Posted 9:33 am Saturday, September 20, 2008
John Tyler Scores Thrilling Win Over Wichita Falls Rider
By HAROLD WILSON
Staff Writer
An unexpected quarterback sparked the comeback and stole the show.
Staff Writer
An unexpected quarterback sparked the comeback and stole the show.
John Tyler sophomore backup QB David Bush brought JT back from the jaws of defeat, hitting Tarrington Joiner for a 52-yard game-winning touchdown and sending the Lions to a heart-stopping 28-24 win over Wichita Falls Rider Friday at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.
An injury on the final drive to JT starter Jeremy Johnson pressed Bush into hurry-up duty.
Bush, who just last month suffered the loss of his father, bobbled the first snap but still found Courtland Nickelberry on a six-yard pickup and quickly calmed down.
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With just 37 seconds left, Bush spotted Joiner for a nine-yard gain to move the chains. With less than 30 seconds remaining and two timeouts left, Bush rushed to the line, received the snap, dropped back and spotted his target coming out of his slant. Upon making a haul of Bush's ball, Joiner jetted toward the center of the field and outraced the Rider secondary into the JT end zone to set off jubilation on the home side.
JT (2-2) evened its record with a second straight win over a highly regarded opponent in Rider (0-3), which started the year ranked No. 2 in Class 4A.
"They were in a prevent defense and we saw that quick slant," JT coach Dereck Rush said. "Joiner caught the ball and ran it in for us."
In one minute, Bush completed all three of his passes for 67 yards. Bush, whose older brother Antoine Bush occupied the JT QB position from 2002-04 and now starts at cornerback for North Texas, added a 10-yard reception earlier.
"He's got good genes. He came in, kept his composure and made plays when he had to," Rush said of Bush. "I told him his dad would be proud of him."
Before Bush's heroics, Rider blue-chip quarterback Shavodrick Beaver grabbed center stage. With Rider trailing 21-10 with less than seven minutes to go, Beaver hooked up with Paul Mason on a 21-yard TD pass.
Rider responded with a defensive stand at its own 28, and Beaver raced to a 64-yard TD run on a keeper moments later to suddenly put the Raiders in front of the Lions, 24-21, with 1:27 showing on the clock.
"We were worried about getting down and scoring," Rush said. "We couldn't do anything about that, but we could do something about that moment."
Prior to Beaver's big plays, Johnson played the leading role. Johnson rushed for a career-high 155 yards on 19 carries, including a 36-yarder TD late in the third quarter, which featured a spin move back inside around two Rider defenders, to give JT a commanding 21-10 lead.
Ky'Ordric Black backed Johnson with 20 rushes for 133 yards, and added a 5-yard TD reception just before the intermission to give JT a 14-10 cushion.
The JT ground attack accounted for 285 of the team's 394 yards.
For the most part, JT held Beaver, a Michigan commit, in check. Beaver connected on 13 of 26 passes for 105 yards and moved out of negative yards rushing with his TD run to finish with eight attempts for 55 yards.
Rider reeled off the first points on the heels of Joey Neale's 24-yard field goal, but JT answered with Correy Wilson's 20-yard fumble return for a TD, which with Beaver on the sideline hobbled for one play.
Jurrell Thompson scored on a 6-yard run to give Rider back the lead briefly following a 65-yard drive.
JT countered with an even longer drive -- eight plays, 82 yards -- with Black supplying a great chunk, 41 rushing and the final five receiving. On second-and-goal, Johnson took off running but paused to freeze the defense before lobbing the ball to a kneeling Black, giving JT the go-ahead score.
On the ensuing kickoff, JT kicker Jesse Diaz saved a touchdown when he knocked Mason out of bounds at the Lion 32 after a 63-yard return.
"I'll take a win any way I can get it," Rush said. "Now we just have to go back to work."
Earl Campbell Field At Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium
John Tyler 28, Wichita Falls Rider 24
WFR -- FG 24, Joey Neale, 0:39
Second Quarter
JT -- Correy Wilson 20 fumble return (Jesse Diaz kick), 6:39 WFR -- Jurrell Thompson 6 run (Neale kick), 4:16 JT -- Ky'Ordrick Black 5 pass from Jeremy Johnson (Diaz kick), 1:24 Third Quarter JT -- Jeremy Johnson 36 run (Diaz kick), 0:39 Fourth Quarter WFR -- Paul Mason 21 pass from Shavodrick Beaver (Neale kick), 6:47 WFR -- Beaver 64 run (Neale kick), 1:27 JT -- Tarrington Joiner 52 pass from David Bush (Diaz kick), 0:16 EST.ATT. -- 3500.
Second Quarter
JT -- Correy Wilson 20 fumble return (Jesse Diaz kick), 6:39 WFR -- Jurrell Thompson 6 run (Neale kick), 4:16 JT -- Ky'Ordrick Black 5 pass from Jeremy Johnson (Diaz kick), 1:24 Third Quarter JT -- Jeremy Johnson 36 run (Diaz kick), 0:39 Fourth Quarter WFR -- Paul Mason 21 pass from Shavodrick Beaver (Neale kick), 6:47 WFR -- Beaver 64 run (Neale kick), 1:27 JT -- Tarrington Joiner 52 pass from David Bush (Diaz kick), 0:16 EST.ATT. -- 3500.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING -- WF Rider, Jurrell Thompson 10-56, Shavodrick Beaver 8-55, Will Toliver 5-36, Eric Ward 6-36. John Tyler, Jeremy Johnson 19-155, Ky'Ordric Black 20-123, Kedrick Chancellor 4-7.
PASSING -- WF Rider , Beaver 13-26-0 -- 105. John Tyler, Johnson 6-12-0 -- 42, David Bush 3-3-0 -- 67.
RECEIVING -- WF Rider, Paul Mason 4-47, Ward 3-16, Thompson 3-9, Christian Howells 1-20, Graham McGregor 1-11, Toliver 1-2. John Tyler, Tarrington Joiner 3-66, Courtland Nickelberry 2-14, Black 2-9, Bush 1-10, Dominic Ward 1-10
