The Jayton Jaybirds faced their toughest test of the season to date when they hosted the Valley Patriots last Friday.
Valley, a Division 1 team that expects to play football deep into the playoffs, came to town to mobilize the Jayton offense. Fans in attendance were treated to what has come to be known as the “Brother Bowl.” Valley’s coach is John Stanaland, a Jayton alum and brother of Jayton football coach Josh Stanaland. When Valley took a 16–0 lead early in the first quarter, fans began to wonder how Jayton would respond to adversity.
The Jaybirds didn’t disappoint their home fans as they stormed back early and continued to play tough, defeating Valley 53–40. The Jayton defense, after giving up an early lead, only allowed 8 points during the second and third quarters.
Senior Julian Segura, alongside juniors Caleb Beck and Kaden Valerio, brought constant pressure on the defensive line to force Valley to rely on their passing game. Jaydon and Jace Rivera with Isaac King provided solid coverage in the secondary. The Jayton defense trusted their speed and athleticism to offer ample opportunities for the offense to get back into the game.
Senior Carson Sessums rushed for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns, and King added 100 yards and a rushing score of his own. Jayton has continued to prove that their three-headed monster of Sessums, King and Rivera can cause defensive coordinators to scratch their heads in disbelief. Sessums also connected with freshman Justin Collins on an early touchdown pass. However, the offensive play of the night came late in the game when Joel Williams threw a beautiful 28-yard pass to Rivera in the back of the end zone.
Valley refused to be denied late in the ball game. Just as Jayton had the opportunity to lead by three touchdowns, the Patriots forced a quick turnover. They scored immediately to pull the game closer, 47–40.
Jayton’s offense marched down the field until stalling in the red zone. The Patriots caused a turnover on downs to have the ball at their own 5-yard line with 11 seconds in the game. Valerio rushed the quarterback like a man on a mission and stripped the football into the end zone. Beck sprinted in behind the play, jumped on the ball, and ended the game with a touchdown just before the final horn blew to end the game.
The Jaybirds, now 4 and 0 on their season, will travel to play against Peterburg on Friday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. The Junior High teams will play in Petersburg as well, on September 23 at 5:30 p.m.
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