Barksdale scores six TDs in Gretna rout

GRETNA — Facing a fourth-and-7 from his own 38-yard line early in the second quarter, Gretna High football coach Chris Thurman decided to roll the dice.

Gretna quarterback Jayme Barksdale, who accounted for six touchdowns, dodged a would-be tackler and scampered up the middle for a 29-yard gain. Two plays later, Barksdale scored on a 29-yard touchdown run, and the Hawks were on their way to a 51-27 victory over Clarke County in Friday night’s Region B Division 2 championship game.

“I thought we had a good play for that situation,” Thurman said, “but I’ll be honest, I’ve always been that way. If I think I’ve got something that’ll work, I’m going to call it. I’ve fake-punted out of my own end zone, so (near) the 40, I’m in good field position.”

The top-seeded Hawks (11-1), who won a Group A state title last season, are two victories away from their second straight championship and fourth in six years. Clarke County, the No. 2 seed, finished its season with a 9-3 record.

“Coach had faith in us to go for it on fourth down,” he said, “and we just wanted to show him that he could keep his faith in us, and that we could do it.”

Barksdale opened the scoring with a 4-yard run at the 8:32 mark of the opening period. But the Eagles pulled even on a 17-yard scamper by Samuel Shiley on the first play of the second quarter. The fourth-down call came on the Hawks’ next possession.

Gretna opened a 14-point advantage shortly before halftime on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Barksdale to Kevin Dale, who hauled in the pass at the Eagles’ 25 and outran a defender to the end zone.

But Clarke County answered with a nine-play, 49-yard drive, capped by Shiley’s 5-yard run that cut the deficit to 21-13 heading into the intermission.

Gretna scored the only points of the third period on a 28-yard field goal by Sebastian Jakob. But the two teams combined for 41 points in the fourth quarter. Barksdale found the end zone on runs of 32 and 20 yards and also connected with Ted Jennings on a 32-yard scoring toss. Andre Dickerson added a 10-yard touchdown run for the Hawks.

The Eagles scored their final touchdowns on a 75-yard strike from Zachary Shiley to Grant Shaw and a 77-yard heave from Shiley to his brother Samuel.
Barksdale, a receiver on last year’s squad, moved under center when starter Nick Miller was injured during the preseason. He has accounted for more than 3,100 yards of offense through 12 games.

“He’s gone from the backup quarterback to the quarterback,” said Thurman, “and he is our quarterback, and he’s taken us this far. Like I’ve always said, I’m glad he’s on our team.”

Gretna out-gained Clarke County 392-136 on the ground and enjoyed a 438-318 advantage in total offense.

“I thought that we could wear on them with our size at tackle,” Thurman said, “and we were able to do that. And as they got tired, we sprang some more big plays, and it just opened up for us.”