Tigers turn to aerial attack to fly past Ironmen

JACKSON — The Ironton Fighting Tigers were expecting a tough test from a physical Jackson Ironmen team.

Gaining only 18 net yards rushing in the first half, the Fighting Tigers figured out that to pass this test all they had to do is pass.

Behind the passing of quarterback Wyatt Wolfe and a talented corps of receivers, Ironton racked up 207 yards through the air in the first half and 264 for the game in a 38-7 rout of Jackson on Friday.

Wolfe finished 14 of 20 with two touchdowns and an interception as he threw to seven different receivers, led by Bryson Kerns with four receptions for 77 yards and Kayden Edwards with a pair of catches for 38 yards and a touchdown.

The passing game helped open up the running game in the second half as Ironton (5-0) ran for 155 of its 173 yards. The Fighting Tigers finished with 437 total yards.

"I think the passing game was working so well because our offensive line gave the quarterback time, our receivers were getting open and we were all on the same page," said Kerns. "We practiced it all week and it showed up on Friday night."

Ironton’s swarming ambush defense held Jackson to 132 total yards with the Ironmen getting 70 yards rushing on 32 attempts for an average of 2.2 yards a carry.

Jackson had the ball to start the game but six plays in Brycen Mullins came up with his first interception of the season and Ironton had the ball at their own 39.

With the aid of a 12-yard pass to Kerns and a 16-yarder to Brock Biggs, Ironton reached the Jackson 31 and Wolfe found Edwards open in the middle of the field. Edwards caught the pass and made two quick moves and raced into the end zone.

The conversion kick failed and it was 6-0.

Jackson was forced to punt on its next possession and fumbled the ball and Ironton got the ball at the 16-yard line. Four plays later Mullins scored on a 5-yard run and Wolfe threw to Kerns for the conversion and it was 14-0 with 56 seconds left in the quarter.

Jackson (3-2) put together a 12-play, 77-yard drive on its next possession that was capped by a 37-yard pass from C.J. Crabtree to Tate Rosler. Tanner Jenkins kicked the conversion and the Ironmen trailed 14-7 with 6:19 left in the half.

But Mullins returned the ensuing kickoff from the 2-yard line to the Jackson 33 and Wolfe hit Tyson with a 33-yard scoring pass on the next play and the lead was 21-7.

Jackson fumbled on its first play after the kickoff and Ironton recovered. Wolfe connected with his brother Nolan Wolfe for 43-yard to the 5-yard line.

But the Jackson defense held and Waginger kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 24-7 lead with 3:45 to go in the half.

Ironton put the game away in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns.

The Fighting Tigers took the second half kickoff and went 80 yards in 11 plays with Wyatt Wolfe running 18 yards for a touchdown and it was 31-7.

Following a 3-and-out, Ironton got a 28-yard run by Harvey, an-yard pass to Mullins and an 8-yard scoring run by Harvey pushed the lead to 38-7.

Ironton will host Columbus Big Walnut next Friday.

Ironton 14   10   14   0  =  38

Jackson 0     7     0   0  =    7

First Quarter

Irn — Kayden Edwards 31 pass from Wyatt Wolfe (kick failed), 5:48

Irn — Brycen Mullins 5 run (Bryson Kerns pass from Wyatt Wolfe), 0:56

Second Quarter

Jax — Tate Rosler 37 pass from C.J. Crabtree (Tanner Jenkins kick), 6:19

Irn — Tyson Harvey 33 pass from Wyatt Wolfe (Beckham Waginger kick) 6:00

Irn — Beckham Waginger 22 field goal, 3:45

Third Quarter

Irn — Wyatt Wolfe 18 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 7:48

Irn — Tyson Harvey 8 run (Beckham Waginger kick), 3:54

———————

            Irn    Jax

First downs     18       8

Rushes-yards  30-173 32-70

Passing yards  264     62

Total yards      437 132

Cmp-Att-Int    14-20- 13-7-1

Fumbles-lost   0-0 4-1

Penalties-yards            5-35 2-15

Punts-average  0-00.0  4-40.8

———————

Individual Leaders

RUSHING — Ironton: Tyson Harvey 10-46, Kayden Edwards 5-23, Wyatt Wolfe 4-28 TD, Brycen Mullins 1-5 TD, Ayden Justice 3-19, Madden Clark 6-40, Ashton Layne 1-1, Team 1-minus 5; Jackson: Tate Rosler 12-36, Ashton Seymour 13-31, Israel Schindler 2-5, C.J. Crabtree 4-15, Team 1-minus 17.

PASSING — Ironton: Wyatt Wolfe 14-20-1 264 2-TD; Jackson: C.J. Crabtree 3-7-1 62 TD.

RECEIVING — Ironton: Bryson Kerns 4-77, Kayden Edwards 2-38 TD, Brock Biggs 1-16, Nolan Wolfe 1-43, Tyson Harvey 1-33 TD, Brycen Mullins 3-40, Bubby Kidd 2-17; Jackson: Dayton Kallner 1-17, Tate Rosler 1-37 TD, Hunter Long 1-10.

MISSED FIELD GOALS — Beckham Waginger (Ironton), 44, blocked.