By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville almost pulled off an upset at Jonesboro on Friday. The Red Devils came from behind to lead 22-21 with less than four minutes left in the game, but ultimately lost to the high-octane Hurricane 34-22 in Craighead County.
The Red Devils took the lead with a 62-yard pass from senior quarterback Tirrell Brown to senior receiver D’vone McClure on third and eight. The two point conversion was also a Brown-McClure hookup, and it gave Jacksonville its first lead of the game with 6:33 left in the final quarter.
Jonesboro answered with a 60-yard drive that ended with a Martin Stafford 1-yard plunge with 3:24. The two-point conversion attempt was no good, leaving it 27-22.
Jacksonville turned it over on downs at its own 28-yard line on the ensuing drive, and Jonesboro needed just three plays to score again. The extra point made it 34-22 with 1:40 left in the game.
Jacksonville didn’t give up just yet. The Red Devils drove the field, but Jonesboro picked off a Brown pass at the 1-yard line with 1:05 left to seal the victory.
While the second half was all fire works, the first half was a dud for both offenses, that is until the very end.
Jonesboro took the ball at its own 2-yard line with 1:42 left in the half, and went 98 yards in 90 seconds to take a 7-0 lead into intermission. Jacksonville’s best sustained drive was actually in the first half on its first possession. The Red Devils marched to the Hurricane 3-yard line, but Brown was hit in the backfield and fumbled at the 10, where Jonesboro recovered the loose ball. The drive ate up over nine minutes of clock.
Jacksonville’s second chance to score came on the fourth play of an 80-yard drive.
This time the Red Devils used a little deception. Brown pitched to junior halfback Kevin Richardson and the Jonesboro defense bit.
Richardson then unloaded to a an open McClure for a 50-yard touchdown that made it 7-6 with 4:00 left in the third quarter.
Jonesboro again wasted no time in answering. The Hurricane drove 60 yards to score and go up 14-6 with :23 left in the third. The key play of the drive was the 36-yard touchdown on second and 21 immediately following a Red Devil sack.
After another Jonesboro kickoff sailed into the end zone, Jacksonville scored on the very next play.
This time it was Brown to junior Brandon Brockman for an 80-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion from Brown to Richardson tied it at 14 with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.
Jonesboro went up 21-14 on an 8-yard run by Stafford with 7:50 left in the game.
Jacksonville finished with 378 total yards while Jonesboro compiled 390.
Brown completed 14 of 31 pass attempts for 262 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Richardson’s completion gave Jacksonville 317 passing yards for the game.
Jonesboro did all its damage on the ground. The Hurricane ran for 310 yards.
The loss drops the Red Devils to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in 6A East games. Jonesboro improved to 3-2 and 2-0.
The Red Devils will host Little Rock Hall next Friday for their homecoming game.
