EAGLE LAKE — Lake Region had lost seven consecutive games to George Jenkins with its last victory of coming in 2011. The Thunder broke that streak in dramatic fashion.
Trailing by 14 point early in the second quarter, Lake Region rallied behind quarterback Jayden McCutchen to defeat Lake Region 35-34 on Monday night in a makeup of a game previously scheduled for Sept. 4.
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“I’m just so proud of these kids,” Lake Region coach Jermaine King said. “The first honor goes to God. Like I told the kids, God has got something special for our team. But I’m so proud of these kids. They just kept fighting when we were down. When we were down 34 to 19, I told them, whether they stopped believing or whatever the case may be, they just kept fighting. I’m just really proud of them tonight.”
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Lake Region quarterback Jayden McCutchen scrambles out of the pocket against George Jenkins on Monday night.
The game became a war of attrition as both teams could barely slow the other team in the second half. After George Jenkins lost starting quarterback Brayden Padgett to an ankle injury early in the first half, the Eagles depending on their running game but also got scores on defense and special teams.
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That wasn’t enough, however, to overcome a big game by McCutchen, who got stronger as the game progressed. The Lake Region quarterback finished with 376 yards of total often.
McCutchen heats up in second half
George Jenkins basically held McCutchen under control in the first half other than his 74-yard run for Lake Region’s only score in the first half.
McCutchen ran for 100 yard on his first three carries. After the touchdown run, he ran four more times for just 16 yard. He was just 5 of 17 passing for 62 yard with two interceptions, including Shawn James’ 100-yard interception return that put Jenkins up 14-7 at halftime.
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In the second half, he ran 10 times for 65 yards. He was nearly perfect passing as he completed 8 of 9 passes for 133 yards.
Jenkins led 1-2 punch in backfield
With Padgett out, George Jenkins relied on its running game led by Malik Raymond and Carldez Baker. Raymond had his third straight 100-yard game and finished with 133 yards on 21 carries. He had now rushed for 686 yards for the season.
Baker complemented Raymond and finished with 88 yards on 12 carries.
Special team a double-edged sword for both teams
Both Jenkins and Lake Region were helped and hurt by special teams. Both teams missed an extra point, while Lake Region also made two two-point conversions, including the game-winning score on McCutchen’s run.
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George Jenkins began the second half with Jamaine Harrison taking the kickoff 65 yards to give the Eagles a 21-7 lead.
However, on the ensuing kickoff, Lake Region took a short kick to the Jenkins 37-yard line that set up a short touchdown drive on six plays.
After McCutchen scored on a 13-yard run to cut George Jenkins’ lead to 34-27 after the two-point conversion, Lake Region’s ensuing kickoff went between the two returners who were playing short in preparation of an onside kick. It was bouncing toward the end zone but was picked up at the two. The Eagles’ returner’s knee hit the ground and Jenkins took over at the 2-yard line.
Lake Region forced a three-and-out, and the Thunder started their game-winning drive at the Jenkins 37 after a short punt.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Here’s how Lake Region rallied in 4th quarter to defeat George Jenkins
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
