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JAY — Baker kept its playoff hopes alive with a 48-21 victory over Jay in the “War of Highway 4” Friday.
After a slow first half, the Gators (5-3, 1-1 in District 1-A) exploded with the second half’s opening kickoff.
Kodi Moen bobbled the kickoff before he rumbled through the Jay special teams unit 82 yards for the first of four third-quarter touchdowns.
In the first half, the Gators relied on the running of D.J. Thomas, but he became a decoy in the second half, as Adam Crowson would fake a hand-off to Thomas before eating up big yards.
Crowson’s first rushing attempt of the second half went for 56 yards; two plays later, he faked to Thomas again before going seven yards for the third quarter’s second score. It happened with less than four minutes to go up 21-7, after Jon Beck hit Austin Martin for a two-point conversion.
Baker held Jay to another three-and-out as they went to work again, before Crowson tacked on his second touchdown of the quarter from 36 yards out. The Gators were up 28-7, but they were not done.
The quarter’s fourth score came in just two plays.
Crowson rumbled 40 yards to the Royals 15 then it was Thomas who powered his way in from 15 yards out as Baker went up 34-13.
The Baker starting quarterback finished the game with 148 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries. Thomas scored three times and amassed 119 yards on 26 carries.
Baker managed 341 yards on the ground; they controlled the entire second half after the teams went to the locker room and tied 7-7 at halftime.
Jay (3-4, 0-2 in District 1-A) managed three touchdowns on the night, with the first coming on a 64-yard pass play from Tate Upton to Hunter Dillishaw in the first quarter. Senior Ricky Coefield scored on runs of 11 yards and 44 yards.
Coefield managed to give the Gators some fits as he finished the game with 163 yards on 23 carries.
With the win, the Gators maintain a chance of securing the runner-up spot in District 1-A and earn a playoff berth.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gators win War of Highway 4