Jackets fall hard again
- Updated: August 28, 2021
Pleasant Grove erupts for 35 points in second quarter, pulls away for a 61-24 win over Oxford
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – It hasn’t been an easy start for new Oxford coach Sam Adams.
Second-ranked 5A Pleasant Grove flexed its muscles with 35 second quarter points to break open a tight game and go on to defeat the Oxford Yellow Jackets, 61-24, on a rainy Friday night in Oxford.
The Yellow Jackets (0-2) have lost their first two games to two teams that were ranked No. 1 and 2 in their respective classifications by a total of 116-24. It’s the most point they’ve allowed in any two-game stretch in school history, eclipsing the 104 they allowed in the final two games of 1924.
It’s the first time they’ve lost two in a row in the same season since 2015 and the first time they’ve dropped their first two since 2013. After stating 0-2 that year, they won nine in a row before losing in the second round of the playoffs.
The Yellow Jackets (0-2) came out strong in the first quarter and after their defense got a stop put together a 62-yard drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal by Rey Barrera. The drive was highlighted by a 30-yard run by quarterback Sam Robertson.
The Spartans answered with quarterback Alex Young firing an 18-yard scoring strike to Brayden Coleman to put the Spartans up 7-3.
The Jackets came back with a scoring drive of their own. Sophomore Jaydon Thomas and senior Jordan Dobbins chewed up yards on the ground, while Robertson completed a couple of big pass plays to Miguel Mitchell. Robertson got the touchdown on a 1-yard dive on fourth down and the Jackets held their second lead of the game 10-7.
The Spartans re-took the lead on an 11-yard run by Demarcus Lacey early in the second quarter. They scored again as Young connected with Tadarius Parker on a 65-yard scoring strike to make it 21-10.
The rains and lightning came and delayed the game some 45 minutes as teams huddled in their dressing rooms.
When played resumed with 5:45 to go in the half, Pleasant Grove erupted for three straight touchdowns and scored one to start the second half running their lead to 48-10.
The Spartans piled up 583 yards of offense, Young hit on 10 of 13 passes for 190 yards and four touchdowns, while Lacey rushed for 163 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns.
”I was well pleased with the offense,” Pleasant Grove coach Darrell LeBeaux said. “We hit some big plays and followed the game plan really well. Oxford is a good team and they gave us problems. I believe they will win their region.”
Oxford put a couple of Thomas touchdowns on the board in the third and fourth quarters as the teams raced up and down the field putting on a show for the remaining fans that stuck around after the rains ended.
“I am proud of the way our kids have fought in our first two games against two of the better teams in the state,” Adams said. “We start region play next week (at Scottsboro) and that determines whether we can make the play-offs. We have got to get more consistent and we have to do a better job of coaching these kids up.”
Pleasant Grove 61, Oxford 24
| Pleasant Grove (1-0) | 7 | 35 | 12 | 7 – | 61 |
| Oxford (0-2) | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 – | 24 |
O – Rey Barrera 27 FG, 7:17 1Q
PG – Brandon Coleman 18 pass from Alex Young (John Watts kick),6:10 1Q
O – Sam Robertson 1 run (Rey Barrera kick), 0:26 1Q
PG – Demarcus Lacey 11 run (John Watts kick), 8:27 2Q
PG – Tadarius Parker 65 pass from Alex Young (John Watts kick), 7:14 2Q
PG – Demarcus Lacey 70 run (John Watts kick), 5:30 2Q
PG – Cameron Harris 11 pass from Alex Young (John Watts kick), 2:43 2Q
PG – Cameron Harris 14 pass from Alex Young (John Watts kick), 0:28 2Q
PG – Demarcus Lacey 1 run (kick failed), 9:50 3Q
O – Jayden Thomas 6 run (Rey Barrera kick), 3:12
PG – Collin Moore 23 run (kick failed), 1:33 3Q
O – Jayden Thomas 41 run (Rey Barrera kick), 10:01 4Q
PG – Bryian Jordan 43 run (kick failed), 6:08 4Q
| PG (61) | Oxf (21) | |
| 17 | 1st Downs | 13 |
| 30-316 | Rush-yds | 43-181 |
| 12-15-0 | C-A-I | 7-16-1 |
| 266 | Pass yds | 53 |
| 0-0 | Fum-lost | 2-0 |
| 2-32.0 | Punts-avg | 5-34.0 |
| 24-165 | Pens-avg | 2-30 |
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