Jackson shows prowess with 51-0 win

Published 9:03 pm Saturday, October 2, 2010

EVERETT — Lake Stevens was supposed to give the relatively-untested Jackson Timberwolves it’s most difficult exam on the gridiron this season.

But nothing ever goes according to plan.

Instead of a close game, the Timberwolves trounced the mistake-prone Vikings 51-0 Friday night in a non-conference game at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Jackson quarterback Andy Gay engineered the high-powered offense with three passing touchdowns. Gay completed 18 of 26 passes for 247 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in just over 28 minutes of playing time.

Elusive running back Riley Carr did more damage with touchdown runs of 3, 4 and 4 yards and a 13-yard touchdown catch. Carr finished with 93 rushing yards on 13 carries.

“I thought the game plan that we worked on all week was solid,” Jackson head coach Joel Vincent said. “But the team came ready to play.”

Not having starting running back Brennan Frost, who missed the game with a mild concussion, certainly kept Lake Stevens (3-2) from being able to sustain any sort of running game, but it seemed nothing could get in the way of the Jackson (5-0) steamroller.

The Vikings also struggled with snaps and quarterback Bryson Daggett threw two interceptions in the first half. Daggett completed seven of 15 passes for 43 yards. Backup quarterback Jake Nelson connected on six of nine passes for 57 yards on the final drive of the fourth quarter. Receiver Chameron Lackey led the team with eight receptions.

“They were just clearly more physical than we were,” Lake Stevens head coach Tom Tri said. “…They executed really well, and we couldn’t get out of the starting block.

“Each mistake just compounded itself and we couldn’t get into any rhythm on either side of the ball,” Tri said.

Jackson, the fourth-ranked 4A team in the state Associated Press poll, jumped all over the Vikings in the first half, amassing 309 total yards and six touchdowns — the Timberwolves also recorded 20 first downs in the first 24 minutes.

Jackson’s defense matched the offense’s relentlessness on the field by holding Lake Stevens to zero total yards in the first half and it recorded more than a handful of sacks in the game.

“We’re kind of blessed there (the defensive line) too,” Vincent said. “We have three seniors up front that are good football players.”

In a game where everything went right for Jackson, nothing went well for Lake Stevens.

With three come-from-behind wins this season, the Vikings dug themselves into a crater again in the first half with mishandled kickoff returns and bad snaps.

A sequence of consecutive high snaps led to a safety and a 30-0 Jackson lead with 11:55 remaining in the second quarter.

The schedule stays strong for the Vikings who face off next week against Marysville-Pilchuck’s bruising ground game.

Frost could be able to play against M-P following clearance from a physician.

“We still have to wait for clearance for Brennan (Frost), again that’s going to help, but we’ve got a lot of other little problems to solve before we ever worry about whether Frost is coming back,” Tri said.

As for Jackson, Vincent isn’t worried about the Timberwolves easy road thus far.

“I like where we’re at,” Vincent said. “If (Jackson’s games) are not competitive its because we’re doing the right kinds of things.”

At Everett Memorial Stadium

Lake Stevens0000—0

Jackson181670—51

Jackson—Carr 3 run (Sullivan kick)

Jackson—Mead 12 run (kick failed)

Jackson—Carr 4 run (Mead pass from Carr)

Jackson—Carr 13 pass from Gay (Sullivan kick)

Jackson—Safety, ball snapped out of endzone

Jackson—Massengale 22 pass from Gay (Sullivan kick)

Jackson—Olson 12 pass from Gay (Sullivan kick)

Jackson—Carr 4 run (Sullivan kick)

Records—Lake Stevens 3-2 overall. Jackson 5-0.