SHORELINE — An inspired defensive effort lifted Jackson to a 34-7 victory over Shorecrest in a matchup of teams looking to snap four-game losing skids Oct. 18 at Shoreline Stadium.
At 1-5, the Scots can still claim the league’s only 3A postseason berth if they win their final three games and Meadowdale (4-2) goes 0-3.
After the playoff hopefuls face each other tonight at Edmonds Stadium, Shorecrest closes with Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace and the Mavericks finish out against Shorewood and Lynnwood.
Shorecrest coach Mike Wollan has been eagerly awaiting this part of his team’s schedule.
“I’m tired of getting beat up by 4As,” he joked following last week’s loss. “I just wish we were in a spot where we were (only) a game down and we could make something happen.”
Jackson’s defense had been giving up 32.8 points per game but the Scots couldn’t finish off their drives.
“We were great between the 20s,” Wollan said. “But as far as putting the ball in the end zone, we’re struggling with that right now.”
Behind their defensive revival, the Timberwolves (2-4) built a 27-0 lead and piled up 413 total yards, compared to Shorecrest’s 242 in the Western Conference 4A South Division contest.
“It was fun to come out and watch these kids play defense,” Wolf Pack coach Joel Vincent said. “To score points like we do and put the number of yards in the statbook that we do and not win is frustrating.”
C.J. Marsh accounted for 178 of Jackson’s 280 rushing yards on just 15 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. A 75-yard first-quarter touchdown run helped the 6-foot-1, 189-pound senior running back surpass 100 yards by halftime.
A mammoth, 19-play Jackson drive consumed more than 10 minutes and ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jason Morris to Brandon Roberts at the 2:46 mark of the second quarter.
“Ten minutes down the field for your defense is a lot to overcome,” Wollan said. “We’re undersized with every team we play against. These kids leave everything they’ve got on the field.”
Four minutes into the second half, Morris found Marsh for a 23-yard touchdown. On Jackson’s next possession, split end Craig Chambers broke free for a 58-yard catch-and-run, setting up Johnny Kirton’s 2-yard TD with 10:33 remaining in the game.
The Scots responded with their lone touchdown drive of the night, capped by fullback Keith Fagan’s 1-yard run with 6:36 left.
A Jackson penalty on fourth down kept the drive going. Altogether, the Timberwolves were called for 10 infractions, totaling 102 yards.
Kirton added a second score with 4:05 to go from four yards out, increasing Jackson’s scoring average to 29.3 points over its last four games.
Shane Hoffman led Shorecrest with 61 rushing yards on eight attempts and quarterback Matt Heck completed 13 of his 24 passes for 91 yards.
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