Madison County football fans may have expected an old-fashioned, tension-filled slugfest between the Jonathan Alder
Pioneers and the London Red Raiders on Friday.
After all, both squads went into the regular season finale with matching 5-0 records and have been known to wage fierce
battles against each other in the past.
The winner was going to walk off Alder’s Volunteer Field as the Kenton Trail Division winner in the Central Buckeye
Conference.
The loser was going to have to settle for second-place scraps.
The contest was indeed a nail biter after three quarters, when JA took a 16-13 lead into the final 12 minutes of action.
Jonathan Alder coach Brett Glass said his team had a bit of incentive, however, as the Pioneers went on to claim a 30-
13 victory.
“A lot of people were telling our guys we wouldn’t be able to run the ball against London,” he said.
That was proven wrong as Will Heisler tallied a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns and finished the game with 125 yards
on the ground.
He helped lead Alder to its second straight unbeaten regular season. JA also defended its CBC title.
“Will ran very well, but you have to give our offensive line credit,” said Glass. “Our entire line did a great job, led by our
seniors Kyle Kidd, Alex Schrock and Breckin Francis.”
The ground game has been a staple of the Pioneers’ offense for years and years.
However, when you also have stellar senior teammates in quarterback JT Keith and receiver Jackson Izzard, the aerial
attack is also a vital weapon.
“We always talk about being balanced on offense,” said Glass.
The Pioneers followed that game plan with 119 net yards on the ground and 195 through the air.
Keith was 29-of-35 in covering the passing yards.
Izzard had an amazing game as he finished with a whopping 19 receptions for 152 yards.
It seemed on many plays as though Keith and Izzard were reading each other’s mind as key receptions kept drives
alive.
“JT and Jackson have worked together for four years,” said Glass.
The Pioneers took the opening kickoff and wiped more than six minutes off the clock in advancing 68 yards for their first
score.
Heisler did most of the groundwork, while the Keith-to-Izzard tandem also helped move the ball deep into Red Raider
territory.
The series was capped when Keith scampered into the end zone from three yards away.
Dylan Moore’s PAT gave Alder a 7-0 lead.
London was stopped after only six plays and had to punt.
Alder took possession late in the quarter and continued a series into the ensuing period.
Keith hit both Izzard and Heisler with passes to move into the red zone.
The series ended when Izzard took the ball across the end line from the five-yard line.
Moore’s extra point failed, leaving Alder up, 13-0.
London’s next possession ended when Tyson Mast intercepted a pass from Isaiah Jones.
The Red Raiders, though, returned the favor when Zach Jones picked off a pass by Keith.
London converted that pick into an eventual touchdown. Jones flipped a 15-yard strike to Hayden Vasey.
The extra point failed and Alder carried a 13-6 lead into the turn.
Jonathan Alder’s defense continued to suffocate London’s offensive unit in the third stanza.
A pair of incomplete passes returned possession to JA on fourth down.
“Our defense played well all night,” said Glass.
The Pioneers’ ensuing drive into London territory, however, hit a snag.
There were no worries when Moore blasted a 36-yard field goal for a 16-6 lead.
Things did, however, get a bit dicey for Alder during the ensuing kickoff.
London’s Ayden Cooper fielded the ball on the 15 and moved upfield.
He spun and side-stepped a number of tackle attempts en route to an 85-yard kickoff return.
Ryan Fullmer booted the PAT, cutting London’s deficit to 16-13.
Of perhaps more importance was the fact that Moore was blocked on the return and suffered a knee injury. He did not
return to the game.
JA later lost the ball on a fumble at midfield.
The Red Raiders, though, could not capitalize and lost the pigskin on fourth down at the Alder 10.
“We weathered a couple of storms with that interception and fumble,” said Glass.
The Pioneers moved the ball into the final period and scored on Heisler’s five-yard run.
The extra point attempt by Charlie Aurin failed, leaving Alder up 22-13.
London’s kickoff return man then slipped on the turf after fielding the ball.That left the Raiders with 93 yards to go for a score.
Alder’s Chase Maynard made sure that didn’t happen when he pounced on a fumble at the four-yard-line.
Heisler needed just one handoff to race into the end zone.
Keith then hit Izzard for the two-point conversion that pulled the Pioneers out to their 30-13 margin.
London moved into JA territory late in the contest.
That series ended on another interception.
The Pioneers then went into victory formation to seal their unbeaten regular season and the CBC title.
Alder now has a couple of weeks to prepare for its Division III state playoff opener.
JA will host either Zanesville or Buckeye Valley on Friday, Oct. 16.