GHS zips past Rebels
Published 2:01 pm Monday, September 8, 2008
It was the Marcus Jackson show in Goshen Friday night.
Jackson, the Goshen Eagles’ sophomore tailback rushed for 265 yards and three scores on 25 carries, as the Eagles defeated region rival Zion Chapel 21-7 at The Eagles Nest.
“Marcus is a good football player and he just runs hard,” Goshen head coach Joe Thornton said. “He’s just a sophomore, so he’s going to get better and better for us.”
The Goshen offense out-gained the Rebels 399-148 with 390 of the Eagles’ yards coming on the ground.
The game was scoreless through the first quarter before Goshen got on the board in the second quarter.
Starting at the Rebels 49, Jackson took over as he carried it five straight times before punching it in from two yards out and the Eagles took a 7-0 lead.
Goshen kept the momentum going by putting a long scoring drive together later in the second quarter. They moved the ball 73 yards down the field, capping the drive with a one-yard score from Jackson.
A two-point conversion run by Jermaine Smith put Goshen up 15-0.
Jackson went right back to work in the third quarter as the Eagles tacked onto their lead.
The sophomore running back took the handoff up the middle and then raced past Rebel defenders and went 70 yards untouched to put Goshen up 21-0.
Zion Chapel got the ball moving and found its way to the end zone halfway through the third quarter, but not without a little luck.
On a fourth down and long situation from the Goshen 28 yard line, Rebels quarterback Gatlin Carnley heaved up a pass towards the end zone that deflected off a Goshen player into the waiting arms of senior receiver Justin Winters.
The Rebels added the PAT to cut the Eagle lead to 21-7.
Zion Chapel was on the verge of closing the gap later in the game, but a fumble that was recovered by Goshen helped the Eagles wrap up their first victory of the season.
Goshen starting quarterback Tyreese Wingard left with an injury in the second quarter, but the Eagles kept on rolling for that first win.
“Tyreese, our starting quarterback, goes down and we had a ninth grader come in and play great,” Thornton said,
Jerome Lawrence replaced Wingard on the field in the second quarter.
Thornton said the win was an overall team effort.
“Our backs ran hard, the offensive line blocked well and I was proud of that,” Thornton said. “It’s always good to get a ‘W’ in that first region game.”
Goshen will be back in region action next week as they travel to take on Keith.