JCHS Wildcats Easily Win Showdown With Mustangs

By Greg Perkins
   Joseph City, like Mogollon, spent the last few weeks primarily preparing for their season finale at Heber last Friday night. Not only was the 1A North region title on the line, an undefeated season and a first round bye in the state playoffs were all in the balance. It had been three years since the Wildcats had beaten the Mustangs, but on Friday night they finally got the job done, and got it done in a huge and convincing manner with a final tally of 52-18.
   The Wildcat defense was the key to the game all night long, setting up the offense by forcing six Mustang turnovers.
   The Wildcats opened the scoring on their third offensive play of the game when Stephen Solomon scampered in on a 55-yard run. Tracy Poudrier hooked up with Zack Baldwin for the two-point conversion play and the Cats were on top 8-0. Joseph City then held Mogollon on downs and Zack Baldwin capped a six-play drive with a 38-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 14-0. On the ensuing Wildcat kickoff, Remington Baldwin forced JT Maner to fumble the ball, then returned that fumble 50 yards for another score, giving the Cats a 20-0 lead at the end of the opening period.
   In the second period, Joseph City put together a sustained 13-play drive which culminated in a Poudrier one-yard plunge for pay dirt, moving the lead to 26-0.
   Maner picked up the first points of the game for the Mustangs with a five-yard run, making the score 26-6 at the half.
   The defense played a big role in the second half. Zack Baldwin intercepted a Maner pass attempt, then two plays later Remington Baldwin scored from 11 yards out, increasing the margin to 32-6.
   The Mustangs later scored on a 47-yard run by Boone Baker, making it a 20-point game.
   The Cats' defense forced a Mogollon fumble, then again quickly capitalized in two plays when Poudrier found Remington Baldwin on a 60-yard catch and run to push the lead to 38-12 with one quarter to play.
   In the fourth period Maner found Baker on a seven-yard scoring pass for the home team’s final points of the game.
   Remington Baldwin then finished off an eight-play drive with a 10-yard scoring run. Joseph City’s final points of the night came after a Braden Hansen interception. Two plays after the pickoff, Remington Baldwin scored on a 39-yard run. Poudrier connected with Spencer Baldwin for the two-point conversion, giving the Wildcats a huge 52-18 win over their archrival.
   “Our defense won the game. We played great team defense against a very talented quarterback in JT Maner. I was pleased with our overall execution on offense. We controlled the clock and limited Mogollon’s opportunities. This was a big win for us, and now our goal is the state championship. I’m really proud of the fine young men that I have coached this year,” said Coach John Bryant.
   The Cats rolled up 493 yards of total offense, with 399 of those on the ground. They held a potent Mogollon offense to just nine first downs and 208 yards of offense.
   Poudrier completed four of nine passes for 94 yards with one score. Spencer Baldwin had three catches for 34 yards, and Remington Baldwin made one grab for 60 yards and a score.
   Zack Baldwin had been well rested in the past weeks, but he was a workhorse in this game with 18 carries for 180 yards and one touchdown. Remington Baldwin had 13 runs for 109 yards with three scores. Solomon nearly made it three backs over 100 yards, gaining 92 on 14 totes. Poudrier rushed eight times for 16 yards.
   On defense, Zack Baldwin also played well, leading the team with 8.5 tackles and two interceptions. Dalton Hughes made four stops and had one fumble recovery. Remington Baldwin had four stops with an interception and a fumble recovery. Braden Hansen had one interception.
Joseph City 20 6 12 14 52
Mogollon       0 6   6    6   18
   With the win the Wildcats complete the regular season with a perfect mark of 8-0. As the top seed from the North region, they will get a bye in the first round of the playoffs. On Friday, Oct. 30, they will host either Valley Union, the second seed from the South, or Salome, the third seed from the West region. If they win that game, they would be in the semifinal round, which would be played at Apache Junction High School on Saturday, Nov. 7.