Newton County takes two jamboree wins

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Aug. 21, 2004
UNION There was a definite pecking order in the jamboree at Union High School Friday night. Class 3A Newton County defeated Newton 7-0 and Union 14-6 to finish 2-0. Class 2A Newton blanked Union 14-0 to go 1-1, while the Class 1A Yellowjackets came away 0-2.
Newton County 14
Union 6
Union opened the game with a drive from its 8-yard line to the Cougar 35 where Keyshawn Harrison came up with a Jacob Casey fumble. The drive took nearly nine minutes off the clock.
After the Cougars went three-and-out, Union's Kenny Slaughter returned a Tommy Strange punt 45 yards to the NCHS 23. Anthony Johnson popped outside and outran three Cougars for a 21-yard score with 1:04 left in the first quarter. Demond McDonald's extra point failed.
The short drives allowed the 'Jackets to run 17 of the game's first 20 plays from scrimmage.
"They had a big drive and ate up pretty much all of the first quarter," Newton County head coach Jeff Breland said. "We just had to come back somehow and get a score and we did."
The Cougars answered with a 13-play, 68-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 2-yard run by Duke Hudnall, who had nine carries for 37 yards on the march. Austin Scoggins' PAT put Newton County up 7-6 with 6:31 left in the second quarter.
Guy Holden, who also had 10 tackles, set the Cougars up for their second touchdown when he returned a stray Ian Ferrell option pitch and ran 20 yards to the Union 22. Colby Amis rolled right and hit Jose Alcantar with a 25-yard scoring toss with 3:13 to play.
"We had some breakdowns, but Union and Newton both have good football teams and there's a lot to be said for that," Jeff Breland said. "We're just going to have to come out next week and work and try to get better at the things we do and get ready for next Friday night."
"I was real proud of them," Union head coach Brad Breland said of his team's showing. "They played hard both games.
"Overall, I was extremely pleased. Our defense played exceptionally well in both games."
Newton County 7
Newton 0
A mistake in the kicking game led to the only score as the Cougars began their night with a shutout of Newton.
Newton's Kolby Tillman muffed Strange's punt with the Cougars recovering at the Tiger 16.
Two plays later, Hudnall scored from 10 yards out. Scoggins added the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 6:26 left in the second quarter.
Tillman suffered a neck injury on the play and was taken to Laird Hospital as a precaution, Newton coach Pepper Posey said.
The Cougars threatened on the game's first possession as they drove from their 46 to the Tiger 16 where Amis threw back-to-back incompletions on second-and-4. A 37-yard field goal try was well off target.
Newton's final drive reached the Cougar 14 where Tyrone Waters fumbled and Newton County's Holden recovered at the 10.
A 32-yard run by Hudnall allowed the Cougars to run out the clock.
"We played a heck-of-a team in Newton County," Posey said. "They came after us and got us in the end. We're just lucky to be able to compete with such good teams as this in the first scrimmage.
"I saw some good things and we fumbled the ball twice in the two games that really hurt us. We're going to have to come back and do some ballhandling drills on Monday."
Newton 14
Union 0
Another kicking game blunder led to the first touchdown in the night's opener. Slaughter muffed a Jeffrey Logan punt near his 37 and the Tigers finally came up with possession at the 'Jacket 10.
"He tried to catch it over his head and that's just stuff you do in the first game that I'm glad it was tonight and hopefully we won't do it next Thursday (at Noxapater)," Brad Breland said.
After losing back to the 26, Montez Moore found Tillman behind Union's Jamelle Blalock for a 20-yard touchdown pass with 8:12 remaining in the first quarter. Logan added the extra point. "We had them fourth-and-15 and our corner got back on his heels and got burned," Brad Breland said.
Phillip Evans scored Newton's second touchdown when he scooped up a fumble by Johnson and returned it 35 yards with 3:21 left in the first quarter. Logan again added the PAT for a 14-0 lead.
"We played well against Newton," Brad Breland said. "We just had two bonehead plays.
The Tigers threatened late in the second quarter only to lose a fumble in the end zone.
Union's highlights included 34 and 30-yard kickoff returns by Johnson.