GOOD HOPE —
Vinemont inched one step closer to securing its first playoff spot since 2009 with a 33-12 win over county rival Good Hope Friday night.
And it was all partially due to the play of Eagle senior Ty Jones, who finished the night with 19 carries for 224 yards and four touchdowns.
“Ty had a good game,” Vinemont coach Alan Scott said. “The line did a good job coming off the ball, and kept plugging away. Eventually Ty was able to bust one, so it was a great team win.”
Good Hope controlled the clock much of the first quarter, driving 81 yards for a 3-yard touchdown by Zac Witcher. It capped off a 17 play drive that ate up roughly seven minutes of time.
The Raiders would take a 6-0 lead into the second quarter, but it didn’t last long as Vinemont responded at the 7:35 mark with an 8-yard touchdown by Jones from a drive that started at the Good Hope 36 yard line. After forcing the Raiders to punt, Jones struck again for the Eagles on their ensuing possession with a 50-yard sprint to the endzone.
With a little over a minute remaining in the quarter, Good Hope knotted the score at 12 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Jerrod McClure. Two plays later Vinemont was provided with all the momentum they needed the rest of the game, as Jones burst through the line of scrimmage and down the sideline for the 65-yard score.
“Anytime you score right before halftime, it does something to your confidence, and that was very big for us,” Scott said. “Our guys came out in the second half and did what they needed to do. We’re just very fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity in front of us to make the playoffs.”
Vinemont scored twice more in the third before Scott removed his starters and replaced them with the second string. Tyler Boland intercepted a Cainan Smith pass and returned it for 80-yards, while Jones scored on a 37-yard run.
The win puts the Eagles at 5-2 on the year and 3-2 in Class 3A, Region 7 play.
“It’s a big win for our guys,” Scott said. “Good Hope came out and hit us in the mouth and took the ball downfield. It was back and forth for a long time, and our guys never hung their heads down. We had a few big plays and stuck with the game plan and it worked out in the end.”
Vinemont travels to Winfield Friday, while Good Hope travels to Cordova.
% Ashley Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 225, or by email at agraves@cullmantimes.com
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