Royals Outmatched by Pirates Running Game
Royals Outmatched by Pirates Running Game
It was a long ride home for the Royals Friday night after losing a tough one 33-7 at Sneads. The Pirates’ ran the ball straight ahead with a big line and several good running backs. Jay’s best chance in the game was to play well offensively and keep the ball away from Sneads potent offense. Another bad 2nd quarter plagued the team. A shoulder injury for quarterback, Connor Weekes, made things even harder for the young squad. Weekes’ injury came on at the first play of the game while he was running the ball. He played through the first half with a hurt throwing shoulder, and at the present its unknown whether he’ll be able to return to the line up next week.
The Royals opened the game well, but were unable to put points on the board. After receiving the opening kick off Jay drove the ball to the Sneads 30 yard line and turned the ball over on downs. The Royals made it into the red zone again in the 1st, but had a pass intercepted in the end zone. On the following possession the defense fought back and were rewarded with a stop, which returned the ball to the Royals offense. Two plays later the Royals fumbled the ball deep in Sneads territory. The Pirates capitalized on the turnover and capped a 5 play drive with a touchdown run. The PAT was no good, leaving the score 6-0 Sneads.
Jay had a promising kickoff return but went 3 and out after several passes fell incomplete. Jay’s punt by #2, Sammy James, pinned Sneads on their own 8 yard line. On the first play of the drive, Pirates #20, Tre Keys broke loose for a 92 yard touchdown run. The Pirates converted for 2 making the score 14-0 in their favor.
Jay came back with an exciting 55 yard kickoff return by #4, Ricky Cofield. Brandon Boutwell, #30, had several good runs on the drive but a holding penalty on 3rd down ended it prematurely. The Pirates advanced their lead to 21-0 after another long touchdown run by Keys. In the second half Sneads had two long, and slow drives both ending in touchdowns and both eating up a lot of clock. At the start of the 4th, the Royals were down 33-0. Near the end of the game, Jay’s backup quarterback, Tate Upton, had a 55 yard run that put Jay on the Board and prevented the shut out. The sophomore, Upton, has made several exciting 4th quarter plays in just the few games played this season.
The Royals most exciting play on defense came after the Pirates first touchdown of the second half when #3, Tristen Pengenika, blocked the kick for the point after.
Next week the Royals face the Flomaton Hurricanes.
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| Jay vs Sneads |
