Friday night's contest between Taylorsville and Jackson Prep was not for the faint of heart for either team's fanbase.
A hot start that saw Taylorsville bolt to a 28-0 lead within the first 13 minutes vanished in the next 15 minutes when Jackson Prep scores 31 unanswered points to take the lead. Lead by Jeffery Pittman's four touchdown runs and the Tartar defense that forced six turnovers, Taylorsville moved to 3-0 as they defeated the Patriots 47-37.
“Playing a team like them each year makes us better. Last year we went up there and they handed it to us. Our kids had never been up there, and this isn’t making excuses, but they hit us in the mouth, and we couldn’t respond. I’ve preached all week that those guys were not going to quit. We went up 28-0 and I told them they wouldn’t quit,” said Mitch Evans. “They’ve won several championships and they won’t quit. We didn’t play well in the second and third quarters, but Jeffery Pittman and the defense finished the game in the fourth quarter for us.”
Taylorsville wasted little time to get on the board as a 60+ yard rush from Ty Keyes put the Tartars on the Patriots side of the field. Keyes then used his arm and found Arterious Miller on a 21-yard touchdown pass to put Taylorsville up 7-0 after the ensuing PAT with 8:46 remaining in the first quarter.
Just 75 seconds later, Karson Evans picked off a Patriots pass, setting the Tartars up on the Jackson Prep 40. Pittman scored his first touchdown of the night, giving Taylorsville a 14-0 with 4:06 left in the quarter.
Ty Keyes found another Tartar receiver for his second touchdown of the evening, this time Tyrese Keyes, for an 85-yard touchdown pass to give Taylorsville a 21-0 lead with 1:15 left in the first quarter.
Taylorsville's defense once again forced a turnover as Jackson Prep's Riley Maddox was picked off by Miller on their first offensive play, setting up another Pittman touchdown on the first play of the second quarter after the Tartars drove down the field to the Patriots one-yard line. Taylorsville took a commanding 28-0 lead.
However, things changed quickly in the second quarter as Jackson Prep railed off 17 unanswered points, starting with a 36-yard touchdown run from Matt Jones with 8:36 remaining in the first half, then a 20-yard touchdown from Maddox to Luke Williams, and a field goal to end the first half, bringing them to within 11, 28-17.
Jackson Prep came out of the locker room on fire, scoring on their first offensive snap on a 79-yard touchdown run from senior Matt Jones to close within four, 28-24. As the Tartar offense stalled, the Patriots offense stayed on fire with a 13-yard rush from Braedon Mary to give the Patriots a 31-28 lead, their first of the night.
A three-and-out from Taylorsville have the ball back to Jackson Prep, but the Tartar defense flexed their muscles as Dereco Crosby intercepted Maddox to force the third turnover of the night.
The Tartar offense once again could not move the ball and we're forced to punt, but the Tartar defense forced their second-straight turnover when they recovered a fumble on the Patriots 30.
Finally, Taylorsville ended the drought when Keyes connected with Miller for a 27-yard touchdown pass to retake the lead 35-31 with 58 seconds left in the third quarter. That lead vanished quickly though as the ensuing kickoff was returned to the Tartar 27, then in one play, Jackson Prep fullback William Peals took it to the endzone to give the lead back to the Patriots 37-35 with 39 seconds left in the quarter.
Taylorsville would not be denied, as Keyes hooked up with Tyrese Keyes, going from the shadow of their endzone to the Patriots redzone in one play. With 10:47 remaining in the final quarter, Pittman bulldozed his way into the endzone from five yards out to put Taylorsville up 41-37 after a missed PAT.
Taylorsville finished off Prep when Pittman scored his fourth touchdown of the night from six-yards out. The PAT was blocked, but the Tartars led 47-37.
“That kid [Pittman], I don’t know what people are waiting on for them to offer him. That is a football player. I don’t care how big or whatever he is. He is a football player and people better jump on him to give him a scholarship,” said Evans about Pittman.
Crosby sealed it for Taylorsville when he recorded his second interception of the night with under a minute to play.
“The guys played their guts out. When their offense scored it was the second and third quarters because our offense couldn’t get going. It was a three-and-out, three-and-out, and three-and-out. We kept them on the field a bunch, and we have a bunch of guys who have never played, but I’m proud of the way they responded with key stops down the line. Six turnovers, I mean, that’s crazy. Topping it off on the last play with the interception, that shows what they are.”
What’s next
Taylorsville moves to 3-0 on the season and will travel to Bay Springs next Saturday night for their first district contest of the year. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
