Junior High splits with Piedmont inside Jelsma

Both the Guthrie Junior High football teams returned to Jelsma Stadium Thursday evening when they hosted and split with the Piedmont Wildcats.

The Jays 7th grade team was unable to score in the final quarter as Piedmont was a score better, 20-12. Meanwhile, the eighth grade Jays team blocked a would be game tying extra point early in the fourth quarter to help secure a 14-13 win.

The 7th grader’s have now dropped back-to-back games and are 3-3 overall and the 8th grade team got back to their winning ways and improved to 5-1.

In the seventh grade game Piedmont jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter and maintained it throughout most of the first half until Guthrie got on the board midway through the third quarter.

BlueJay quarterback Zac Payne hooked up with running back Ty Doolin for an 8-yard score to tie the game. The score remained deadlock into halftime.

Guthrie took their first lead of the game when Payne and Doolin hooked up again. This time the scoring duo connected for an 85 yard score to give the home team a 12-6 advantage. However, it would be the final score of the night for the team in white uniforms.

On the ensuing possession, Piedmont’s running back scored from 12 yards out to tie the game as the 2-point conversion was no good with 2:41 left in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Piedmont running back again scored and this time from 35 yards out. The Wildcats executed the 2-point conversion to conclude the scoring with 5:00 left to play in the game.

8th Grade back in the win column

After tasting defeat for the first time last week, the 8th grade team held on for a slim 1-point win to get back in the win column.

The BlueJay defense allowed just one score on the evening, but Piedmont took advantage of an interception and a score.

Jaron Pryor got the scoring started when he ran from 3-yards out in the first quarter and then turn around and scored on the 2-point conversion to give his BlueJay squad an 8-0 advantage with 1:39 left in the first quarter. The 2-point conversion ended up as a big difference in the game.

Piedmont scored just before halftime when they returned a 40-yard interception to the house and with the extra point pulled within one, 8-7.

The BlueJays struck first in the third quarter as the defense got one back for the offense as Austin Flury stepped in front of a Wildcat pass for the interception and just like Piedmont did returned it to the house. Flury darted in for the 35 yard score, but this time the 2-point conversion was no good and the Jays had a 14-7 lead with 7:08 to play in the third quarter.

Piedmont found the end zone in the fourth quarter when the Wildcat running back scored on a 60-yard run to pull within 1-point with the extra point attempt upcoming and 6:31 left in the game.

The Wildcats elected to kick the extra point, but the Jays had a rush on and got to the ball for the block and eventually lead to the win as both defenses shut down the offenses the rest of the way.