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Hawks' Jones busts out against Hillsborough

Staff photo by BILL WARD

Armwood running back Matt Jones stiff arms Hillsborough safety Carlton Walton en route to a 55-yard TD run.

By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2009

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SEFFNER - A lot had been said about Matt Jones' potential entering the season, but Armwood's young running back had been pretty quiet for most of 2009.

Consider Friday night Jones' official coming out party.

The sophomore put together the best game of his young prep career in Armwood's most important game of the season. Jones rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns, including a 55-yard score with 3:42 left in the game, to power Armwood to a 34-21 victory over Hillsborough at Lyle Flagg Field.

The win puts Armwood (6-1) in the driver's seat for the Class 4A-District 9 title.

"This was a win that will motivate our team," Jones said. "With this win, I think we will go far."

In a game filled with big plays, Armwood seemed to make the majority of them. Jones was at the center of his share - and arguably the game's biggest.

However, several Hawks seniors provided big plays, too, and it only seemed fitting on Armwood's Senior Night, especially after problems with the P.A. system prevented the players from being honored before the game.

Senior defensive lineman Alton Bailey had a blocked punt early in the second quarter, which was recovered in the end zone by Eric Striker to put the Hawks ahead 14-7.

Senior fullback Rayshied Melvin had a huge touchdown run on the Hawks' opening possession of the second half, one in which he ran through several defenders - and a referee - during a 15-yard romp.

And senior defensive lineman Theodore "Man-Man" Jackson collected two of Armwood's six second-half sacks.

All of that helped offset a big night from the Terriers' passing game behind quarterback Tarean Austin (20-for-41, 301 yards, three touchdowns), receiver Charles Lovett (eight receptions, 151 yards) and tight end Jordan Duval (eight receptions, 88 yards, two touchdowns).

But it was one of Armwood's youngest stars-in-the-making who put the game away at the end.

Hillsborough (5-2) cut its deficit to 28-21 with 4:31 remaining as Austin and Duval hooked up on a 6-yard scoring pass. The Terriers then attempted an onside kick, but the Hawks recovered. Two plays later, Jones took a handoff up the middle, ran through a tackler at the line of scrimmage, avoided some more trouble, bounced out toward the Terriers sideline and continued to outrun the rest of the defense for a game-sealing score.

"Once I lowered my head down, I just kind of bounced off of (the initial tackler)," Jones said. "Then I just put my head back, did what I had to, gave (another tackler) the stiff arm and I was out of there."

"That was demoralizing," Terriers coach Earl Garcia said of Jones' run. "Matt did a nice job of getting down field on that. He broke three tackles to do it."