Jones’ explosive outing fuels Laurel
Laurel (46) vs. Freedom (6)
Written: Oct 01, 2011
By Dan Irwin
New Castle News
FREEDOM — Dylan Jones knows what to do about slow starts.
The Laurel High senior fumbled the ball away on the Spartans’ first play of their WPIAL Class AA Midwestern Conference game against the Bulldogs here last night.
“Sometimes that stuff happens,” Jones said. “You just have to get it out of your mind, you just have to keep on playing, keep on going.
“The team looks up to me, they want leadership, they want me to do good.”
They got their wish.
Jones ended up rushing for 230 yards and five touchdowns on 17 carries to lead Laurel to a 46-6 win. Defensively, he also intercepted two passes to set up two of the Spartans’ scores.
Now, his teammates seem to be following his lead, shaking off three consecutive season-opening losses with their second straight conference win.
“This team (2-2, 2-3) is really ready to go,” Jones said. “Every week we get better and better. We had an injured lineman this week but they step up.
“Everybody wants to step up, everybody wants to play, not matter how old, freshman or anyone, they all step up and play. It feels like we’re really coming together now.”
He won’t get an argument from head coach Jerry Holzhauser.
“The first game against Aliquippa (41-7 defeat), that was pretty brutal,” he said. “But we have gotten better each week.
“Some of the first-year kids who are playing are becoming experienced now, so that’s the positive thing.”
Last night’s game seemed to mirror the Spartans’ season. Laurel started out slowly, losing a second fumble in addition to Jones’ in the first quarter, while also surrendering a 40-yard kickoff return and being assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that set up the Bulldogs (1-4, 1-4) in the red zone.
“Starting the game, we didn’t execute the way we’d like to,” Holzhauser said. “They have a dangerous offense, and they were in a defense that we hadn’t seen before.
“We didn’t prepare for it, but the kids adjusted to it, and by the end of the first quarter they figured it out.”
Laurel, which had gone up 7-0 on Jones’ 36-yard run, ended Freedom’s red zone threat when Jones intercepted Forrest Petcovic at the 17 and returned it to the Bulldogs’ 45. Jones then scored on runs of 2 and 6 yards on back-to-back possessions, giving the Spartans a 20-0 halftime bulge.
Jones added TDs of 15 and 79 yards in the third period, sandwiched around a 1-yard Tyler Fennick score. That one came just two plays after Jones’ second pick of the night.
“You just gotta do your reads,” Jones said of the thefts, “and they’ll take you to the ball.”
Petcovic passed 5 yards to Jared Hogue against Laurel’s reserves to avoid a shutout with 5:03 remaining. The Spartans got the score back when freshman Matthew Conway raced 79 yards to paydirt two plays after the kickoff.
Laurel’s defense, meanwhile, limited the Bulldogs to just 129 total yards, including a mere 22 on the ground.
Next up for Laurel is a Homecoming matchup against New Brighton (1-3, 2-3).
“They’re a good football team,” Jones said. “We can’t step back, we have to keep on getting better and play even better and harder.”
(Email: d_irwin@ncnewsonline.com)
LAUREL FREEDOM
13 First downs 9
370 Yards Rushing 62
0 Yards Lost 40
370 Net Rushing 22
6 Passes Attempted 17
2 Passes Completed 9
0 Passes Intercepted 4
81 Yards Passing 107
451 Total Yards 129
2-2 Fumbles-Lost 0-0
2-33.5 Punts-Average 5-26.8
5-45 Penalties-Yards 5-45
LAUREL 7 13 20 6 — 46
FREEDOM 0 0 0 6 — 6
Scoring plays
LAUREL — Dylan Jones 36-yard run (Joseph Johnson kick)
LAUREL — Jones 2-yard run (Johnson kick)
LAUREL — Jones 6-yard run (kick failed)
LAUREL — Jones 15-yard run (Johnson kick)
LAUREL — Tyler Fennick 1-yard run (Run failed)
LAUREL — Jones 79-yard run (Johnson kick)
FREEDOM — Jared Hogue 5-yard pass from Forrest Petcovic (Kick failed)
LAUREL — Matthew Conway 57-yard run (kick failed)
|