Tonight’s week 2 matchup between the 1-0 Mayfield Wildcats and the 0-1 Jackson Polar Bears in Jackson Township felt more like a playoff game atmosphere. Mayfield came off a big shutout win vs Shaw and Jackson fell just short at home last week vs. a very good Mentor team. In the 1st qtr Mayfield came out and flexed their muscles by taking early control with a pair of TDs to take a 13-0 lead with 1:08 left in the 1st qtr that included a missed PAT. Jackson quickly got back in the game with a long TD pass down the right sideline by QB Lucus Ecrement for their 1st score of the night to make it 13-7 Mayfield with :19 seconds left in the 1st qtr.
Mayfield with 5:43 left in the 2nd qtr went for it on a 4th and 3 near midfield and was stopped by the Polar Bear defense. Jackson QB Lucus Ecrement quickly took advantage of the turnover on downs by Mayfield with his 2nd TD pass of the night to make it 14-13 Jackson. Mayfield added another TD before halftime to make it 20-14 at recess.
As the game went on players from both teams were starting to cramp up on a comfortable but humid evening. Physical fatigue can lead to mental fatigue as Jackson had a 15-yard face mask call go against them and later Mayfield had a roughing the passer call on their defense. The physical 3rd quarter ended without a change on the scoreboard with the score remaining 20-14 Wildcats.
In an epic 4th quarter for the ages, Mayfield scored another rushing TD and tacked on a 2 pt conversion to take their 2nd 2 score lead of the night. The resilient Jackson offense answered the challenge yet again with another TD pass with 7 minutes and change left in the game to make it 28-21 Mayfield. Jackson’s kickoff was deep but not deep enough as Mayfield answered with a kickoff return for a TD thanks to missed tackles and loss of the outside containment by Jackson’s special teams unit to once again take their 3rd 2 score lead of the game at 35-21 Wildcats.
But wait there’s more!
Jackson once again was driving down the field and wanted to prove that not even their WR puking on the field was going to stop them from scoring again. Ecrement threw another TD pass with 4:44 left in the 4th. The extra point try was picked up by the holder and he rolled out to his right and made a just get the ball away throw into the end zone to his wide-open Jackson teammate to draw closer at 35-29 Mayfield. With 4:22 left in the game, Jackson had a 4th and 10 at the Mayfield 19-yard line but a big Mayfield sack for a loss had Jackson turn it over on downs with 4:13 left to play.
It’s got to be over for the Polar Bears now, right? WRONG!
Mayfield on a 3rd and 3 with 1:26 left, Jackson’s defense rises up stuffs the run at the line of scrimmage for no gain. Mayfield, after a timeout elects to punt on 4th and 3. The kicked the ball out of bounds so Jackson had zero chance for any return yards. Jackson starting their final drive deep in their own end down 6 was something to see they kept moving the ball with several short completions to get the ball past midfield all while spiking the ball to stop the clock.
The sophomore QB for Jackson was adding to his poise he showed all night by putting on a clinic in clock management. He threw a pass deep in the left corner of the end zone where his double-teamed receiver drew a pass interference flag from the Wildcat secondary with only :28 seconds to play.
Now with the ball that much closer to the end zone, Ecrement threw 2 more passes towards the left corner where his WR’s caught the ball but couldn’t get a foot down for incompletions. His next completion was to the 4yd with the clocked stopped with 12 seconds to play. He has another failed pass play but with only a few seconds on the clock he has 1 last play to tie the game. Ecrement has a WR come towards him from his right in motion, the receiver stops and reverses his motion away from his line. The QB takes the snaps and throws right hitting his motioned WR in the hands just over the goal line to tie this wild game at 35-35 apiece as time expired!
As the Jackson Purple Army marching band and the entire fan base cheered with excitement, they still needed the all-important go ahead point after try. The Jackson kicker lined it up and drilled it between the up rights for one the best wins witnessed at Robert Fife Stadium in years.
This was an outstanding game played by both schools and based on the level of play I’d expect to see both of them have successful seasons and wind up in the playoffs later this year.
Both teams will enter Week 3 at 1-1.
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