Here’s how West Jones-Pascagoula was decided in a torrential downpour
Pascagoula’s second-half rally came up just shy Friday night as West Jones held on for an 18-16 victory in a torrential downpour to clinch to the Class 5A South State title at War Memorial Stadium.
West Jones (10-2) will play West Point at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5 in the 5A state championship game at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson.
West Jones led 18-3 at the half thanks to a pair of touchdown runs by Kentrell Pruitt and a safety following a blocked punt.
To start the second half, Pascagoula strategically went with a short kickoff that it was able to chase down and recover at the West Jones 22.
Set up by a 20-yard run by sophomore quarterback Keilon Parnell, freshman running back Cameron Deflanders punched in the end zone from 2 yards out to cut the West Jones lead to 18-9.
Parnell left the game in the third quarter with an injury, forcing junior Terrance Goodwin into action at quarterback.
“T.J. Goodwin showed more heart, character and moxie than any young kid could as a backup quarterback,” Pascagoula coach Lewis Sims said. “He came in and delivered in the clutch.”
Goodwin got the Panthers into the end zone early in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard run, but the Panthers could never quite get back in the lead after taking an early 3-0 advantage.
“We fought our tails off,” Sims said. “We were down 18-3, everybody counted us out.
“It was a bad rain coming down. I think I had a frog in my pocket at the end of the game it rained so much. It was the worst rain I’ve ever coached in.”
Pruitt ran 21 times for 77 yards and two touchdowns to lead the West Jones offense.
West Jones senior quarterback Alan Follis was limited to 52 yards on 4-of-13 passing in soggy conditions.
Pascagoula senior running back Kayvon Barnes was the game’s top rusher, carrying 21 times for 92 yards.
“We put ourselves in position to have a chance and the group really played hard,” Sims said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way we battled. To be 1-2 to start the season and come back and have back-to-back losses and end up the No. 1 seed, and to play in the South State championship, what a story for these guys that are seniors.”
Pascagoula finishes the season 8-5.
This story was originally published November 28, 2020 at 12:35 AM.
