Jags stun Red Raiders, drop season high 40 points in dramatic fashion
An explosive first half and a high flying offense propelled the Cedar Shoals Jaguars to a 40-36 upset victory on Friday night, surviving a dramatic second half charge by the Madison County Red Raiders.
The Jags have averaged 14.5 points per game this season, even with a shutout loss to the North Oconee Titans in the previous game; the Jaguars only accounted for 46 yards on offense. Against the Red Raiders, the Jags were dominant on both sides of the ball, scoring a season-high 40 points.
“I’m proud at how we rebounded,” Head Coach Leroy Ryals said. “We didn’t play well last week, it was very disappointing, but we didn’t quit.”
The Jags found most of their success in the air, with senior quarterback Anthony Hubbard throwing for a total of 277 yards, averaging 19.8 yards per reception. Throwing three first half touchdowns, the Jags entered halftime with a 20-9 lead.
“The lightbulb came on. There were a few plays that I think the team wishes to have back, but we did what we practiced all week: pitch and catch football,” Ryals said.
With senior defensive lineman Devon Harper out for the season due to injury, the Jags entered the game with limited offensive and defensive linemen. This was made worse in the first half when junior offensive linebacker Christopher Kulik left the game in the first half with a broken fibula.
“It’s bad no doubt, we had to play a freshman through pretty much a whole 3 quarters,” Ryals said. “We had a lot of guys playing both (the offensive and defensive line) the entire night.”
Cedar’s strong start continued into the second half with a successful onside kick that led to another passing touchdown, extending the Jags to a 27-9 lead. Shortly after, Hubbard threw his fifth and final touchdown of the game, with sophomore Dorian Thrasher catching a tipped pass.
While on defense, the Jags dominated the first half against a Madison County team that averaged 37.7 points per game to only 7 points in the first half.
However, momentum gradually shifted towards the Red Raiders, scoring 21 unanswered points, and narrowing the lead to 33-30 with 7 minutes remaining.
“We just need to prepare well and practice well,” Ryals said. “When you prepare, practice, and focus, good things tend to happen on Friday night. We lost that focus and it almost came back to bite us.”
However, the table turned when the Jags’ junior defensive linemen Jordan Jones returned a fumble for a touchdown, which put the game out of reach. The Red Raiders scored one final touchdown, but the Jags held strong again, batting down a pass to secure the game.
“Anytime you get a win in this tough of a region it’s welcome,” Ryals said. “I’m happy for our kids. We didn’t play a perfect game, but we tried and worked hard all week long in practice.”
