On a night when the odds
seemed to continue to stack up against the Jayton Jaybirds, the varsity team continued to fight and show the determination necessary to be a formidable opponent in the postseason.
The Jaybirds were without starting tailback Jaydon Rivera due to injuries he suffered in their three-overtime win against Klondike last week.
Some familiar faces such as Caleb Beck (9 REC, 123 yds, 1 TD), Ayden Salazar (3 carries, 50 yds, 1 TD), and Sean Stanaland (14-18 passing, 209 yds, 2 TD) made major contributions in Friday’s matchup against the Ira Bulldogs.
Salazar had an impressive 40-plus-yard touchdown run on the first series but was knocked out of the game with an injury the next possession.
Bode Ham stepped into that role next and had some electric runs of his own (6 rushes for 47 yds) before going down with an injury just before halftime. The next-manup mentality of the Jaybirds led to Jayce Rivera stepping in and finishing the game at tailback for the Birds. Rivera finished the game with 17 carries for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns.
This showing of depth at running back along with the emergence of Colt Gentry as a playmaking receiver (2 REC, 50 yds, 1 TD), gave the Jaybirds a chance to win under difficult circumstances. Trailing by 10 at halftime, the lone turnover of the game came on the first possession of the second half and led to a touchdown for the Bulldogs and an 18-point lead.
The teams exchanged blows the remainder of the night with Ira finishing in victory formation, taking home a 50-33 victory over the Jaybirds.
Justin Collins added in two big gains on receptions for 29 yards, and Cayden Greenwood reeled in a catch for 7 yards as well.
Overall, Coach Josh Stanaland was very optimistic following the game.
“We had a lot of different guys step up and show what they can do tonight,” he said. “We’re looking forward to having everyone back healthy for sure, but it was great to see the growth of everyone tonight.”
Stanaland also added, “We had several guys playing out of position, but they handled the challenge well and showed great fight throughout the game.”
The Jaybirds will be traveling to Petersburg for a doubleheader next Thursday with the JH playing at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity at 7:30 p.m.
JAYTON FALLS Two tough teams exchanged blows all Friday night, with Ira taking home a 50–33 victory over the Jayton Jaybirds. | SUMMER MCCOWEN PHOTOGRAPHY, SNYDER
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