Lakeland, FL – 0-1 George Jenkins hosted 2-0 Kathleen for a non-district contest promised to be competitive and hard fought. It was just that early in front of a packed home crowd on the hill at George Jenkins High School.
The home team struck first when QB Ski McWilliams hooked up with Emory Parrish for a 60 yard TD pass making the score 7-0 after the extra point. It wouldn’t take long for Kathleen to answer as QB Jules St. Ge took off down the Jenkins sideline the following series to make the score 7 all after the extra point. The first quarter ended 10-7.
The second quarter started with a big Red Devil defensive stand and then a Kenobia Collins Jr. TD catch with 11:49 reaming in the period making the score 14-10 Kathleen. The Red Devil defensive front seven played out of their minds. Every other snap the defensive line was disrupting the play in the back field and getting hands on the QB. Jenkins did have Kathleen off balanced a few times working the roll out passes and progressively moving the ball down field with sound route combinations. But the Red Devil defense did not break. Got the ball back for their offense and finished the half with Chris Williams TD catch and Matt Alvarez field goal. The half ended Kathleen up 24-10.
As the Red Devils started to pull away they also began to slowly decrease the substitution errors and penalty flags which hampered them in the first half. Kathleen QB Jules St.Ge rushed for his second TD of the night at the 9:23 mark in the 3rd quarter. The defense produced a big time goal line stand and then George Jenkins kicker finished the 3rd quarter scoring with a 36 yard field goal making the score 34-13 Kathleen.
Jenkins could not get much going offensively. Bennode Cason played his butt off in a losing effort and QB Ski McWilliams never dropped his head in disappointment. At the 7 minute mark in the final period Malik Williams of Kathleen intercepted McWilliams and returned it for a Red Devil TD and on the following Jenkins offensive possession Tobias Larry intercepted McWilliams taking the ball back for Kathleen allowing Victor Austin to run for his first TD of the night. Jenkins McWilliams would manufacture a late TD run and the final score: Kathleen 48 George Jenkins 20. Kathleen improves to 3-0 and will host Viera (FL) while Jenkins falls to 0-2 and will travel to Ridge Community Friday.