Late rally by Kirkwood leads Pioneers past Jackson 45-35

KIRKWOOD — It took all four quarters, but Kirkwood and its long list of playmakers proved too much for Jackson as the Pioneers grabbed a 45-35 victory to claim a spot in the MSHSAA Class 6 semifinals.

The Indians gave Kirkwood every bit of a run, blocking a punt in the third quarter for a touchdown and scoring soon after to claim their first lead, but a big push late helped the Pioneers claim this one running away on home turf.

Quarterback Owen Nesslage’s receivers found themselves open more often than not, and with a handful of long passes over the top for explosive gains, Jackson’s defense that has won it so many games just couldn’t hold off a frenzied Pioneer offense.

The loss ends the season for Jackson in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, running into powerhouse St. Louis-area offenses in back-to-back playoff years to cap off otherwise impressive playoff runs.

“It took too long to settle into the ballgame,” Indians coach Ryan Nesbitt said. “Young football team, but I was really proud of our guys.

“I’ve really enjoyed coaching this football team.”

The win improves Kirkwood to 9-2, rolling off three massive playoff victories that included beating the likes of Christian Brothers in the district championship and now a Jackson team that had pulled together eight consecutive victories before being stymied Friday night.

The loss drops Jackson to 9-3 for the season, putting together a quarterfinal appearance and a record worth smiling back on after its Herculean early-season schedule made the start of the season a little more rocky than it would’ve liked.

The Indians came just a few plays short of snagging this one on the road, giving the Pioneers every bit of a battle, but eventually running out of steam heading into the final quarter.

“There’s plays all over the field,” Nesbitt said. “I thought our kids played really hard, but not enough plays.”

Kirkwood struck first on its second drive, recovering from a turnover on downs on its first with a 67-yard strike to wideout Jacob Eberhart, most of which came after the catch, as the Jackson secondary dove all over with no such luck.

After the touchdown, Kirkwood’s kickoff went up high before it bounced around and into Jackson junior Carter Shipman’s hands.

But according to an official, in what could most generously be called a “questionable” call, the Kirkwood kickoff squad recovered the football by rule as the Pioneers tacked on a field goal to make it a 10-point lead.

Jackson responded with a long rushing score from Drew Parsons, hitting the gap and being met by nobody for a touchdown around 50 yards to cut it back to a field-goal game.

A five-minute drive from Kirkwood ended with an emphatic answer from Tyson Sanders, as he dove in from 2 yards out on the direct snap to get Kirkwood back into a double-digit lead.

Sure enough, after a pair of corresponding turnovers on downs, Parsons did it himself — again — to make it 17-14 Kirkwood on a 15-yard scrambling score to, again, cut it back to that one field goal.

With Jackson seemingly having momentum, the Indians nearly stopped Kirkwood on its final drive of the first half.

But after icing Kirkwood’s kicker, coach Jeremy Maclin of the Pioneers apparently decided, “Sure, why not go for it,” and the miraculous result on a fourth-and-8 from 16 yards out was a diving catch in the back of the end zone for a Pioneer touchdown.

The Jackson crowd, loud and proud just minutes earlier, fell quiet. The Kirkwood side exploded as the Pioneers extended their lead back to double digits going into the half.

Blayne Reagan made what could’ve been the play of the night with a punt block, followed by a recovery by Shipman (something of a full-circle moment) to make it a field-goal game again.

A Nesslage fumble at the Jackson 18 allowed the Indians, after multiple comeback attempts, to finally pull in front as sophomore running back Jaylon Hampton pulled off back-to-back long rushes, the second going for a 12-yard touchdown to put Jackson in front 28-24.

But Kirkwood wasted no time, as Larry Robinson Jr.’s 55-yard touchdown reception got Kirkwood the lead back at the end of the third quarter, entering the final frame up 31-28.

Jackson fought up the field, but a third-and-7 quarterback draw went nowhere as the Indians punted it back to the Pioneers, who saw the 10-point lead back in their reach and got it with a Collin Griffin 12-yard rushing score.

The Indians put the chips on the line, got stopped short and Eberhart got an 8-yard rushing score to increase the lead to 45-28 and seemingly put the game away for Kirkwood, as the crowd reveled in a massive turnaround.

Senior Kai Crowe got the Indians back on the scoreboard with a receiving touchdown inside the game’s final three minutes to cut the lead to 10 once more, but Kirkwood repossessed the ball and put the quarterfinal away for good soon after.

The victory sends Kirkwood into a road semifinal against Nixa, the only remaining recipient of a first-place vote at the end of this year’s regular season Missouri Media Rankings.

Jackson’s young core carried it to a marvelous season with some highs and lows that dictated the reputation of a squad that ran away with the SEMO North title, but stalled at times in the biggest of moments.

Fresh off a second appearance in the quarterfinals for a team laden with junior and sophomore talent, it’s a learning moment for future returners.

“We’ll see,” Nesbitt said of the lesson. “Time will tell.”

For the seniors, led by an excellent performance from Crowe and a handful of major roles on the defense and offensive line, it’s the end of their time with the program.

Asked of his time as a Jackson Indian, Crowe spoke highly of his career in red and black.

“It’s awesome,” Crowe said. “It’s just a culture and a brotherhood.

“It’s true love around here.”