Smith-Cotton football did not have to wait 70 years to celebrate another win over Jefferson City.
A year after beating the Jays for the first time since 1955, the Tigers won a 43-36 thriller on Friday, Sept. 18, at Adkins Stadium.
Smith-Cotton (1-3, 1-2 CMAC) trailed 36-35 with 8:22 left in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers proceeded to put together a nine-play, 49-yard touchdown drive to take the go-ahead lead with 5:06 remaining.
Including a 3-yard touchdown run by senior Rylon Curry, S-C converted three third downs on the possession.
On its ensuing possession, Jefferson City (1-3, 0-3 CMAC) drove the ball down to the Smith-Cotton 19-yard line, where the Jays faced a fourth-and-10.
Juniors Max Smith and Jesse Cogdill combined for a sack, forcing a turnover on downs and allowing the Tigers to kneel out the rest of the game.
The win represents head coach Mike Franklin’s first with Smith-Cotton.
Jefferson City led 12-7 at the end of the first quarter, but a 19-yard touchdown run by senior Alex McDonald and a 100-yard pick-6 by junior Grayson Pottorff gave S-C a 21-12 lead at halftime.
A kickoff return touchdown by junior Asher Cason extended the Tigers’ lead to 28-12 before the Jays added two touchdowns and two successful 2-point conversions to tie the game.
McDonald scored a 7-yard touchdown to put S-C back up 35-28.
Jefferson City answered with a 46-yard touchdown pass and a successful 2-point conversion to take its 36-35 lead.
Smith-Cotton hosts Hickman on Friday, Sept. 25.
Sports editor Jack Denebeim can be reached at 660-530-0142.
