By GREG MENGELT
Greg.Mengelt@newsandtribune.com
JEFFERSONVILLE —
The Jeffersonville football team surrendered 20 points in each of the first two quarters and fell to 0-3 with a 47-21 loss to Bedford North Lawrence on Friday at Blair Field.
Bedford took advantage of several Jeffersonville mistakes to bury the Red Devils (0-2 Hoosier Hills Conference) early.
There were a minus-6-yard punt, two interceptions off of dropped passes and three first-quarter penalties that put Jeff in an early hole.
“We’ve done that every week,” said Jeffersonville coach Bob Redman, who is in his first season as the Red Devils’ coach. “We’ve made mistakes, mistakes, mistakes, mistakes.”
Jeff forced the Stars into a punt on their first drive. After Andrell Williams’ 20-yard run on Jeff’s first play — one of four first downs in the first half for the Devils — Bedford’s defense stiffened and forced a Jeff punt.
Vincent Straight’s punt traveled just beyond the line of scrimmage for the Red Devils, then bounced six yards behind it. Two plays later, the Stars were on the board on a 20-yard touchdown run by Jay Thomas.
On Jeff’s next drive, Bedford intercepted a Dalton Conway pass — off of a tipped ball — at the 25-yard line. Two plays later, Kraig Smoot went 22 yards — untouched until he hit the goal line — for another score and a 13-0 Star advantage.
After a penalty put Jeff in a third-and-16 situation, Conway’s pass went off the hands of Williams and into the hands of Stars’ defensive back Casey Thomas at the Jeff 30.
On Bedford’s first offensive play, Bedford quarter Eric Sowders found Smoot wide open in the middle of the field for a third Bedford first-quarter touchdown and a 20-0 lead.
“We are where we are. Obviously, we’re not a good ballclub yet,” Redman said. “We’re making a ton of mistakes. We’re going backwards as much as we’re going forward.”
Jeff got on the board early in the second quarter on an 82-yard Conway-to-Tyrone Williams score with 10:36 remaining in the period.
Bedford had three sustained drives for scores in the second. Thomas scored for the second time, this time on a 3-yard pass from Sowders. Sowders later scored on a keeper from five yards out, then teammate Marcus Sullivan tossed a halfback pass to Thomas from 11 yards out with 22 seconds remaining in the first half.
“We made some plays and they had some turnovers,” Bedford coach Brett Szabo said. “I’d like to think we caused some of them. You draw up stuff on paper, and seven out of 10 times they don’t work. So when they work every time, it’s always surprising.”
“I thought going in (Bedford) was the best team we’ve faced,” Redman said of the 2-1 Stars (1-0 HHC). “They’re physical, and we are not there yet.”
The Stars scored early in the second half — on a Sullivan 7-yard-run — to take a 47-7 lead before Jeff scored the final 14 points.
Conway found newcomer Jordan Ellis with a 57-yard throw with 10:43 left in the fourth period. Conway then connected with Williams again with 47 seconds left. The second Conway-to-Williams score came from 12 yards out.
Williams finished with 128 yards on six receptions. He also rushed for a team-best 31 yards on four carries.
“Tyrone is developing into a top-notch Division I prospect,” Redman said. “He’s the real deal.”
Jeff had 172 second-half yards, including 106 from the combination of Conway and Ellis.
“We can be a pretty good offensive team,” Redman said. “In order to be a good team, we’re going to have to score a lot of points. That’s where we are. Defensively, we have to hit somebody and we’re not very physical.”
Redman said the second half was a positive step for the Red Devils, who will host Madison (0-3, 0-1 HHC) next Friday.
“Male was like this for five games,” Redman said of his last coaching job. “Waggener, Ballard, we struggled for a while. The kids are learning, and the best thing is we’re fighting back. I think we might be somebody’s nightmare down the road.”
BEDFORD NL 20 20 7 0—47
JEFFERSONVILLE 0 7 0 14—21
1st quarter
B — J. Thomas 20 run (kick failed), 7:37
B — Smoot 22 run (kick good), 5:32
B — Smoot 30 pass from Sowders (kick good), 3:33
2nd quarter
J — Williams 82 pass from Conway (Straight kick), 10:36
B — J. Thomas 3 pass from Sowders (kick failed), 6:42
B — Sowders 2 run (kick good), 3:33
B — J. Thomas 11 pass from Sullivan (kick good), :22
3rd quarter
B — Sullivan 7 run (kick good), 6:35
4th quarter
J — Jor. Ellis 57 pass from Conway (Straight kick), 10:43
J — Williams 12 pass from Conway (Straight kick), :47
