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The Kokomo Wildkats started slow against the Jay County Patriots in their varsity football sectional match-up Oct. 20, but a big score late and an onside kick recovery ensured Kokomo’s victory, 21-14.
With less than eight minutes left in the game, Kokomo extended its lead to 21-8 on a touchdown run by Darrian Story Jr. Three possessions later, Jay County drove the field and scored to make it 21-14 after a failed two-point conversion. With time dwindling along with the Patriots’ hopes, Jay County attempted an onside kick. The Kats recovered the kick and held onto the ball until time expired.
The end zone was elusive for the Wildkats for much of the first half. They didn’t find the scoreboard until late in the second quarter, as Tracy Dowling ran in for a touchdown to make the score 8-6, in favor of Jay County.
Kokomo was forced to play catch-up in the first half after a fumble and a few defensive miscues set up a Patriots touchdown in the opening stanza. Kokomo took the lead, 9-8, on a 35-yard field goal from Adrian Reyes in the third quarter. The Wildkats’ special teams stepped up on the next play, with Keemarion Pollard recovering a fumbled kickoff return for a touchdown to make the score 15-8.
Kokomo dominated the stat sheet as a team, racking up 20 first downs on 70 plays from scrimmage. It also held the ball for more than 30 minutes. Jay County did play cleaner, amassing just 30 penalty yards on three infractions versus Kokomo’s 85 yards in penalties coming from nine yellow flags.
Senior quarterback Reis Beard led all players with 166 rushing yards and 27 passing yards. Story Jr. collected 86 yards on the ground with a score. Dowling added 31 yards on seven carries and a touchdown. Dowling and Andrew Barker caught the only two completions from Beard in the passing game.
Dowling, Logan Harris, and Terrion Wilson combined for a total of two sacks on the defensive side of the ball. Wilson, a senior, led all defensive Wildkats with six tackles.
Kokomo improved to 8-2 with the win and will host North Central Conference rival Marion (3-7) on Friday night in the sectional semifinal game.