JEFFERSONVILLE —  For 3 1/2 quarters on Friday night at Blair Field, it appeared that the Jeffersonville football team was finally going to snap its 19-game losing streak in season openers.

But Louisville Eastern had other ideas.

Trailing 25-14, the Eagles scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and rallied to defeat the Red Devils, 29-25. Jeff has not won an opener since 1992 when it knocked off Evansville Harrison, 39-20.

The Red Devils played without coach Lonnie Oldham, who was suspended by Greater Clark County Schools on Thursday after it discovered that the Jeff boss dressed three academically ineligible players for his team’s scrimmage against Clarksville on Friday, Aug. 10.

Jeff took a 7-0 lead at the 6:24 mark in the first quarter. Following a 20-yard punt that came off side of the foot of Eastern’s Michael Bryar, Red Devil wide receiver Ricky Embry caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Fridley.

The Eagles tied the game at seven with 9:15 left in the second period on a 37-yard scoring reception. Eastern senior Austin Kessler caught a pass from Eagles’ quarterback Cody Wolfe near the right sideline around the Jeff 17-yard line. Kessler then evaded a Jeff defender and ran into the end zone.

The Red Devils answered the Eastern TD on their next possession. They capped off a 10-play, 80-yard drive when Embry snagged his second TD reception on the night on a 39-yard toss from Fridley with 6:08 remaining in the first half. A missed extra-point kick kept Jeff’s lead at 13-7.

The Eagles grabbed their first lead of the contest on their next series. At the 4:27 mark of the third, Eastern’s Shane Fields ended a six-play, 63-yard drive with 29-yard TD catch from Wolfe. Bryar made the extra-point kick to give the Eagles a 14-13 advantage.

The Devils regained the lead at 19-14 with 26 seconds left in the half when Dionte Allen received a 19-yard scoring pass from Fridley.

Fridley gave Jeff a two-score cushion with 4:14 left in the third thanks to one long run. With the ball at Jeff 17 on first-and-10, Fridley took the ball on the keeper, broke two tackles and then ran 83 yards to paydirt along the left sideline to put the Red Devils up 25-14.

Then Eastern started its comeback.

Eagles’ running back Tre Harrison capped off a 10-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 11:02 left in regulation. Wolfe then scored a two-point conversion on a keeper to cut Jeff’s lead 25-22.

Following a Jeff three-and-out, Eastern used 13 consecutive running plays for 63 yards to reach the end zone again. Harrison put the Eagles up 29-25 with a 4-yard TD scamper with 5:47 remaining.

On Jeff’s next series, Fridley tried to get the Red Devils into Eastern territory, but he was intercepted by Fields around the Jeff 32 with 4:35 left in regulation.

The Eagles proceeded to run out the clock and sew up the season-opening win.

Austin Hines led the Red Devils in rushing with 86 yards on 14 carries. Fridley had eight carries for 76 yards and completed 12-of-23 passes for 225 yards and one interception. Embry caught five passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

Jeff will travel to Seymour for its Hoosier Hills Conference opener next Friday.



LOUISVILLE EASTERN 29, JEFFERSONVILLE 25

Louisville Eastern (1-0)    0 14 0 15—29

Jeff (0-1)    7 12 6 0—25

First Quarter

    J — Ricky Embry 35 pass from Tyler Fridley (Joseph Simmons kick), 6:24.

Second Quarter

    E — Austin Kessler 37 pass from Cody Wolfe (Michael Bryar kick), 9:15.

    J — Embry 39 pass from Fridley (kick failed), 6:08.

    E — Shane Fields 29 pass from Wolfe (Bryar kick), 4:27.

    J — Dionte Allen 19 pass from Fridley (kick blocked), :26.

Third Quarter

    J — Fridley 83 run (pass failed), 4:14.

Fourth Quarter

    E — Tre Harrison 3 run (Wolfe run), 11:02.

    E — Harrison 4 run (Bryar kick), 5:47.



Statistics

Rushing

    Jeff: Austin Hines 14-86, Fridley 8-76, Allen 3-10, Derek Hughes 1-4, Jacquari Chandler 1-2.

Passing

    Jeff: Fridley 12-23-225-1.

Receiving

    Jeff: Embry 5-135, Allen 4-53, Hines 1-21, Dalton Adkins 1-11, Chandler 1-5.