By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Oct. 30, 2004
West Jones made a believer out of Northeast Lauderdale head coach Steve Nelson.
The No. 5 Mustangs (8-1) smothered the Trojans on both sides of the ball and tallied five first-half touchdowns in a 34-0 win over Northeast Lauderdale (2-8).
The Mustangs' third shutout victory of the year couldn't have come at a more important time. West Jones suffered its first loss of the season on Oct. 22 against undefeated Wayne County, but head coach Scott Pierson said Friday's win in the regular-season finale proves his team is still perfectly capable of making noise in the playoffs.
The results proved Pierson right. West Jones scored on its first two offensive plays for a 14-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. Running back Archie Sims spun out of three tackles on his way to a 35-yard touchdown run on the Mustangs' first play, and less than two minutes later, Justin Young scored on an eight-yard touchdown run that followed a fumble recovery.
West Jones quarterback Warren Herrington provided his team's next three scores. The junior scored on an 11-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter and a 24-yard scoring pass to Regrick Young early in the second quarter for a 28-0 Mustangs lead. Herrington connected with Michael Thigpen for a 55-yard touchdown pass three minutes before halftime for a 34-0 advantage.
But Northeast Lauderdale took more than just a physical pounding. The Trojans took mental blow late in the first half when Jacob Garrett, a senior offensive lineman, went down with a severe ankle injury. The game was stopped for several minutes while trainers tended to Garrett before he was taken off the field in an ambulance.
Northeast Lauderdale held the Mustangs scoreless in the second half, although West Jones played its reserves exclusively after halftime. But the damage had already been done by that point. Herrington completed 5-of-7 passes for 147 yards, and the Mustangs rolled up 98 rushing yards on nine carries in the first half alone.