Posted 10:43 am Wednesday, September 24, 2008
John Tyler Receiver's TD Completes Rally
By HAROLD WILSON
Staff Writer
Tarrington Joiner joined in on the offensive fun, and showed he could run at the same time.
Staff Writer
Tarrington Joiner joined in on the offensive fun, and showed he could run at the same time.
Joiner enjoyed a breakout game, highlighted by one breakaway play -- a 48-yard touchdown run and catch that sealed John Tyler's come-from-behind 28-24 win over Wichita Falls Rider last week.
Anyone concerned with the senior's speed before need not worry anymore. Joiner (5-11, 155) outraced no fewer than three Rider defenders after catching a pass on a slant route in full stride from sophomore quarterback David Bush, in the game after an injury to starter Jeremy Johnson. From there, Joiner shifted into fifth gear and burst past any would-be tacklers.
"Yeah (they've doubted) it before but I've been working hard to get my speed up," said Joiner. "I couldn't believe it at first -- just catching it and running (that far) with it. I was expecting to just catch the ball, get a couple of yards and lay it down. It turned out to be a touchdown."
JT led 21-10 with seven minutes left before Rider responded with two quick scores to take the lead. Turns out, JT's grind-it-out attack proved capable of making a quick comeback of its own through the air.
"We were still focused and knew we had to put some points on the board," Joiner said. "I just told Bush he had to step up in (Jeremy's) place and that's what he did. After the first play I tapped him on his shoulder and told him there's no point being nervous -- just get in and play your game. He threw a good ball (on the TD play) -- right on the money. When I caught I saw the end zone and I ran to it."
Thanks to the passing attack, the JT offense totaled 390 yards, moving its season average over the 300 plateau.
The Lions remained unbeaten when catching a TD pass, with all four scoring receptions coming the past two weeks -- two by Ky'Ordric Black and another by Demetree Curtis. Seven different receivers have caught 34 passes in four games for the Lions, despite the run game racking up 943 yards and four backs more than 100 in the process.
Bush figures into a fairly deep receiving core as well, as do seniors DeTrich Morgan and Dominic Ward and junior Courtland Nickelberry.
"It's pretty much by committee, whoever's hot that night we'll try to get the ball to," JT coach Dereck Rush said of the receiving corps. "Seven-on-7 helped those guys a lot during the summer, and helped Jeremy Johnson get acclimated him to the receivers."
Joiner dedicated himself to getting better after his junior season. He leads the team in receiving yards with 91 and ranks second with six receptions.
"We knew he had his mind set to be a player for us during the spring," Rush said. "He's probably been the most improved since the offseason, along with Nickelberry. He got in the weight room, got stronger and concentrated on learning how to run routes and catch the football."
The attention other teams place on JT's ground game gives the receivers even more freedom. Joiner likes to think their blocking plays a part in opening up passing lanes.
"When our runners do get the ball, we make sure we're blocking," he said. "We run the ball a lot and the defense will focus on the run and it'll open up the pass. We just have to catch the ball and get as much as we can."
Just like his memorable run after the catch, Joiner plans to look straight ahead and keep going for the goal line in the near future, or in this case the team's goal of more wins and ultimately a playoff berth.
"We're practicing and getting better every week," Joiner said. "We have to stay focused and not worry about the past. I know we won a few games, but we have to look forward to winning another."
LIONS' TALES: Rush said junior quarterback Jeremy Johnson, who missed the final drive after being horse-collared by a Rider player, is fine, and the JT team as a whole relatively injury-free going into Friday's game against Lewisville, set for 7:30 p.m. at Goldsmith Stadium.
