East Jackson tailback C.J. Allen passed the 1,000-yard mark for the season Friday, but most all the other highlights belonged to Athens Academy in a 38-14 Spartan win.
Athens Academy ran out to a 38-0 lead at the end of three quarters as it handed East Jackson (3-7) its sixth-straight loss.
“They played solid on offense and defense and we made a lot of mistakes that kind of went along with some of the things that we’ve done all year,” East Jackson coach Brian Smith said. “We just really didn’t answer the bell early.”
Allen finished with 109 yards on 21 carries, which included a 40-yard touchdown that got East Jackson on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter. The senior, who only played in nine games this season, passed the 1,000-yard mark with that run.
“The neat thing about C.J. was that he knew that he was close, and when he busted off his long run — I watched him — after he scored, he knew he had it. He shook hands and high-fived every kid on the field, all his offensive linemen. Because he knew it was about them. That was a classy thing for him to do, and I’m sure it meant a lot to those kids, too.”
Michael Stephens provided the Eagles’ other score, running in from five yards out with 5:19 left in the game. East Jackson finished with 196 yards on the ground.
The days leading up to the season finale had been filled with emotion with the Oct. 31 death of defensive line coach Joel Conway. Although this game was played at Athens Academy, the Spartans helped the Eagles memorialize Conway. Both teams prayed together prior to the game, and Athens Academy donated money to a scholarship fund set up for Conway’s 2-year-old son.
That meant a lot, Smith said.
“I was very proud of what Athens Academy did Friday night,” Smith said. “They went above and beyond for us.”
Conway’s father attended the game and addressed the team. East Jackson players walked onto the field with arms locked, instead of running through a banner, in memory of Conway and as a gesture to Conway’s father.
“Just to show him that we’re there for him and it’s still tough for all of us,” Smith said. “But we just wanted him to know they’re a part of us and will be.”
Now, East Jackson looks forward to a full off season under Smith as the Eagles must find replacements for players like Allen, and quarterback Tyler Collins, who was East Jackson’s second-leading rusher with 589 yards.
“We’ve got to find some offensive players,” Smith said. “We’ve got to find some offensive skill guys and have got a lot of holes on defense, too.”
Specifically on offense, East Jackson must shore-up its passing game for 2012, after managing only 134 passing yards the entire fall. Smith said his team has to become two-dimensional.
“We were horrible at that this year,” Smith said. “We’ve got to be more multiple … My son even said, ‘daddy, you’ve got to throw the ball.’ Because he knows I like to throw the ball around. We’d like to be 50-50 or 55-45.”
So the clock has already begun ticking for 2012 as the Eagles expect to be busy in the offseason.
“I talked to some of our kids Friday night after the ball game,” Smith said. “I just said, ‘we start work now.’”
