By Mark Monosky

The North Jefferson News



MORRIS — Friday night the Mortimer Jordan Blue Devils suffered their fifth loss of the season to the Pleasant Grove Spartans 13-7. The game was a defensive slugfest that ended on a controversial call by the referees.

“We had some adversity during the week,” said Blue Devil head coach Greg Watts. “We had some players we had to sit down. We had sit some down in some tough positions. Our left half-back got hurt on the first play and missed the first half. We didn’t have a sub. I thought that Josh Pate came in and played hard. He did some good things. We had to make Justin Mack our quarterback in just one day. I thought he played with a whole lot of effort and did a great job. For one day of work he played hard. With a little more work he should be talented at quarterback. I am disappointed, but we played hard and they played hard.”

In the first quarter, both teams’ defenses dominated the game. The highlight of the quarter came when the Blue Devil defense was able to hold the Pleasant Grove offense on downs inside the Blue Devil 25-yard line. On fourth down, the Mortimer Jordan defense was able to force the Spartans’ quarterback Ben Wheeler to throw an incompletion.

After stopping the Spartans on fourth down, the Blue Devils’ offense was able to drive the ball all the way to the Spartans 35-yard line. Unfortunately for Mortimer Jordan, the Pleasant Grove defense was able to hold them on downs.

Late in the second quarter Pleasant Grove scored the first points of the game. The score came on fourth down when running back Anthony Gardner ran it in from 11 yards out. The score helped complete a 12-play 64-yard drive. The Spartans were able to convert on fourth down twice in drive. After a Michael Sellers point after kick, Pleasant Grove led 7-0.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Blue Devils’ Desmond Brown returned the ball 45 yards to set Mortimer Jordan up in good field position. The Blue Devils’ offense was able to put together another long drive all the way to the Spartans’ 18-yard line. Once again, the Pleasant Grove defense was able to keep the Blue Devils from scoring and they took their 7-0 lead into halftime.

On the opening offense series of the second half, the Mortimer Jordan Blue Devils were finally able to put together a scoring drive. The highlight of the drive came on a first down play when quarterback Justin Mack threw a 51-yard bomb to Caleb Webb to set the Blue Devils up at the Pleasant Grove 1-yard line. On the very next play, Mack snuck the ball in for the touchdown. The score completed a seven play, 80-yard drive. After a Caleb Harper point-after kick, the game was tied 7-7.

In the fourth quarter, the Pleasant Grove Spartans were able to take the lead for good. On the second play of the quarter, Spartan quarterback Ben Wheeler threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Michael Hicks. The score completed an 11-play, 85-yard drive. On the drive, running back Anthony Gardner rushed for 73 yards on nine carries. Pleasant Grove was unable to convert the point after, so they only led 13-7. Both teams’ defenses were able to control the rest of the game.

Late in the game, the Blue Devils’ offense put together what looked to be a game winning drive. On a first down play, Mack threw to Caesar Bell for 22 yards to put the Blue Devils into Pleasant Grove territory.

Two plays later, the referees made a controversial call. On third and 17, the Spartans looked to have committed pass interference on Blue Devils’ receiver Caleb Webb. The referee closest to play called it pass interference, but he was overturned when the other referees ruled that the pass had been tipped.

After that play, the Spartans were able to stop Mortimer Jordan on fourth down to preserve the victory 13-7.

Next week the Mortimer Jordan Blue Devils close out their season against their arch rival the Gardendale Rockets at Driver Stadium.