Jayton falls short in district bid

At halftime at Matador’s Burleson Field, the Jayton Jaybirds found themselves tied against the number 1 team in Texas 1A Division 2.

Behind multiple rushing touchdowns from Carson Sessums and Isaac King, along with a passing touchdown from Joel Williams to Caleb Beck, fans in attendance were excited to see how the rest of the contest would pan out. Few teams have been in such a prime position against the Matadors, who have been picked to be state champions by many throughout the season.

Unfortunately, the second half would not turn out in favor of the Jaybirds, who were shut out offensively and scored against often. The final was 82 to 36 in favor of the Motley County Matadors. The Matadors, who struggled in the first half against the Jaybirds, came out on fire in the second half to prove why they were so heavily favored when they entered the contest. As the horn blew to close the game, Motley County celebrated their Region 2 District 7 victory.

Offensively, Sessums and King combined for 194 yards and four touchdowns. Williams managed 1st half effectively and threw the only passing touchdown to Beck on a short pass. The Matadors amassed 441 rushing yards and moved the ball well despite committing ten penalties in the game. Motley County’s ability to dominate the last two quarters of the game typified other teams’ struggles to find success throughout the season.

While the loss ended the perfect season for Jayton, they can move on quickly. The Jaybirds will take on the Benjamin Mustangs on Thursday, November 11, in Knox City at 7 pm. The Mustangs, coming off a district championship, pose a difficult matchup for Jayton. However, the Jaybirds will look to learn from their experience against the Matadors as they fight to make a playoff push.