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Jacksboro’s JV Purple quarterback Wyatt Gavit looks for an open receiver with Josh Salazar providing blocking. The Tigers remained perfect in district play with a win over Merkel. Photo/Brian Smith
Jacksboro’s JV Purple squad scored early and often enroute to a 47-0 thrashing of visiting Merkel on Thursday, Oct. 20 at Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers are now 7-1 on the year, riding a seven-game win streak.
After exchanging punts on their respective opening drives, the Tiger defense led by Wyatt Gavitt and Luis Balderrama, forced a short punt for great field position at the Merkel 17. Balderama, who had a 33-yard run on his first carry, went around left end 12 yards for a score. Wyatt Gavit and Nathan Rockey combined on the conversion for an 8-0 lead with 3:44 left in the first.
After another Merkel punt, they Tigers opted to go for it on 4thand- short. Gavit look off on a 31-yard jaunt to the Badger 23 to end the first quarter. A 17yard pass to Rockey would eventually set up a 2-yard scoring toss to Balderama. Gavit added the conversion run for a 16-0 lead.
Cornish’s sack of Merkel QB Eli Delgado and a Badger penalty set up another visitor punt, which Rockey returned 26 yards for the Badger 35. Gavit found Eric Pizana with a 35yard scoring toss on the first play. Rockey tacked on the conversion for a 24-0 lead with 6:27 left in the first half.
This time it was a Gavit sack which forced a turnover on downs. Gavit combined with Eli Jonas twice on the ensuing drive, the first a 6-yard toss which set up a 20-yard pass to a wide open Jonas for pay dirt. Gavit’s conversion run made the score 32-0 barely two minutes later.
Seven seconds after the score, the Tiger defense picked up a safety on the kickoff for a 34-0 lead.
With the game in hand, Jacksboro began to bring different people in. Runs by Rex Kennedy and Josh Salazar moved the ball to the Badger 26. It was backup quarterback Pizana who finished the job with an 18-yard scoring run. Salazar’s kick ended the half with the score 41-0.
A running clock in the second half moved things along quickly but the hosts were still able to do some damage. An Issac Saenz fumble recovery gave the Tigers the ball at their 40. A hard running Balderama bounced off defenders for a 17-yar run with Salazar going another 15 to the Merkel 23 to end the 3rd quarter.
Salazar then finished the job, going the final 23 yards and capping the drive from a yard out. The kick failed with 8:05 remaining. Juan Marin’s fumble recovery gave the Tigers the ball back at the visitor 37 midway through the fourth quarter but the ball was turned over on downs after a Marin fourth down reception fell short.
Jacksboro hits the road Thursday night for a 5:30 p.m. game in Millsap.
