FOOTBALL: Brooks County edges Johnson County in heartbreaker

WRIGHTSVILLE – Brooks County slipped past Johnson County in a tangle of Trojans Friday, as the two powerhouse programs collided in a tough second-round match. 

The final two minutes made all the difference as Johnson fell 14-7.

Head coach Don Norton knew his team faced a team larger in numbers and physical size, as Brooks brought a number of Division 1 prospects to Wrightsville. But he thought his team played its best in the hard-hitting game. 

“Our kids fought tooth and nail, and it just didn’t go our way right there at the end,” Norton said. 

Brooks maintained only a slight edge in statistics, with 216 yards to JoCo’s 186, and 12 first downs to 10. Brooks had four penalties for 35 yards. Johnson committed five for 45. 

After the opening kickoff, the teams traded three-and-out possessions. 

On the third drive of the game, with 8:02 left in the first, Brooks’ Trojans started a nine-play, 62-yard drive. 

The biggest play was a 20-yard pass. Other than that, the JoCo defense made them grind out the yards on the ground. A 6-yard touchdown with 4:37 was followed by a successful try to make the score 7-0. 

The next drive evened things up. Jeremiah Scott returned the following kickoff 41 yards. He ran for 10 yards on the first play. A false start cost JoCo five yards, but then Tayshawn Norris ran for nine. The next lost five, then Norris gained another five. 

JoCo lost two, then Jacaden Webb gained 10. Norris ran for one, Scott for four and Jeremiah Taylor had a 6-yard touchdown. 

Will Peeples kicked the PAT and the score was 7-7 with 11:26 in the half.

Consistent with the rest of season, the Johnson County Trojans denied their opponent from scoring in the second quarter. 

The defenses played gritty and physical. Neither team had big plays or saw the red zone until the final minutes of the game. No one got a turnover or a big break.

With 2:28 left in the game, JoCo came up short on a fourth and two, allowing Brooks to begin on its own 49. The visitors ran for one. On the next two plays, they completed passes for 11 yards and 13 yards. After a Kelsey Waters tackle held them to no yards on a play, they completed a 3-yard pass. On third and seven, they scored on a 23-yard run, arguably the first big offensive play of the night. With the kick, Brooks County led 14-0 with 38 seconds left in the game.

The Johnson County Trojans made good use of time beginning at their own 41.

Nathan Turberville hit Scott on a 44-yard pass, which gave them three shots at the end zone. The home team went down fighting for the win in the final seconds after three incomplete passes. 

The JoCo Trojans had 134 rushing yards, and allowed 94. Tayshawn Norris ran for 31 yards on 10 carries. Scott did the same with 12 carries. Taylor had eight rushes for 28 and Cory King seven for 22. Turberville was 2-for-5 with 51 yards. Ziion Wesley led tackling with six and one assist. Dwayne Abrams had five with one assist.

Many football seasons end emotionally. This one was the same for Johnson County with a little bit of shock sprinkled in.

Senior quarterback Nathan Turberville didn’t want his season to end without a state championship, but he’s not disappointed in the team.

“We knew what it had to take for us to win, and we went out here, and we played our hearts out,” he said. “We didn’t get the outcome that we wanted, but overall, I mean, it was still a great game.” 

This JoCo senior class has achieved four region championships, won 41 games and averaged 10 wins a season.

Norton finished his 18th season at Johnson County by reaching 157 wins, and 150 at the school. He sees a bright future for the Trojans, and is pleased with what his young men accomplished. 

“I’m real sad right now that the season comes to an end,” said Norton, “but I’m excited about the class and character of these kids and the fight and the grit that they have, and how they demonstrate and how well they represent Johnson County, our school and their families. And our seniors leave as the winningest class in history.”