Solid effort, Jackson’s TDs keys to West Greene’s win
Observer-Reporter
Struggling with numbers, new Monessen football coach Shane Swope is hoping to turn the Greyhounds into what they used to be.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Benjamin Jackson finished his senior season with 3,076 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns.
West Greene’s Brock Bedilion makes a second-quarter tackle Friday night of Monessen’s Dawayne Howell.
Observer-Reporter
West Greene’s Ben Jackson is congratulated by Gavin Scott after scoring a touchdown in a game last season.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Monessen and West Greene are two of the three teams that could tie for the Tri-County South Conference championship.
ROGERSVILLE – Ben Jackson rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries as West Greene held off Monessen, 24-6, Friday night in a sloppy, hectic game.
With the win, the Pioneers move to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the Class A Tri-County South Conference as they hold on to first place. Monessen falls to 3-1 overall, with a 2-1 record in conference.
One of the key detriments to Monessen was its lack of discipline as the Greyhounds were called for 15 penalties, including eight on West Greene’s final drive, just after the visitors’ only touchdown, which made the score 16-6.
“There were very few moments where we had all 11 people on the same page,” said Monessen head coach Mike Blainfield. “A lot of people were lining up in the wrong positions, people were running the wrong plays, blocking the wrong people, tackling the wrong people. (It was a) very sloppy game on our part.”
West Greene jumped out to an early lead after a bad snap by Monessen on a punt rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety. On the Pioneers’ ensuing drive, Ben Jackson broke away for a 21-yard touchdown run and successfully ran in the two-point conversion to extend their lead to 10-0 with 7:11 to go in the first quarter.
Neither team would muster much offense until late in the second quarter as Jackson pounded in his second touchdown, from four yards out. Following a failed two-point conversion, the Pioneers led 16-0 heading into halftime.
The third quarter went scoreless, but Monessen started a 13-play drive that ended with a two-yard rushing touchdown by senior Devin Whitlock with 8:50 left in the fourth quarter.
Now leading by 10, West Greene started an eight-minute, eight-play drive that ended with Jackson’s third touchdown of the night, a 10-yard score with 25 seconds left remaining. That drive solidified the 24-6 final.
“On the last possession, we showed a lot of discipline and focus-and that was the difference,” West Greene head coach Rod Huffman said. “They didn’t, and it cost them – it cost them dearly. They could’ve been three-and-out and had the ball back. They couldn’t stay on their line of scrimmage.”
Huffman was especially enthusiastic with his team’s defensive efforts against a Monessen team that was averaging 41.7 points per game.
“We had a great game plan going in. Our coaches did a great job of scouting and breaking down film,” Huffman said. “We knew what they were going to run, and they have athletes across the board … it’s just a great overall team effort coaching and from the boys.”