After restructuring the district schedule, including dividing the district into two, four team zones, due to cancellations caused by positive Covid-19 cases at several schools, the North Forney Falcons found themselves travelling east to take on the Sulphur Springs Wildcats in a Zone B game last Friday night. After defeating the Wildcats 70-13 in the final game of the 2019 season, the Falcons leaned on their defense in another blowout win, a 56-21 victory that moved their overall record to 5-0 and, more importantly, gave them a 1-0 record zone play.
The Falcons’ balanced offense outgained the Wildcats, 403 to 299, including 207 yards on the ground and 196 through the air. Quarterback Jacob Acuna was 14-of-21 for 187 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with five different receivers, and Ty Collins led the running backs with 90 yards on just 12 carries. Jermaine Oakley carried the ball 15 times for 70 yards. Both Collins and Oakley had two touchdowns on the ground, and Acuna had two more through the air. The Falcons did not turn the ball over.
“Oakley has been really good. He is not a real big guy, but he is so physical,” said Offensive Coordinator Mike Ludlow. “And Ty is just so strong, he can run through people or break off the big run like the two he had against Sulphur.”
JJ Hall led all Sulphur Springs’ running backs with 86 yards on eight carries, including a 60-yard run off tackle early in the fourth quarter when the Wildcats piled up 124 of their 299 total yards against a Falcons defense that was mostly resting its starters. Quarterback Kaden Wallace was 9-of-18 for 112 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Tight end Carson Fenton led all Wildcats receivers with only 47 yards on three catches, and he had a late second quarter touchdown reception. The Wildcats turned the ball over twice.
Although the Falcons scored 56 points, this game was all about the defense. North Forney swarmed Sulphur Springs all night and scored 14 of the Falcons’ 35 first half points. The Falcons forced six punts and forced a turnover on downs against twelve Wildcats possessions. Cornerback Tylan Crochett returned an interception 35 yards for the Falcons’ first score on the opening possession of the game and defensive lineman Rod Brown returned a fumble 43 yards to give North Forney a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
“This was our most complete game of the season,” Head Coach Randy Jackson shared after the game. “Our defense scored twice, and our offense was efficient. Our kicking game was great. Ricky Cortez was 100% on extra points again, and did a great job punting the ball under pressure. He continues to get better every week.”
On their first possession, the Wildcats had a firstand-10 from their 31-yard line. Under pressure from DeMarcus Kirk, Wallace did not see Crochett, who had stepped in front of receiver Cable Glenn for the easy interception. Crochett, making his first start of the season, sprinted 35 yards untouched into the end zone for a 7-0 North Forney lead with less than two minutes gone in the game.
After the defense held and forced a punt on the Wildcats’ second possession, it was time for the Falcons offense to go to work. A 57-yard drive, in seven plays, was capped off by a Jermaine Oakley touchdown run from six yards out. Seeing the middle bottled up, Oakley bounced to the left and into the end zone, giving the Falcons a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
It stayed 14-0 until early in the second quarter when Acuna found receiver Collyn Shipley (3 catches, 29 yards, TD) from 13 yards out. Shipley, who had slipped coming out of his break near the goal line, was able to make the catch in front of the defender and dive under the defender into the end zone. The 13-play drive covered 81 yards and pushed the Falcons’ lead to 21-0 just 13 seconds into the quarter.
While the offense was revving up, the defense was already firing on all cylinders and, approaching the midway point of the second quarter, would put up their second touchdown of the night.
Following a delay of game penalty that put the Wildcats at first-and-15 from their 43-yard line, linebacker Chandler McGee’s perfectly timed blitz caught backup quarterback Matthew Mitchell from the blindside, jarring the ball loose. Linebacker Akanimo Asuquo and Rod Brown raced toward the ball, which was bouncing free near the 34-yard line. Winning the race to the ball, Brown scooped it up and rumbled into the end zone.
“We dialed up a little pressure tonight. Our defensive line put a lot of pressure on them,” said Defensive Coordinator Ryan Porter after the game. “Rod (Brown) and Noah (Monroe) did a great job. Danny Caicedo was our DAWG of the week at practice, and he brought that effort to the game. This was his best game of the year.”
The touchdown, the Falcons’ fourth defensive score in five games this season, gave North Forney a 28-0 cushion before Sulphur Springs would score their first points of the game.
Facing 4th-and-6 from their 33-yard line, the Wildcats faked a punt that netted them 27 yards, moving the ball to the Falcons’ 40-yard line. On the next play, Wallace connected with Fenton on a perfectly executed play-action pass for 35 yards, down to the 5-yard line. From there, Caden Davis found a hole up the middle of the Falcons’ defensive line for a touchdown, closing the gap to 28-7.
It took the Falcons just two plays and 19 seconds to answer the Sulphur Springs score, as the attempted onside kick turned into a line drive kick out of bounds at the Wildcats’ 47.
On first down, Acuna was hit while throwing the ball and saw his pass float toward receiver LeMarcus Kirk (3 catches, 54 yards) near the 15-yard line. Kirk fought his way back to the ball, using his body to shield the defender to secure the catch. He then dragged two defenders down to the 8-yard line. The next play saw Collins take the ball straight up the middle for an 8-yard touchdown.
“LeMarcus is getting more comfortable in the offense, and he will keep getting better,” said Coach Ludlow. “He is a really strong kid. I am just as impressed with what he does with the ball as what he does off the ball. His blocking has been really good.”
The Falcons took that 35-7 lead into halftime and extended that lead to 42-7 just over one minute into the second half when Collins again scored. This time it was a 5-yard sprint up the middle. Collins set up the touchdown with a 30 yard run one play earlier. The four-play drive covered 52 yards.
Sulphur Springs would respond with a touchdown of their own on their next offensive drive as Wallace would find Fenton alone in the middle of end zone for a 10-yard scoring strike. The big play on the drive being a 26-yard connection from Wallace to Mitchell, who caught the Falcons’ defense with a double move to get open down the left sideline to make the score 42-14.
From there, the Falcons would score twice more in the quarter with Oakley carrying in from 3-yards out and Acuna hitting Kam Allen (3 catches, 69 yards, TD) on a fade into the end zone from the 14-yard line. The third quarter ended with a 56-14 lead.
The Wildcats would score once more, nearing the halfway mark of the fourth quarter, to close out the scoring as Dougie Deloney weaved his way through the Falcons’ defense for an 18-yard touchdown run.
Following the 56-21 win at Sulphur Springs, Coach Jackson turned his attention toward this week’s home game against Greenville.
“We were really disappointed with the way we played at Greenville last season,” Jackson explained. “They are a really good team, but overall, we feel like that was our worst game of the season. We will have to play our best in all three phases to beat the Lions (3-1). The ‘Payback Tour 2020’ starts this week.”
All photos by JIM KLENKE
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