FOOTBALL: Big stops, key plays help Johnson County come back to beat Eagles, earn ‘confidence boost’ in first win

MT. VERNON – The first win came in the second game. 

After a heartbreaking loss the week before, Johnson County bounced back against Montgomery County Friday with a 27-6 win. 

Down a touchdown after a rough first quarter, the Trojans scored four unanswered while shutting out the Eagles in the last three to close out a win with significance that will extend well beyond their first tick in the win column. 

“I think this game gave us all a confidence boost,” said JoCo quarterback Nathan “Billy” Turberville. “We have a bunch of new starters, and it helped them a lot, getting their first high school win.”

The Trojans got the ball first, and soon found themselves trailing.

A problematic opening drive spiraled into a punt with fourth and 40, and the Eagles took possession on the JoCo 33.

Elijah McEwen rushed for 17 yards, then Jordyn Patterson caught a 16-yard touchdown pass with 6:05 in the first quarter. The point-after failed, but the Trojans trailed 6-0.

Making things worse, Johnson County fumbled the following kickoff return on its own 28. 

JoCo buttoned down and held the Eagles in four plays. Then, the Blue and White started on its own 34 and drove 11 plays for a touchdown. Twenty-one yards of penalties, 33 of rushing and nine yards of passing got the ball where the Trojans wanted it. 

Turberville hit J.D. Carswell on a nine-yard pass, and on the next play Carswell rushed for the touchdown. 

At  9:17 in the second, with the kick by Will Peebles, the Trojans led 7-6. 

Montgomery received the kickoff and got backed up by a penalty, and the Trojan defense made it third and 12 on the Eagles’ 3, and forced a turnover. 

“We started out really slow,” said JoCo head coach Don Norton. “We turned it around; had a couple of big plays. Xavier Wright had an interception that really switched the momentum.”

Wright had a 33-yard return on the pick. Then, Cory King had the two-yard touchdown run at 7:12 in the half. The Eagles blocked the kick, but the Trojans now led 13-6.

Johnson County had 10 first downs to MoCo’s four in the first half. The Trojans also outgained the Eagles 74 yards to 34 during the first two quarters. 

Montgomery began the second half with big plays, and the help of some Johnson County penalties. The Eagles threatened to reclaim the game after driving 50 yards. Montgomery was at the Trojan 10, but  J.J. Huff recovered a fumble in the backfield on the 23. 

On the next play, Tayshawn Norris broke a 77-yard touchdown run. When the conversion pass failed, the Trojans led 19-6 with 8:53 in the third. 

The JoCo defense shortened the next Eagle drive to only three plays. Jeremiah Scott, No. 23, intercepted a Montgomery pass on the Trojan 23. 

Back on offense, JoCo’s Norris ran for 17. Scott ran for 34. Turberville had 11. Carswell gained three. Then Jeremiah Taylor scored on a three-yard run with 2:10 in the third.

In the fourth, Johnson had an eight-play, 72-yard drive, but gave up possession on the MoCo 16. But two plays later, the Trojan defense forced a safety, as the ball left the back of the end zone. With 5:48, the score was 27-6.

Norris led Johnson County in rushing with 14 carries for 146 yards. Scott had four for 52. 

Next week, the Trojans (1-1) will be at home for the first time against Warren County (1-1). 

Turberville has a good outlook for the year. 

“I think the rest of this season will be amazing,” he said. “The guys hate losing and you could tell after the loss versus East Laurens. They worked their butt off all week, and if we continue with that mindset we can make a deep run this year.”