Team

McDonald

Record	Div.	Conf.
8/2	Div. VI	Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference

Team

Jackson-Milton

Record	Div.	Conf.
2/9	Div. VI	Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference

Blue Devils score 26 points in 2nd half to rally past ITCL foe Jackson-Milton

By Ryan Buck

sports@vindy.com

NORTH JACKSON

The McDonald Blue Devils erupted for 26 second half points — 20 unanswered — and put away host Jackson-Milton, 32-22 in an Inter-Tri County League matchup Friday night.

The Blue Devils (4-2) trailed by as many as 14 points, fell behind 14-6 at halftime and took their first lead with 2:26 left in the third quarter.

“We haven’t been down like that at all this year,” said McDonald coach Dan Williams. “It was a real character check for us.

“The kids came out and played a wonderful second half for us. Our defense stepped up and started making plays.”

No play was more important than that of senior defensive back Joe Perry.

With 2:26 left in the third quarter, Bluejays quarterback Mike Assion dropped back to pass from his own 10 yard line on third and 10. The 5-foot-9 Perry stepped in front of Assion’s throw to the first down marker, snared the errant pass and sprinted untouched into the end zone.

After the extra point, the Blue Devils took a 25-22 lead and never looked back.

“We made the big pick-six and anytime you can get a defensive score that’s a deflator on the other end,” Williams said. “I’m happy the way our kids came out and prevailed in the second half.”

On the Bluejays’ ensuing drive, the McDonald defense held and forced a punt. The snap was too tall for Noah Laster and he dove on the fumbled ball at his own 15.

McDonald quarterback Ben Carkido converted a third and 20 after a pair of penalties set his team back. Dylan Portolese slipped past an all-out blitz and took Carkido’s screen pass 21 yards to the Bluejay 5.

Carkido fell into the end zone from a yard out two plays later to increase the lead to 32-22 with 10:06 left in the game.

“To be honest we didn’t have the ball a lot the whole first half,” said Williams. “I don’t know how many plays we had but we never had a rhythm. It seemed like in the second half we picked up some back-to-back first downs.”

The Bluejays, held in check for all of the third, marched right back down the field as Assion managed an offense with Laster and Adam Smith catching passes and Joe Burnside running in between the tackles.

On fourth and goal at the McDonald 5 yard line, the Bluejays chose to go for the touchdown instead of a field goal with 5:49 left. Assion’s fade to the back right corner of the end zone fell incomplete as 5-foot-7 cornerback Alex Cintron knocked the ball away from Smith, who held a five-inch height advantage.

McDonald ran out the clock on nine straight running plays, including two third down conversions.

The Bluejays (4-2) took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on a Burnside touchdown run.

A Jack Reckard touchdown run for McDonald cut into the lead before the half and the Blue Devils took control from there.

Their defense intercepted three passes. Assion threw for 219 yards.