Big Country Game of the Week: Jim Ned smashes Vernon thanks to two goal-line stands

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TUSCOLA – Vernon had a first-and-goal at the Jim Ned 4-yard line early in the second half, trailing 14-7. The Lions appeared a lock to tie the game.

Tanner Hussman, Jim Ned’s senior linebacker, implored his defense to hold the line.

“I tried to let them know, ‘This is it. This is what we practice for, what we wake up for every day – the moments we live for. We’ve got to stop them right here,’” Hussman said.

After T.J. Thomas picked up two yards, getting the ball to the Jim Ned 2, the Lions had three shots at the game-tying TD.

They walked away empty, after Ty Scott was stopped just inches from the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2.

It was one of two second-half goal-line stands by Jim Ned in a 28-7 victory over Vernon in a District 3-3A Division I game Friday night.

It also underscored the fact that the Tuscola team can be every bit as physical as its offense, which grinded out 283 yards on the ground – led by Brayden Shipman’s 220 yards and two TDs rushing.

“We’re growing into a physical football team, which is our recipe for success here,” Jim Ned coach Matt Fanning said. “I’m super proud. That’s grit, determination and toughness when you get down inside the 5 and you hold up. Guys just selling out for the football team.”

It was a disheartening moment for Vernon coach Kevin Sherrill. His team hangs its hat on smash-mouth football, too, especially running the ball.

The third-and-goal at the 2 on the first goal-line stand stilled burned in Sherrill’s memory after the game. Adarius Williams was stopped for no gain.

“We do our thing, our bread and butter, and they stuff us,” Williams said. “It’s one of those things, if we can’t hang our hat on that, that close to the end zone, we’re in trouble. Hat’s off to Jim Ned and their coaching staff and their kids. They’re very tough, very hard-nosed.”

Troy Doran ran for a TD and threw for another, a 3-yarder to Hussman, as Jim Ned (6-3 overall, 4-0 district) clinched at least a share of the district title. It’s Jim Ned’s sixth consecutive victory after starting the season 0-3.

The Tuscola crew – 14-0 in district the last three years – can nail down the No. 1 seed with a victory at Iowa Park (4-5, 3-1) on Friday. Iowa Park beat Vernon earlier in district play.

The Hawks beat Clyde 44-7 to set up a showdown with Jim Ned for the No. 1 seed next week and a piece of the district title.

Vernon (5-4, 2-2) lost its second consecutive game and needs a win at home against Bowie (1-8, 1-3) to nail down a playoff berth and the No. 3 seed.

Farmer's big haul

After being denied at the goal-line on the first drive of the second half, the Lions still had their chances.

After the stop, Vernon forced a three-and-out, prompting Jim Ned to punt the ball from its own 1 on the final play of the third quarter.

The Lions got the ball back at the Jim Ned 47, and Kale Sherrill threw a 26-yard pass to Tyrone McKinney. After two incompletions, Vernon faced third-and-10 from the 21. Ty Farmer then sacked Sherrill for a 12-yard loss.

Vernon, with a strong north wind to its back, then tried a 50-yard field goal, but Javier Perez missed wide left, leaving Jim Ned up 14-7.

The game seemed to turn on Farmer’s sack.

“It was massive,” Fanning said. “It did turn the tide of the game. We had taken the run game away from them. Getting pressure right there was huge and put them in a bad situation.”

Jim Ned, energized by the defense, all but put the game away with a seven-play, 67-yard scoring drive – sparked by Doran’s 30-yard run to the Lions’ 29 on third-and-2.

Shipman capped the drive with his second TD of the night, a 1-yard run for a 21-7 lead with 7:27 left in the game.

Vernon, still with a shot, drove to the Jim Ned 3-yard line for first-and-goal, but managed only one yard on a run by Scott while three passes fell incomplete, including on fourth-and-goal from the 2.

Coach Sherrill, whose team was limited to 100 yards on 31 carries, said Jim Ned's ability to stop the Lions’ run game, especially on the first goal-line stand, changed his team’s approach.

“That second goal-line stand, we’re inside the 3, and we’re trying to throw the ball,” Sherrill said. “That’s just not us.”

Not that the Lions didn’t have success throwing the ball. Kale Sherrill completed 14-of-23 passes for 173 yards, including several big completions on fourth-down plays. But once inside the 5-yard line, the Lions couldn’t get past Jim Ned.

“Throwing the ball as much as we did tonight, and I thought we did a good job of it, but that’s not us,” Coach Sherrill said. “That’s not our identity. That’s what they forced us to do. They took us out of our comfort zone, and we couldn’t overcome.”

The first play after Jim Ned’s second goal-line stand, Shipman ripped off a 91-yard run to the Lions’ 7. Jim Ned finished off Vernon with Doran throwing a 3-yard TD pass to Hussman with 50 seconds left in the game.

Jim Ned's fast start

The game ended the way it started for Jim Ned. The Tuscola crew took the game’s opening kickoff and drove 75 yards on 12 plays with Shipman scoring from 2 yards out.

Jim Ned missed the PAT kick.

Vernon responded with a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive. Kale Sherrill threw a 14-yard TD pass to Tyrone McKinney, and Perez's PAT kick gave the Lions a 7-6 lead with 59 seconds to play in the opening quarter.

Jim Ned led 14-7 at halftime, thanks to Doran’s 9-yard TD run with 4:01 remaining in the second quarter. Shipman threw a pass to Carter Wood on the two-point conversion.

Jim Ned converted two third downs on the drive, including a third-and-6 from the Vernon 40 when Shipman ripped off a 25-yard run that was moved back 10 yards because of a penalty. But it got the first down.

Breaking it down

∎ Turning point: The goal-line stand on the first possession of the second half was big. Vernon converted three fourth-down plays on the 71-yard drive, including a fourth-and-8 from the Jim Ned 47 as Kale Sherrill threw a 31-yard pass to Tavares Gaines.

It would have been easy for the Jim Ned defense to think a TD – and a tied game – was inevitable after the Lions pulled off big play after big play on the drive. Hussman kept thinking about defensive coordinator Johnathon McClure's usual message in the situation.

“It was hard,” Hussman said. “I kept saying, ‘Next play. Next play.’ Coach McClure always says, ‘Make them snap it again, make them snap it again,’ and we did.”

Farmer’s sack to kill the Lions’ next drive also was huge. It was likely the final nail in the coffin for the Lions, while it energized Jim Ned.

∎ Player of the game: Brayden Shipman, running back Jim Ned – The senior ran for 220 yards and two TDs on 19 carries.

“The O-line was amazing all night,” Shipman said. “They gave me great holes, and I just took what they gave me.”

Added Doran: “Shipman dominated. Old Billy, he went at it tonight.”

∎ Key stat: Jim Ned held Vernon to 100 yards rushing on 31 carries. If forced the Lions to throw the ball, something they don’t like to do.

∎ Coach Fanning said: “I’m super proud of them and the effort we put forth. We can’t celebrate too long. We’ve got to go to work for the next one.”

∎ Coach Sherrill said: “I feel like our defense had moments where they really played well. Moments, where a team like Jim Ned, they take over a little bit, doing what they do, a little bit of smash mouth. They were just a little more than we could handle tonight.”

∎ Impact: Jim Ned clinched at least a share of the district title. It can win it outright with a win at Iowa Park next week. Vernon, which lost its second straight game, can clinch a playoff berth and the No. 3 seed with a win at home against Bowie/

∎ Up next: Jim Ned wraps up the regular season at Iowa Park, while the Lions play Bowie in Vernon.

DISTRICT 3-3A DIVISION I

Jim Ned 28, Vernon 7

FIRST QUARTER

JIM − Brayden Shipman 2 run (kick failed), 5:34

VER − Tyrone McKinney 14 pass from Kale Sherrill (Javier Perez kick), 00:59

SECOND QUARTER

JIM − Troy Doran 1 run (Carter Wood pass from Shipman), 4:01

FOURTH QUARTER

JIM − Shipman 1 run (Breydon Walker kick), 7:27

JIM − Tanner Hussman 3 pass from Doran (Walker kick), 00:50

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Vernon, Ty Scott 14-64, Chris Mora 1-12, T.J. Thomas 10-9, Kale Sherrill 3-5, C.J. Johnson 2-3, Jadyon Robledo 1-2. Jim Ned, Brayden Shipman 19-220, Troy Doran 11-56, Trey Hicks 2-17, Grant Glidewell 1-0.

PASSING: Vernon, Sherrill 14-23-0−173. Jim Ned, Doran 5-9-0−42.

RECEIVING: Vernon, Tyrone McKinney 5-88, Tavares Gaines 1-31, Case Flemming 3-21, Robledo 1-18, Johnson 1-6, Greg Newton 1-5, Mason Brothers 1-3, Thomas 1-1. Jim Ned, Glidewell 2-19, Breydon Walker 1-16, Carter Wood 1-4, Tanner Hussman 1-3.

RECORDS: Vernon 5-4, 2-2; Jim Ned 6-3, 4-0.

More:Big Country Game of the Week: Jim Ned battles surprising Vernon for District 3-3A DI title

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Jim Ned beat Vernon in a District 3-3A Division I football game