LARGO — When Jesuit coach Matt Thompson saw that Friday’s forecast called for steady rain, his only hope was that it wouldn’t be enough to cancel the game against Largo. The Tigers have a run oriented offense, while Largo likes to pass the ball.
“This benefitted us. I’m not going to lie,” Thompson said. “They like to throw the ball, and they couldn’t run the offense they wanted to. I wanted to play this game. I was like, 'Please don’t cancel it.’ I knew it played into our hands.”
Jesuit carried the ball 36 times for 231 yards and held off a late Largo comeback to win 20-18. Malik Davis carried 14 times for 162 yards and scored on a 75-yard run to start the second half.
Largo was held to just 91 rushing yards on 31 carries.
Jesuit (3-1) wasn’t bothered by the weather, at least not in the first half. On their first possession the Tigers put together a 10-play, 73-yard drive highlighted by a 47-yard run by Davis. Kevin Newman ended the drive on a 1-yard run to put the Tigers up 7-0.
Largo (2-2) struggled early but finally got things going on its first possession of the second quarter. With Jesuit stopping the run game, Packers quarterback Donovan Hale used a long pass to set up a touchdown. Hale hit Brandon Drayton on a 35-yard pass that put the ball on the Jesuit 5. John Clark ran it in untouched on the next play to make it 7-6. The extra point failed.
Jesuit took to the air to score its second touchdown of the half. Trent Wessel connected with Gage Holt for 36 yards. Wessel then hit Nick Cox for a 6-yard touchdown. Wessel threw only three times in the first half and completed two.
Largo drove late in the half and scored on a 4-yard run by Jonathan Crawford with 33 seconds left. The two point conversion failed, so Jesuit led by two at the half.
What turned out to be the biggest offensive play came on the first play of the second half. Davis ran around the right side untouched and scored from 75 yards to make the score 20-12. The extra point was no good.
Davis would not return after that run due to a sprained left ankle.
“I actually hurt it on a sweep play right before the half,” Davis said. “I told coach that I could still play, but after that run it hurt too much.”
The weather started to take its toll as the second half continued. Wessel, who is also the Jesuit punter, fumbled a punt snap on his own 1-yard line. That set up first-and-goal for the Packers. But two runs went for minus-5 yards and Jesuit tackled Hale on the 1 yard line on fourth-and-goal from the four to end the threat.
“This one is on me,” Largo coach Marcus Paschal said. “They played good enough to win tonight. All 27 who dressed tonight played well and I told them that. We had multiple opportunities, we just didn’t finish. It’s on me.”