Stephenson receiver Julius Favors (9) gets up field after a catch as Calhoun defenders Alex Upshaw (30) and Jake Jordan (33) close in for the stop. Favors picked up a big 12 yards and a first down to keep the Jaguars opening drive for a touchdown alive. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Despite taking an early 7-0 lead, the Stephenson Jaguars could not overcome a rash of penalties on big plays while Calhoun capitalized to reel off 35 consecutive points on the way to a 35-13 Class 3A high school football playoff semifinal at Calhoun on Friday night.
The Jaguars (10-4) drove 91 yards on the opening drive overcoming a holding call on the first play of the game to go up 7-0 with 5:40 left in the quarter. Anthony Booker provided a big 59-yard run on a third and two play to put the Jaguars in the red zone at the Calhoun 15.
A Jayden Johnson 15-yard touchdown run on the next play was nullified by an illegal formation call and the Jaguars picked up another holding call to find themselves facing a second and 24. After a pair of running plays put them in a fourth and 12 at the 18, quarterback Marte Barton rolled to his right and threw to the end zone to receiver Will Chaney.
Chaney out jumped the defender for the ball, hauled it in and got his feet down just inside the sideline for the touchdown. Adam Zelaya hit the PAT for the 7-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets (11-3) answered with an 83-yard drive capped off by a 33-yard touchdown pass over the middle from quarterback Trace Hawkins to Justin Beasley. Carlos Lopez connected on the extra point to knot the game at 7-7 with 1:57 to play in the opening period.
Stephenson was again backed up on the kickoff with a block in the back to put them at their own eight-yard line. Booker got loose for a 30-yard run out to the 46, but another holding call put them in another fourth and long forcing a punt.
Calhoun marched back down the field scoring on a 21-yard pass from Hawkins to Amari Winston to give the Yellow Jackets the lead for good at 14-7 with 4:42 left in the first half.
A three-and-out by the Jaguars gave the Yellow Jackets the football and with 57 seconds Hudson Chadwick got away for a 40-yard touchdown run to up the score to 21-7 at the half.
Stephenson’s Danterious McKenzie (23) and Jaylen Alden (4) tackle Calhoun’s Justin Beasley for a loss. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Calhoun went up three touchdowns on the opening drive of the second as Hawkins found Winston for another touchdown pass, this time 49 yards, to make it 28-7 with Lopez’s PAT at the 9:56 mark of the third quarter.
The Jaguars went for it on fourth and nine from their own 44 with Romando Craddock taking the snap and winding his way 16 yards for an apparent first down to keep the drive alive. The excitement was short lived as a blindside block was called on the Jaguars and forced them to pun from their own 34.
Calhoun took over on its own 40 moving to the Jaguar eight-yard line. Hawkins was flushed from the pocket and under pressure threw a ball into the end zone finding Beasley for the touchdown. Lopez made it 35-7.
The game went into the fourth quarter with the Jaguars taking over on their own three-yard line. Stephenson overcame a personal foul and a sixth holding penalty of the game to get on the scoreboard one last time.
Barton hit Chaney for a 41-yard gain to the Calhoun 16 and two plays later Booker took the ball 14-yards into the end zone with 3:04 to play. A try for two was no good for the final of 35-13.
Booker finished the night with 117 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries to lead the way. Barton finished the game hitting nine of 15 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown to Will Chaney (4 receptions, 75 yards).