By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

JACKSON — If this is how the Ironton Fighting Tigers play when they’re sick, imagine if a football flu pandemic breaks out.

Despite a few injuries and  missing several players including All-Ohio lineman Aiden Layne due to illness, the Ironton Fighting Tigers turned in a dominating performance on both sides of the football and routed the Jackson Ironmen 51-14 on Friday.

Ironton quarterback Braden Schreck was 15-of-4 for 246 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Ironton finished with 301 yards passing and 175 rushing for 476 total yards.

Zayne “The Train” Williams ran 4 times for 39 yards and a score, D’Edrick Graves had 27 yards on 7 tries with 2 TDs while Schreck led all of the rushers with 50 yards on 7 attempts.

Tyler Roach caught a pair of passes for 89 yards and a touchdown, Shaun Terry had 4 catches for 53 yards and also ran twice for 27 yards and a score.

“The kids just kept fighting. We had some kids out and we had some injuries, but we have the next man up mentality and we just kept fighting and battling and I’m so proud of them,” said Pendleton.

“We had a lot of guys step up. Zayne Williams on both sides of the ball has been a great leader and he wears guys down. Braden Schreck was in command of it and he distributed the ball well.”

Ironton had 7 different guys run the ball and 7 different plays caught passes.

“The guys are very selfless. We’re getting better every week. The sky’s the limit,” said Pendleton.

Jackson started the game like gangbusters as quarterback Bodhi Wolford threw a quick screen to running back Nolan Johnson who got a couple of blocks and ran through the Ironton defense for a 81-yard catch and run touchdown play.

Thatcher Brown’s conversion kick made it 7-0 with 24 seconds into the game.

Ironton (2-0) came back and drove to the Jackson 21. A dropped pass that would have been a first down inside the 10 resulted in a fourth down play. Schreck was under heavy pressure and about to be sacked and tried to make a throw only to be intercepted.

The Fighting Tigers forced a punt and then went 83 yards in 13 plays capped by Williams’ 10-yard scoring burst and Jackson’s lead was 7-6.

Jackson (1-1) fumbled on the second play of its next possession and Mason Wheeler jumped on the ball for Ironton.

It took just 5 plays for Ironton to score  as Graves scored from 8 yards out and the Fighting Tigers led 12-7.

With the aid of some Ironton penalties and a 27-yard strike from Wolford to Tucker Williams that put the ball at the 11, Jackson was able to score on a one-yard keeper by Wolford and the Ironman had a 14-12 lead with 3:12 left in the half.

But from that point on, Ironton took over.

Schreck hit 2 quick passes of 12 yards to Shaun Terry and 20 to Williams and the ball was at the 31.

It was at this point Shaun “Mr. Electric” Terry took a snap and did his best imitation of Houdini as he escaped a flurry of Jackson tacklers and cut and spun his way into the end zone and Ironton led 18-14 with just 1:33 left in the half.

Forcing a quick 3-and-out thanks to a couple of timeouts, Jackson got off a short 23-yard punt as Tyler Carmon returned it to the Jackson 36.

Schreck hit Nick Sites with a 22-yard strike and then Baker for 14 yards and the score with just 8 ticks on the clock. That gave Ironton a 24-14 halftime lead.

The Fighting Tigers’ defense held Jackson to 19 yards of offense — all on the ground — and no first downs in the second half. Ironton ran 20 plays in the second half to a mere 11 plays.

Ironton took the second half kickoff and went 75 yards in just 8 plays as Schreck completed 4-of-4 passes for 57 yard to set up a 4-yard scoring run by Graves. Beckham Waginger kicked his first career conversion and the lead was 31-14.

An interception by Maddix Markel at the 45 set up Ironton’s next score.

Ironton was called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on the play and found itself back to the 30-yard line.

No problem.

Schreck found Edwards streaking past the defense and all alone downfield and hit him in stride on a 70-yard touchdown pass. Waginger’s kick boosted the lead to 38-14.

The lead went to 44-14 with 4:30 left in the quarter which was more than enough time for another score, especially after Jackson shanked a punt for just 5 yards.

A nifty 22-yard run by Carmon got the ball to the Jackson 5 and  Copas carried for 4- and 1-yards.

The backups produced the final touchdown as Edwards ran left and saw Roach 15 yards away all alone and he turned and ran the additional 40 yards to complete the scoring. Waginger made the conversion kick and it was 51-14 with 10:55 to play.

Jackson finished with just 162 total yards and a scant 29 yards rushing on 21 attempts. Jackson had only 52 yards passing after the first play of the game.

Ironton plays Cabell Midland on Saturday at Marshall’s Joan Edwards Stadium.

Ironton 0 24 20 7 = 51

Jackson 7 7 0 0 = 14

First Quarter

Jax – Nolan Johnson 73 pass from Bodhi Wolford (Thatcher Brown kick) 11:36

Second Quarter

Irn — Zayne Williams 10 run (kick failed) 11:53

Irn — D’Edrick Graves  8 run (run failed) 8:20

Jax — Bodhi Wolford 1 run (Thatcher Brown kick) 3:12

Irn — Shaun Terry 31 run (kick failed) 1:33

Irn — Braydon Baker 14 pass from Braden Schreck (kick failed) 0:08

Third Quarter

Irn — D’Edrick Graves 4 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 8:35

Irn — Kayden Edwards 70 pass from Braden Schreck (Beckham Waginger kick) 7:23

Irn — Jesse Copas 1 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 4:30

Fourth Quarter

Irn — Tyler Roach 55 pass from Kayden Edwards (Beckham Waginger kick) 10:55

———

IrnJax

First downs 23 7

Rushes-yards 26-175 21-29

Passing yards 301 133

Total yards 476 162

Cmp-Att-Int 16-25-1 6-14-1

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1

Penalties-yards 8-85 2-20

Punts-average 0-00.0 5-28.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Ironton: Zayne Williams 4-39 TD, D’Edrick Graves 7-27 2-TD, Tyler Carmon 2-30, Shaun Terry 2-27 TD, Kayden Edwards 1-minus 4, Braden Schreck 7-50, Jesse Copas 3-6 TD; Jackson: Nolan Johnson 11-12, Tucker Williams 1-0, Bodhhi Wolford 3-0, Bryce Dulaney 1-0, Ryan Seimetz 1-6, Team 1-minus 1.

PASSING–Ironton: Braden Schreck 15-24-1 246 2-TD, Kayden Edwards 1-1-0 55 TD; Jackson: Bodhi Wolford 6-14-1 133 TD.

RECEIVING–Ironton: Shaun Terry 4-53, Tyler Roach 2-89 TD, Kayden Edwards 1-70 TD, Zayne Williams 1-20, Nick Sites 2-34, Braydon Baker 2-18 TD, Jesse Copas 2-17; Jackson: Nolan Johnson 2-91 TD, Ryan Seimetz 3-20, Tucker Williams 1-27.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.