Jonesboro blanks Mt. Zion-JB

Cardinals pick up big divisional victory

Tara Stadium – Riverdale, GA

Jonesboro QB Cliff Crews used his feet and him arm to lead the Cardinals to victory.

Mt. Zion’s offense looked out of sync all game long, in their first possession it looked like the players didn’t know their assignments which forced quarterback Jarrel King to have to improvise which cause more confusion because nobody know who was doing what. A busted play on forth and one resulted in a pass interception by Jonesboro’s DB-Contreze Pierce at the Bulldogs 40-yard line.

Jonesboro quickly took advantage of the turnover when tailback Freddie Shannon busted loose for 36-yards to the four, giving the Cardinals a first and goal. A couple a plays later Shannon finished off the drive scoring the touchdown. Kicker Eric Cheney drilled the PAT to give Jonesboro a 7-0 lead.

Mt. Zion "Confussion" - Morgan (4), Hathaway (7) and King (1) got the play from the sideline but when it came to execuiting it...what happened?

Towards the end of the first quarter the Cardinals mounted a drive on the running of quarterback Cliff Crews. The drive continued as the second quarter got underway when Crews lit out and scrambled for 11-yards and a first down to the Mount Zion forty-two. A pass interference call against Mt. Zion gave the Cardinals a first down on the twenty-three. Just when it looked as if the Cardinals were going to put some more points on the board Crews fumbled and Mt. Zion’s DB-Marc Threet recovered it on the twenty.

A nice executed screen pass from King to RB-Kelvin Morgan picked up 25-yards to give the Bulldogs a first down on the forty-five. The excitement from that play was short lived because on the next play Jonesboro’s DB-Cedric Nettles picked off King and returned the pick 40-yards to the Mt. Zion sixteen-yard line.

Jonesboro's RB-Freddie Shannon ripped off 36-yards on this run.

The Bulldogs running back Quarrtterio Morgan who ran hard all game long picked up 11-yards and a first down out to the forty-one yard line as the third quarter got underway. Just like in the first half though the drive sputtered and they were forced to punt.

With 7:23 left to play in the game Crews picked up 7-yards and a big first down on the Mt. Zion twenty-three yard line but it was the determined effort on the run that seemed to put a new spark in the Cardinals. On the next play Crews dropped back and lofted a pass to WR-Jason Griffin who made a nice grab for 23-yards and a touchdown. Cheney’s PAT made the score 14-0.

Mt. Zion still had time to get back in the game; using their “Hurry Up” offense they got 15-yards from Morgan on a swing pass, then King hit WR-Drexel Copeland for twenty-three more yards to the Jonesboro seventeen yard line. On forth down King’s pass failed incomplete and so did their chances of making a come back.

Mt. Zion's WR-Greg Young made a great effort to snag this high pass.

Jonesboro would get the ball and run out the clock to come away with a big divisional game win as they move to 4-2 on the season and 3-1 in the division one game behind division leading North Clayton. Mt. Zion falls to 4-3 and 3-2 in the division.

The Final Score:
Jonesboro 14 – Mt. Zion 0

Game Day Players

Jonesboro: LB-Michael Carlysle, DB-Contreze Pierce, RB-Freddie Shannon, QB-Cliff Crews, DB-Cedric Nettles, WR-Jason Griffin

Mt. Zion-JB: LB-Diano Anderson, WR-Drexel Copeland, LB-Karon Hodge, RB-Quarrtterio Morgan, DB-Rummel Victor, DL-Jamie Tisdom