Team

Warren JFK

Record	Div.	Conf.
7/6	Div. VII	North Coast League

Team

Girard

Record	Div.	Conf.
13/1	Div. IV	All-American Conference Blue Tier

JFK’s 3-0 start an area surprise

By Greg Gulas

sports@vindy.com

WARREN

Three weeks into the high school season, the Warren JFK Eagles could very easily qualify as the area’s most surprising football team.

On Saturday night, the Girard Indians found out why.

Evan Boyd rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns, Bobby Jefferson added 94 yards and Jacob Coates ran for 66 yards and a score as JFK defeated Girard, 23-9 at Mollenkopf Stadium.

The Eagles (3-0) have already eclipsed their win totals of the past two seasons.

“After how hard they worked in the offseason and in July, it’s great to hear that kind of noise coming out of the locker room,” JFK coach Jeff Bayuk said. “They lifted really hard and we gave it to them hard with triple sessions. They kept going after it. They’re just a pleasure to coach.”

The Eagles avenged a 21-20 loss at Girard (0-3) last year, a game in which multiple turnovers proved costly for JFK, a member of the North Coast League.

“Last year we were right in it,” Bayuk said. “We lost by one point so this year we took a little different approach. We came out in a pro formation and wanted to establish the line of scrimmage early.”

After a scoreless opening period, Boyd capped a 17-play, 71-yard drive with a 15-yard run just 48 seconds into the second frame.

“We’ve put in tons of hard work and this team just plays with so much intensity,” Boyd said. “At first, they [Girard] were really tough on the line and it was hard to find a hole. Credit our offensive line because they did a terrific job the entire game.”

Justin Bofenkamp’s 34-yard field goal at the 8:16 mark stretched the Eagles’ lead to 10-0. Coates found the goal line from 52 yards away just under three minutes later as JFK made it 16-0.

“We didn’t expect to be 3-0 at this point because there was a lot of doubt about this team,” Coates said. “We had back-to-back 2-8 seasons and I remember last year’s game. Before the game I told those who were there a year ago to remember what it feels like to lose by one point, and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Girard freshman quarterback Mark Waid got the Indians on the board right with a 28-yard TD run at the 1:54 mark of the second quarter.

Waid rushed for 68 yards on 14 carries. Girard’s Jake Ryser had a game-high 154 yards on 22 carries.

Dominic Gainey’s 24-yard field goal midway through the third period cut the JFK margin to 16-9, but Boyd’s second touchdown of the evening — this time a 5-yard run — made it 23-9.

The run was set up by Jefferson’s 58-yard run. The Eagles’ QB got his 94 yards on just seven carries.

““I want to thank my offensive line,” Jefferson said. “They opened a hole, I saw it and just hit it. Our backs did a great job blocking, too.”

When asked if he expected to be undefeated after the first three games, Bayuk didn’t mince any words.

“I’m absolutely shocked,” he said. “We have two seniors on the team and had a significant group of seniors graduate from last year’s squad. These kids have just risen to the occasion. Nobody has told them how old they are and that’s a good thing.”

The Indians rushed for 217 yards on 37 carries. The teams combined for 504 ground yards on 84 attempts.

“It wasn’t a matter of effort. We played hard and played the type of Girard football we want to play,” Indians coach Pat Pearson statedsaod “We’ve just got to tackle and execute better. They executed and made their blocks. JFK is a good, aggressive team that believes in itself.”