Jones drops East Central in football season finale
By By Marty Stamper / staff writer
Oct. 29, 2004
DECATUR Jones Junior College jumped out to a 20-0 first-half lead in defeating East Central Community College 29-13 in the season finale for both teams Thursday night at Warrior Stadium.
Jones finished 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the MACJC South Division.
ECCC finished 4-5 and 2-4 as the Warriors closed with three straight losses.
The Bobcats took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in just six plays. Milton Collins scored from 16 yards out on an end around less than three minutes into the game.
After the Warriors went three-and-out twice, Jones grabbed a 13-0 lead when Brett Hyatt hit a wide open Harold Hadley coming out of the backfield for a 14-yard touchdown with 1:25 left in the first quarter. Michael Story's extra point was blocked.
Jones made it 20-0 on the first play of the second quarter when Hyatt hit Collins with a short pass and the wideout from New Orleans broke a tackle and raced 63 yards down the ECCC sideline.
The Warriors got their first touchdown on their next possession as Jarius Neal found Chris Lark on a fly pattern for a 72-yard score with 13:01 remaining in the first half.
The Bobcats extended their lead to 23-7 on a 30-yard field goal by Story with 3:28 left in the second quarter.
In the half, Jones had 318 total yards with Hyatt completing 14-of-21 passes for 203 yards. ECCC had 111 total yards.
It got no better for ECCC in the third quarter as each of their four possessions resulted in three-and-outs.
Jones, meanwhile, got a 32-yard field goal from Story with 7:51 showing to take a 26-7 lead.
Story missed a 39-yarder with 51 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Warriors put together a 15-play, 65-yard scoring drive early in the fourth quarter. Terrance McFadden took an option pitch in from three yards out on fourth-and-goal with 8:38 left in the game. McFadden was stopped short on a two-point attempt, leaving Jones with a 26-13 advantage.
On the drive, the Warriors converted a fourth-and-2 with a 5-yard pass from Neal to Derrick Harris and got a 30-yard completion from Neal to Lark, who reached around a Bobcat defender to make the catch at the JCJC 2.
Story added a 37-yard field goal with 1:07 to play.
Hyatt was 18-of-28 for 241 yards for the night.
For ECCC, McFadden had 17 carries for 70 yards. Lark caught four passes for 118 yards. Neal was 8-of-32 for 142 yards.
