Despite falling on the wrong side of the final score, the Jefferson City Jays showed important signs of improvement Friday night against the Rock Bridge Bruins at Adkins Stadium.
The Jays ultimately dropped a 35-27 decision in Central Missouri Activities Conference play, but Jefferson City was able to erase a two-score halftime deficit, limited a potent Bruin offense to 194 total yards and nine first downs and the Jays were able to get their passing attack going for the first time this season in the second half.
There is really no such thing as a moral victory, but Friday felt like a loss Jefferson City can build on.
“When you’re playing freshmen and sophomores, experience matters,” Jefferson City coach Damon Wells said. “Hopefully the experience of having been in a tough environment last week in that situation paid dividends tonight. But again, we need to start ending up on the right side of these things.”
The Jays entered the locker room in the same situation they saw the week prior at Hannibal: Trailing 21-7 without the option of receiving the second half kickoff.
Against Hannibal, the Pirates marched right down the field to open the second half to extend their lead to three scores, and the contest was never close again.
Jefferson City learned from its experience and wanted to make sure the same thing didn’t happen again.
“New week, new us, right?” Jays quarterback Jacob Wilson said. “Every game you learn stuff, especially losses. I think everyone has grown so much, and I know we are going to keep growing.”
It was the perfect start to the second half Friday. The Bruins were able to put together a pair of first downs before being tasked with a fourth-and-3 at the Jays’ 18-yard line.
Kane Fuelling made one of his many big plays for the Jefferson City defense to follow, stuffing Stefan Williams for a 4-yard loss — one of three tackles for loss for Fuelling, along with a sack and forced fumble — to turn Rock Bridge over on downs.
The Jays’ defensive line combined for four tackles for loss and three sacks in the contest.
“I’m really proud of the kids that we rotated in there, really proud of the kids on the field and their perseverance,” Wells said.
Jefferson City marched right down the field for a touchdown after taking over possession. Zach Barnes had a big drive, running the first play for 22 yards, adding a 20-yard carry later in the drive with an extra 15 yards added on top due to a horse-collar tackle and capped the drive one play later with a 14-yard touchdown reception on a wheel route from Wilson to cut the deficit to 21-14 just more than four minutes into the second half.
“I let my players make plays and ultimately it was a team effort,” Wilson said.
The Jays came up with another defensive stop on Rock Bridge’s next drive, helped by a 7-yard tackle for loss from Fuelling that set up a third-and-17 pass that fell incomplete.
Jefferson City marched down the field again for a touchdown, highlighted by a 24-yard run by Jaiden LaViolette on first-and-20 to move the ball to the Bruin 20, and Kantrell Jordan ran in a 6-yard end around by beating the Rock Bridge defense to the pylon for a touchdown. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, though, and the Jays were down 21-20 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.
The momentum kept building and building on the Jays’ sideline.
“It felt like a wave,” Wilson said. “It felt like a massive tidal wave coming in and it was just going to hit the whole stadium, and I felt it. We were building and we were right there.”
But Drevyn Seamon quickly grabbed momentum back for the Bruins, grabbing the ensuing kickoff at his own 8-yard line before weaving into the middle of the field and running untouched for a kickoff return touchdown to extend the lead back to 28-20.
Seamon’s kickoff return was one of three big plays for Rock Bridge that proved to be the difference in the contest, with the other two being a Seamon 29-yard jet sweep touchdown on the Bruins’ opening drive followed quickly by a 30-yard pick-6 from Cullen Snow that gave Rock Bridge a 14-0 lead just more than four minutes into the game.
“I told you before that we had to be able to tackle in space and being able to minimize big plays,” Wells said. “We got hit twice, but aside from that we were solid.
“With the exception of one or two plays, we are right there and we win this thing.”
Rock Bridge added its final touchdown after forcing Jefferson City into a three-and-out, left with just 34 yards to go after a short punt and good return.
The Bruins scored five plays later to extend the lead back to two scores.
The Jays easily could’ve given up after being down 14-0 early and by 15 points in the fourth quarter, but they kept battling.
Compared to how the team had performed facing multiple-score deficits in the past, Friday was a major leap in mental toughness.
“Thinking back to last year, it’s night-and-day,” Wilson said. “If we went down 14-0 in the first drives, there is no way we are in this game last year. I believe that with my whole heart.”
Josh Wilson made a pair of big plays to help Jefferson City have chance in the end.
Josh Wilson started the next drive by catching a deep-post route for a 50-yard gain, kicking off a five-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a Jordan 16-yard touchdown run to cut it back to a one-score game.
“I saw the safety kind of come down a bit, so I knew I could break it behind him,” Josh Wilson said. “Jacob delivered a nice pass to me and I tried to get as many yards as I could before he got me at the 30.”
And then Josh Wilson was targeted at cornerback on the biggest defensive snap of the game for the Jays.
Facing a third-and-15 at their own 44, the Bruins targeted Josh Wilson on a double-move, go-route down the home sideline, but he was able to stay right on the hip of the receiver and batted the ball away to set up a punt, giving Jefferson City a chance to tie the game with 4:30 left.
“I knew he was going to run a go (route),” he said. “I just cut it off, I saw his eyes get big, so I threw my hands and deflected it. I’m here.”
The Jays’ final drive showed a lot of promise but a key sack by Crew Norden pushed them back to third-and-23 at the Bruin 36.
Jacob Wilson had two heaves to try and keep his team alive. The first sailed over the head of Kendric Johnson and out of the back of the end zone, and the second was a jump ball to Johnson, who was able to high point and get the pass in his hands before Rock Bridge’s secondary closed in and knocked it out of his hands to seal the victory.
“I was just trusting my man,” Jacob Wilson said. “Kenny is a freak athlete and I’ll throw that to him 10 times out of 10.”
Jefferson City dropped to 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in CMAC play. The Jays play Friday at Sedalia Smith-Cotton (0-3, 0-1 CMAC), which is coming off a 47-22 loss to Warrensburg.
Rock Bridge improved to 2-1 (2-0 CMAC) and will play next week at Capital City (3-0, 2-0 CMAC).