By Shelia Langbartels
The Jefferson Bulldogs traveled to Pittsburgh for the season opener against the 4-A Pirates on Friday night. Despite a late comeback attempt by the Pirates, the Dawgs held on for a 28-22 victory.
The Bulldogs kicked off the scoring with 6:19 left in the first quarter as Josh Thomas threw a bomb to Christian Shepard for a 52-yard touchdown. The junior quarterback was thrilled to be able to connect with his cousin on the very first score of the season. “It felt great. It felt like we were in Little League Football all over again,” said Thomas. The PAT by Zion Hopes was good, and Jefferson led 7-0.
The Pirates fired back early in the second quarter to tie the game, but Jefferson’s dynamic duo soon struck again. Thomas tossed a six-yard pass to Shepard in the end zone, and Hopes tacked on another PAT to give the Dawgs a 14-7 lead with 7:51 left in the half. A couple possessions later, Jefferson coughed up a fumble (their only turnover of the night) deep in their own territory; Pittsburgh capitalized on it shortly before the end of the half, and the teams headed into the locker room in a 14-14 deadlock.
Following a kickoff return by Carlos Jackson, the Bulldogs’ offense went to work in the third quarter. On the second play from scrimmage, Thomas galloped 70 yards for his first rushing TD of the evening. Hopes added the point-after, and Jefferson took the lead once again, 21-14. Following a big kickoff return, the Pirates pieced together a quick scoring drive, including a successful two-point conversion, giving Pitt their first lead of the night, 22-21, with 9:21 left in the third quarter. The Dawgs’ next drive stalled, giving the Pirates another chance at the end zone, but Jefferson’s Karl Johnson picked off a pass and put the Bulldog offense back on the field. At the 5:41 mark of the third quarter, Malik Brasher dodged traffic in a 37-yard sprint to the end zone, once again giving Jefferson the advantage. Hopes’skick made it 28-22, and the Bulldogs took a lead into the fourth quarter.
The final quarter was a battle of the defenses, with Dameon Warren and Falando Craver making key stops for the Bulldogs. Late in the quarter, Pitt forced a Jefferson punt and began a drive from their own 37 with 1:30 left in the game. After crossing midfield, the Pirate quarterback launched a pass downfield on 4thand 10 with 31 ticks left on the clock. Shepard intercepted the pass to seal the victory for the Bulldogs, 28-22.
After the game, Jefferson’s quarterback expressed that he was happy to get back on the field and obtain some sense of normalcy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’ve been working hard since March to prove that I am capable of being a great leader and quarterback for this team,” commented Thomas, “and when I got on that field, it brought me back into my norm.
Jefferson will have their home opener this week as they welcome Center on Friday night. Kickoff is at 7:30.
Statistics
- The Bulldog offense put up 503 yards of offense (320 rushing and 183 passing), and the defense held the Pirates to 252 yards (137 rushing and 115 passing, 3 passing TDs).
Offensive Leaders
- Josh Thomas passed for 181 yards and 2 TDs and rushed for 147 yards and 1 TD.
- Malik Brasher carried 17 times for 173 yards and a TD.
- Christian Shepard led the receiving field with 9 receptions for 116 yards and 2 TDs.
Defensive Leaders
- Dameon Warren was a standout with 11 tackles, including one tackle for loss.
- Ryan Yeater had 10 tackles and forced a fumble, while Zion Hopes had 8 tackles.
- Karl Johnson, Brasher, Kentravious Dowdon, Falando Craver, and Jordan Friday had 6 stops each.
- Joshua Davis and Alex Romano both had 5 tackles.
- Johnson and Shepard had 1 interception apiece.
- Knox Tomlinson had 4 tackles and the only sack for the Bulldogs.
Special Teams
- Hopes had a perfect night on PATs, going 4/4.
- Shepard had 22 yards on punt returns, and Jackson had 42 yards on kickoff returns.