JA’s Jackson Izzard (5) races past a Springfield Shawnee defender. Izzard scored four touchdowns during a 38-31 win over the Braves. (Photo submitted)
Springfield Shawnee’s football team was bound and determined to take away Jonathan Alder’s ground game Friday evening.
The Braves indeed made it difficult for the Pioneers to pick up much yardage with their usually strong running game.
Shawnee didn’t, however, do a very good job against Alder’s aerial attack.
JA quarterback JT Keith threw for five TD passes, four of which went to receiver Jackson Izzard, during a 38-31 victory.
No statistics were available from the game, but Pioneer head coach Brett Glass knew what buttered his bread on this night.
“JT was spot-on with his passing,” said Glass. “He and Jackson are a pretty good team.”
Still, the Pioneers had to tally a touchdown with 20 seconds left to play to improve their record to 5-0.
That score came when Keith found Izzard for a 25-yard scoring strike.
Alder held a 21-10 lead at halftime.
The Pioneers’ first-half scores came on a 23-yard pass from Keith to younger brother Jonathan and 57 and 37-yard strikes to Izzard.
Dylan Moore was good on all of his extra points as JA took the 11-point margin at the turn.
Moore booted a 23-yard field goal during the third quarter, upping JA’s lead to 24-10.
The Braves, however, closed to within 24-17 in the third quarter.
Keith went the short route to Izzard early in the fourth period.
His eight-yard pass and Moore’s PAT pushed the Pioneers out to a 31-17 advantage.
Shawnee, though, refused to surrender.
The Braves came back to tie the game at 31-all with a pair of touchdowns.
That led to Alder’s dramatic, late-game touchdown that kept their record unblemished.
“Hey, 5-0 is 5-0,” said Glass.
There is another 5-0 team in the area that is lurking on Jonathan Alder’s horizon.
The Red Raiders of London will bring their perfect record into the Pioneers’ home stadium on Friday.
The game will be the regular season finale and will decide the Central Buckeye Conference’s Kenton Trail Division championship.