Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
It was a warm, late summer evening on Tuesday, Sept. 20, when the Madison County Central School (MCCS) Broncos took the short bus ride to Perry to tangle with the Bulldogs of Taylor County Middle School. In the end, the Broncos came out on top of the low-scoring defensive affair with a final score of 12-6.
After winning the coin toss and deferring possession to the second half, the Broncos kicked off to the Bulldogs, who began their first drive at their own 27-yard line. That drive ended in a turnover-on-downs at the Madison County 29 - yard line. The Broncos went three-and-out and the Bulldogs once again had control of the pigskin at the 40-yard line. The Bulldogs were moving down the field when time expired and the score was still 0-0. The Bulldogs moved to the Broncos' 11-yard line before turning the ball over on downs. Then, Bronco quarterback Jayce Johnson hit Javion Mims on a short pass and Mims weaved his way through Bulldog defenders into the open field. From there, Mims turned on the jets and galloped to the end-zone on an 87-yard touchdown pass and run. The two-point conversion attempt was no good and the score was 6-0, with 3:06 remaining until halftime. The Bulldogs responded with a 65-yard scoring drive of their own that took the remainder of the half. The first half ended with the score tied at 6-6.
The Broncos began the second half at midfield and drove the ball deep into the Bulldogs' end of the field. The drive was capped off with a short touchdown run by Johnson to break the tie. After another failed two-point conversion, the score was 12-6, in favor of the Broncos, with 1:30 still to play in the third period. The Bulldogs were on the move from their own 29-yard line as time expired in the third quarter. The Bulldogs' drive ended when a Bronco defender forced a fumble, which was recovered by the Broncos at their own 10-yard line. The Broncos went three-and-out and punted to the Bulldogs, who began their next drive at the Broncos' 41-yard line. The Bulldogs moved the ball down the field and had a first and goal with time dwindling down. The Broncos' defense stiffened, tackling a Bulldog runner for a loss on second down. The Broncos held on third down, forcing a potential game-tying attempt on fourth-and-goal, from the five-yard line, with just five seconds left to play. The Bulldog quarterback failed to connect with his receiver and the Broncos held on to take the 12-6 win over one of the school's biggest rivals.
“It was a very exciting atmosphere,” said Broncos Head Coach Eric Bright. “I was pleased with the way [the team] responded last night.”
Mims was named the Offensive Player of the Week. The entire defensive unit was recognized as the Defensive Players of the Week. Johnson was named the Special Teams Player of the Week. Levi Proveaue earned the “Hog” of the Week title.
The Broncos will return home to Boot Hill on Tuesday, Oct. 4, when they face another tough rival, the Bulldogs of Suwannee County. That will be the final home game for the Broncos and there will be a special ceremony honoring the eighth-grade players on the team right before kickoff. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.