The Woodford County High School football team needed a response after a tough trip to Tennessee.
The Yellow Jackets delivered one in a big way.
Woodford scored 62 points and shut out George Rogers Clark in the second half on its way to a 62-20 win Sept. 19 in Winchester.
“I thought it was great,” Greyson Hodge said. “We actually came out and started the game strong. That’s something we’ve been struggling with a little bit, so just us coming out high is a big step in the right direction.”
The Jackets were dominant on both sides of the ball. The biggest thing slowing them down was themselves.
Penalties plagued Woodford throughout the first half, repeatedly giving GRC yards and extending drives. But when the flags slowed down after halftime, so did the Cardinals.
“We played with a lot of juice tonight and got penalized for it,” said WCHS Coach Dennis Johnson. “We know we have to clean that up but I also want the guys playing with that edge to them. It’s who we are. Some big games are coming up after the bye and I want my guys ready for anything.”
Woodford forced a punt on GRC’s opening possession but immediately gave the ball back when Foxx Coons was intercepted on the Jackets’ first play from scrimmage.
It did not cost them.
The Woodford defense forced another punt, and Jace Carroll checked in at quarterback. Carroll quickly made his opportunity count, connecting with Kael Rihtar for a 52-yard touchdown. Cash Wolfe added the extra-point for a 7-0 lead.
GRC answered, with some help from Woodford.
The Jackets were penalized multiple times for 60 yards on the Cardinals’ next possession. GRC quarterback Carter Muzic eventually scored on a keeper to tie the game at 7.
Woodford did not stay tied for long.
Hodge gave the Jackets good field position with a strong kickoff return, and Ryan Brown helped move the chains with a pair of runs. JT Jackson finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to put Woodford back in front, 14-7.
The defense quickly returned the ball to the offense. Josiah McKee delivered a big hit and Jordan Holman broke up a pass as Woodford forced another punt.
McKee said keeping pressure on Muzic was a priority throughout the game.
“We’re really designed to get to the quarterback and try to get him every play,” McKee said. “Constantly doing that throughout the game makes the quarterback more scared to throw the ball. He wants to get the ball out quicker, and it makes his throws a lot worse.”
Jackson provided the big play on the ensuing drive.
The Woodford running back broke multiple tackles on a 39-yard run before Hodge took an end-around inside the GRC 10-yard line. Aidyn Powell finished it with an eight-yard touchdown run.
The two-point conversion failed, leaving Woodford ahead 20-7.
After another defensive stop, Woodford went right back to the ground. Tre Jarber ripped off a 29-yard run and Rihtar picked up another first down on an end-around.
Coons finished the possession with a short touchdown pass to Hodge. Rihtar converted the two-point attempt and suddenly the Jackets had a 28-7 advantage.
Production came from all over the field.
“It just gets everybody in the mix,” Hodge said. “We’re all contributing offensively and defensively, so I think it’s just a big step to where we want to get. We know that we have, for me, the best receiving corps in the state. We’ve got six different guys who can catch touchdowns and get 100 yards a game.”
But the penalties continued to keep GRC around.
The Cardinals took advantage of another Woodford mistake to score and trim the lead to 28-14.
Woodford’s answer was immediate.
Coons found Hodge for a 48-yard touchdown, pushing the advantage to 35-14.
Wyatt Peters then came up with one of the defensive plays of the night, making a leaping interception for his fourth pick of the season.
Another collection of Woodford penalties helped GRC score before halftime, cutting the Jackets’ lead to 35-20.
That was as close as the Cardinals would get.
Woodford cleaned things up after halftime, and the defense did the rest.
GRC did not score again.
Coons connected with David Jones Jr. for a 41-yard touchdown and later found Rihtar for another score as the Jackets continued to pull away.
The night also marked the debut of Omari Jointer, who was finally able to get on the field after having to watch the Jackets from the sideline.
“It felt good,” Jointer said. “First game back, first game getting in – it just felt good to be back on the field.”
Jointer said the time away had been difficult, especially when he felt he could help. A 72-yard touchdown helped settle his nerves after being gone for the first few games of the season.
“It was pretty frustrating because sometimes we were struggling and I knew I could help the team,” Jointer said. “It just feels great to be back.”
Carroll added the finishing touch late in the fourth quarter, connecting with Zach Fugate for a touchdown to round out the scoring.
The Jackets walked out of Winchester with a 62-20 win, a running clock and some momentum heading into their bye week.
More importantly, they had the response they wanted after the loss in Tennessee.
“We knew we had a get-back game to get back on our feet,” McKee said. “We just showed what Woodford County is.”