Jackson Shutouts Canton Central Catholic 20-0 by Brooke H.

Photo by Brooke H.

As the sun went down, the brittle night air rolled into the Canton Central Catholic Lowell Klinefelter Football Stadium. Was tonight going to be the night that the Jackson Polar Bears would have what it takes to stop the Crusaders and clinch a spot in the playoffs?

As Central’s kicking team takes the field, they hope to make a statement by stopping Jackson’s returners. Kyle Benson #21 and Anthony Fuline #2 await the kick. The ideal kickoff travels about 70 yards and hangs in the air for over 4.5 seconds. As the whistle blows, Central mixes it up and kicks an onside kick in hopes to create a big play for the Crusaders. Instead, Jackson was prepared and ready to execute. Quarterback, Lucas Ecrement, connects early with Anthony Fuline and Kyle Benson. In between two quarterback keepers, Noah Colando, also had an incredible run. With the end zone in sight, Ecrement keeps the ball once again and strolls in for a TOUCHDOWN!!! The PAT was no good. JHS: 6 CCCH: 0

Central’s offensive started off with a consistent running game. But early on,  they could not get past Jackson’s Jordan Warmath. Play after play he quickly identified the ball carrier and brought them down. Kristian Satterfield followed up with great tackle to slow down the Crusaders. The quickness of the Polar Bears immediately puts a stop to the Crusaders for a loss of one. The excitement and enthusiasm of #85 Zakariyya Saleh ripples through the stands as he bats down a pass from Central’s quarterback, Brennan Betz.

In the second quarter, Jackson goes on to score another touchdown as Ecrement passes a bomb to #2 Anthony Fuline. The PAT is good, and Jackson leads Central 13 to 0. So far in the first half, Central’s offensive just can’t seem to get rolling as the Bears defense continued to dominate. Central did have a fantastic 55-yard punt that placed the football on the 2nd yard line for Jackson. But as the Crusaders headed into the locker room, the scoreboard remained with Jackson ahead.

The halftime show was filled with wonderful musical entertainment by the Central Catholic marching band and the Jackson Purple Army. Going into tonight’s game, Central was ranked #7 in their region. And Jackson was ninth going into this week. Many fans say they anticipated a closer game. But as the third quarter gets underway, Jackson’s offensive team comes out with showstopper for their fans! The Bears center, #51 Teigen Essig, hikes the ball. QB Ecrement tosses the ball to #21 Kyle Benson. Kyle Benson shows off his arm by passing a thriller down the field to Anthony Fuline. Wow!!! The fans went crazy! Here Comes The Bears! With the next play, Ecrement passes to Kyle Benson for the TOUCHDOWN! The PAT is good. JHS: 20. CCCH: 0

For the remainder of the game, the excitement only grew for the Polar Bear fans. Both Kyle Andrews and Foster Stanley had phenomenal interceptions. Jackson’s defense just took over. Zak Saleh sacked Central’s quarterback for a loss of 6. The next play, Salah sneaks out and comes from behind, taking down the QB again. Saleh had a team-high with 10 tackles.

It was an all-around fun and a very successful evening for the Polar Bear’s Family. The cow bells were ringing throughout the stadium as the Jackson fans cheered on and celebrated their team. The Purple Army inspired the football players and raised morale. The majorettes provided entertainment with their spectacular performance. The cheerleaders created a sense of energy and excitement throughout the stadium. Congratulations to Coach Rohr and the Jackson Football Team! Go Bears!