BLACKA
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Jonathan Alder won its seventh game of the 2017 football season with a 35-21 victory over Springfield Shawnee on Friday.
The Pioneers trailed 14-7 at halftime, but dominated the second half.
Alder (7-2) got on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a 15-yard run by quarterback Preston Eisnaugle. Ethan Gordin booted the extra point.
The Braves answered with a four-yard scoring run by QB Robbie Glass. The extra point by Jacob Young tied the game at 7-all.
Shawnee took its seven-point margin at the turn after Glass scored on a nine-yard run in the second period. Young added the extra point.
Eisnaugle went to the air to tie the game in the third quarter. He found Dalton Potts on a 22-yard pass.
Gordin booted his third PAT.
Glass followed suit by unleashing a 61-yard strike to Jackson Smith.
Young’s conversion returned a 21-14 advantage to Shawnee.
The Eisnaugle-to-Potts connection worked again, as a 13-yard TD pass and Gordin’s extra point tied the contest at 21 by the end of the third stanza.
The Pioneers welcomed back Bryan Blacka from a knee injury and he came up with a huge play during the fourth period.
Blacka scooped up a Shawnee fumble and returned it 33 yards for a score.
“It was nice to get Bryan back,” said JA coach Brett Glass. “He made a big play and that was huge for him.”
Eisnaugle then finished off the scoring with a 20-yard run.
Alder rushed for 224 yards and passed for 89.
The Braves tallied 145 yards on the ground and 104 through the air.
JA running back Jamie Dye had another big game as he picked up 156 yards on 30 carries.
“Jamie is just a work horse,” said Glass.
The Pioneers are now No. 4 in the unofficial computer rankings for Division 16 of Region 4.
They will wrap up the regular season at Graham on Friday.
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