SILER CITY — For Jordan-Matthews, securing coach Kermit Carter’s first win against rival Chatham Central and beating the Bears two years in a row took more than just outplaying its opponent.
Dealing with a lost fumble on the first play, multiple touchdowns called back and fatigue, Jordan-Matthews (2-2, 1-1) had to persevere though its own shortfalls and prevailed in a 14-6 win over the Bears (1-3, 0-2) Friday.
“When bad things happen, we can’t sulk because nobody is going to feel sorry for Jordan-Matthews,” Carter said. “So, we’ve got to keep playing. We just have to keep grinding and trust the process.”
Trusting the process meant sticking with the run game and riding the momentum of the key defensive stops that kept Chatham Central from potentially tying the game.
The Jets threw the ball just twice the whole night. Junior Kenneth Dula led the Jets’ rushing attack with 54 yards and a touchdown, and freshman quarterback Nolan Mitchell tallied 53 yards rushing and a second-quarter 40-yard touchdown run for the Jets’ first score of the game.
However, Mitchell could have had a bigger night and made it a different ball game down the stretch.
Mitchell had two long touchdown runs called back in the first half. In the first quarter, his 30-yard score, which would have tied the game at 6-6, was negated with a holding penalty. Less than five minutes before the half, Mitchell’s 49-yard house call down the Chatham Central sideline was nullified by a block in the back.
Yet, Dula put the fire out on that same drive when he handled a bad snap and ran 46 yards to the endzone just plays later to put the Jets ahead, 14-6.
Mitchell said the key to the Jets’ first half rushing success was “getting to the outside” and hitting open holes up the middle. Senior lineman Tate Kidd believed a new scheme with him pulling helped open up those running lanes, leading to big gains and what Dula saw as “nothing but green.”
“With me pulling, don’t be in my way,” Kidd said. “If not, you’re going to get knocked down.”
With a lead to protect, Jordan-Matthews’ defense led the way for the rest of the night. Right before halftime, Chatham Central put together a solid drive down to the Jets’ 28-yard line, but an endzone shot to senior receiver Luke Gaines got intercepted by sophomore Namir Wiley.
Fatigue started to take over in the second half with numerous players going down with cramps and injuries, and penalties continued to hurt both sides. Both offenses struggled in the final two quarters until their very last drives.
Starting what would be its final shot to tie the game in the tail end of the third quarter, Chatham Central was able to slowly move the ball down the field and burn the clock down to just over two minutes in the fourth quarter thanks to some solid runs from senior running back Eli Turner. Facing fourth and six with the ball at the Jets’ 19, quarterback Nick Glover’s pass to senior receiver Aiden Johnson dropped out of Johnson’s hands as he fell to the ground, giving the Jets one last opportunity to ice the game.
“I just told them, ‘One more. Get off the ball,’” Carter said to his team prior to the defensive stop. “They wanted it, and they could taste it.”
Behind strong runs from junior Jakari Blue, Jordan-Matthews had little problem moving the chains and ending the night in victory formation.
The Jets are now 2-2 for the first time since 2013 and have already reached their win total from last season. After years of disappointing seasons and a longing for the Jets to return to their old ways, Friday night lights in Siler City are looking brighter this year.
“It’s fun coaching this bunch,” Carter said. “From what they’ve been through and stuff, these seniors, it’s fun to see them win. That’s freaking awesome.”
As for the Bears, things haven’t been pretty since their big win over South Davidson on Aug. 30. Chatham Central has struggled to get the ball in the endzone the past two weeks despite putting together solid drives and building an effective rushing attack with Glover and Turner.
Turner and Glover combined for 132 yards on the ground Friday, and Glover’s 38-yard touchdown run in the first quarter showed a glimpse of how dangerous his speed can be. However, the Bears need to see more consistency in their offensive possessions and find ways to keep its run game rolling deep in enemy territory if they want to add more wins to their record this season.
