Senior #66 Brett Gayler takes a good pursuit angle on SHNH #11 quarterback.

Defensive lineman #50 Kalen LaHue get a good tackle on SHNH running back #20 Taran Clark.

Senior fullback #59 Dalton Stevens take it up the middle for a short gain.

The Blue Jays hosted the South Holt/Nodaway-Holt Spartans Friday, October 12, 2018. It was also Rock Port R-II Senior Night as well as the annual Pink Out Game.

The Blue Jays won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. After an errant kick the Spartans started their first drive on their own 31 yard line. Moving the ball on the ground for five plays, SHNH hit pay dirt on a pass. No. 29 Gavin Abbott knocked down the two point conversion attempt and the score was 6-0.

After the onside attempt, Rock Port had the ball on the SHNH 37 yard line. The Blue Jays moved the ball seven yards in two plays, but on a missed pitch from #13 Alex Burke to #29 Abbott the Blue Jays lost the fumble to give the Spartans the ball on their own 39 yard line. Unable to move the sticks to get a first down, SHNH turned the ball over on downs in the next set of downs.

From the SHNH 36 yard line the Blue Jays began their next drive. Scoring quickly on the third play from scrimmage, #29 Abbott took the hand-off from #13 Burke and covered the 43 yards to tie the game at six each. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful.

On a failed on-side kick the Spartans had the ball on Rock Port’s 32 yard line, moving the ball down to their own 13 yard line. SHNH turned the ball over on downs. On this scoring series a host of Blue Jays had a hand in moving the ball on a 14 play drive, capped off with a quarterback keeper on a one yard plunge. This put Rock Port on top 12-6. The two-point attempt failed.

With a failed onside kick the Spartans started their drive on the Rock Port 39 yard line. With a big surge by the defensive line, the Blue Jays held the Spartans, who turned the ball over on downs to Rock Port on the 36 yard line. No. 29 Abbott covered the 44 yards in three plays, including a 30 yard TD run. This put the Blue Jays over the Spartans 18-6. The two-point conversion failed.

The Spartans had good field position on a failed onside kick attempt, and began on the Rock Port 39 yard line. They moved the ball 41 yards in seven plays to find the end zone. After the two-point conversion failed, the score was 18-12.

No. 34 Joey Herron gave the Blue Jays good field position on the SHNH 36 after a 20 yard return. Only taking four plays to find the end zone, #29 Abbott cut back against the grain for 30 yards to put the Blue Jays up 24-12. A pass from #13 Burke to #30 Aaron Lawrence gave Rock Port the two-point conversion and the score was 26-12.

No. 13 Burke brought the next Spartan drive to an end with an interception on the Rock Port 24 yard line. SHNH returned the favor with an interception of their own in the end zone to give the Spartans a first and 10 on the Rock Port 15 yard line. Unable to convert, due in part to a big tackle for a loss by #50 Kalen LaHue, the Spartans were forced to punt. With the ball on the Spartan 16 yard line the Blue Jays only got off two plays before the half came to an end.

The Blue Jays started the second half on the 22 yard line after the kick-off. Rock Port was able to get a first down, but lost the handle in the next set of downs and gave the Spartans the ball on the Rock Port 35 yard line. No. 13 Burke got his second interception of the game and the Blue Jays had the ball on the SHNH 13 yard line. After moving the down markers once, Rock Port was forced to punt. Unable to get the punt off, #34 Herron tried to make the first down marker but came up a bit short. This gave the ball to the Spartans on their own 27 yard line. Two plays later, #59 Dalton Stevens jumped on a Spartan fumble and got the ball back for the Blue Jays on the SHNH 31 yard line.

The Blue Jays ended the third quarter after moving the ball on 10 running plays. The Jays scored at the start of the fourth with a four yard dive by #29 Abbott to make the score 32-12 SHNH, after a failed two point attempt.

The Spartans had good field position on the Rock Port 33, but were unable to move the ball. They turned the ball over on downs to the Blue Jays on the SHNH 31 yard line. Three plays later the Blue Jays again hit pay dirt on a 42 yard run by #29 Abbott. The two-point conversion failed, bringing the score to 40-12.

The Spartans started their next drive on the Rock Port 12 yard line. Not able to convert a first down, they were forced to punt.

The JV offense took over at the 36 yard line. Not able to convert a first down, they were forced to punt. On a lucky bounce the ball hit a Spartan player then into the arms of a Blue Jay to give Rock Port a first and 10 on their own 16 yard line. Not able to convert a first down, the Blue Jays turned the ball over on downs to the Spartans on the 10 yard line. The Spartans had the final three plays of the game.

Rock Port will travel to Mound City this Friday, October 19, 2018, to take on the undefeated Panthers.

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