JAMESTOWN – With two first-half scoring drives and a two-score lead, the outlook was promising for Jamestown Blue Jay Football.
It dimmed when Brody Kegley and Colton Cruchet went to work for Central Cass.
Kegley passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns and Cruchet rushed for 107 yards and one score Friday as Central Cass rallied from a 12-0 deficit to defeat Jamestown 27-18 at Rollie Greeno Field at Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium.
Kegley threw scoring strikes to Blaise Cotton and Maisen Olson in the second quarter to give Central Cass (2-1) a 14-12 lead at halftime.
After Jamestown (1-2) went three-and-out on the opening possession of the second half, Central Cass took nearly eight minutes with a 16-play, 87-yard scoring drive that ended with Kegley’s third six-point pass, a six-yard play to Easton Holland and a 20-12 Squirrel lead.
An interception by Jamestown quarterback Karson Schmidt, making his first start in place of the injured Brady Nenow, set up the last scoring drive for Central Cass early in the fourth quarter. It was only 35 yards and ended on a 13-yard TD run by Cruchet and Central Cass led 27-12..
A second touchdown run by Liam Frey put the Blue Jays within 27-18 with 6:17 left, but Jamestown missed a two-point conversion.
Central Cass punted on their next possession, giving Jamestown the ball back with only 3:07 left, but the Jays advanced just three yards, giving the ball back on downs to Central Cass, who then ran out the clock.
Jamestown broke on top with 47 seconds left in the first quarter on Schmidt’s first varsity touchdown pass, an eight-yarder to Tucker Allen. Earlier in the drive, Schmidt completed a 41-yard pass to Cephy Sayler to the Central Cass 20 to convert a third-and-14.
Frey scored his first touchdown with 9:11 left in the first half. But Jamestown led just 12-0 as a bad snap led to a failed two-point try on the first conversion and Chase Traut hit the left upright with the extra point after the second score.
Schmidt was 12-of-21 for 156 yards. Allen made four receptions for 42 yards.
The Blue Jays’ final non-conference game will be on Friday, September 19 against Kindred in Horace. Coverage will begin at 5:30 PM on The Voice of the Blue Jays, Jamestown 107.1.