The Jayton Jaybirds went
into last Friday’s game against the Lueders-Avoca Raiders with two goals in mind. The primary reason to win was to secure the Region 2 District 7 title that has eluded the Jaybirds for several seasons. The other purpose was to seek retribution for last year’s heartbreaking loss against the Raiders, who defeated Jayton with a last-second touchdown. This year’s team looked to make an impact in their last home district game.
By the end of the contest, it was clear that the impact had been made. Behind strong tackling and an overwhelming rushing attack, the Jayton Jaybirds ended their district season defeating the Raiders 62 to 0. Senior Thomas Mullen recorded 11 tackles and forced a fumble to lead the Jayton attack on defense. Mullen’s resolve to make big plays behind the line of scrimmage proved to be successful for the Jaybirds. Senior Tye Scogin recovered a fumble, after a strong hurry on the quarterback by Pecos Smith, to score Jayton’s lone defensive touchdown.
The two-headed monster of Smith and Scogin resulted in five touchdowns on offense. Smith’s 66 yards for three touchdowns and Scogins’s 67 yards for two touchdowns were insurmountable for the Raider defense. Mullen also scored a rushing touchdown on his lone carry of the game. Senior Aaron Hernandez connected on passes to Smith for a touchdown along with receptions for Evan Cheyne and Nathaniel Williams.
The most dominating performance of the game went to kicker Tripp Scott. The West Texas wind was in full form last Friday, making kicking difficult. Scott was seven for seven on every PAT attempt, while placing kickoffs carefully for the special teams to cover returns. Six-man football relies heavily on converting PAT attempts to close the gap in close ball games. Scott’s PAT attempts resulted in 14 points.
Jayton will now go into a bye week before entering the playoffs. The Jaybirds will use this time to condition and prepare to make the playoff run that many in the state are expecting them to do. This Jaybird team has chosen not to listen to chatter and to attempt to control only what they can control.
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