD run by Brandon Belt in the third.
James Clemens had only 183 yards in offense and held Gardendale to 133.
Now comes archrival Bob Jones for the Jets.
“We expect a four-quarter battle just like Gardendale,” Garth said. “I think it’ll be a dogfight.”
