By Les Dixon / Sports Editor
North Laurel didn’t make the playoffs, but they did cap off an impressive season under first year coach Chris Larkey by defeating Jackson County, 48-0, at home on Friday.
The win evened North Laurel’s record to 5-5 on the season and it’s the most wins the Jaguars have compiled since former coach Greg Duncum’s 2004 squad posted a 6-5 mark.
The Jaguars opened the 2009 campaign picked by many to struggle, but Larkey worked wonders throughout the year and led North Laurel to a 4-1 start, and the success continued on Friday against the Generals, who finished 2009 with an 0-10 record.
North Laurel jumped out to a 28-0 lead against the Generals and never looked back.
It took only took North Laurel two minutes to get on the scoreboard, as Johnny Fugate hit Raymond Shears with an eight-yard touchdown pass.
Adrian Wardrup's seven-yard touchdown run with 7:08 left in the first quarter increased his team's lead to 14-0.
Fugate’s second touchdown pass of the game (a 14-yarder to Brody Creech) increased North laurel’s edge to 21-0, while Wardrup’s 30-yard run with 3:18 left in the first half gave North Laurel a commanding 28-0 lead.
The Jaguar defense limited the outmanned Jackson County squad to only 10 yards on offense during the first half.
Fugate continued his best game of the season in the third quarter by hooking up with Shears again (a 58-yard touchdown completion), and Kyle Grubbs 21-yard run gave North Laurel a 42-0 advantage.
The Jaguars’ final touchdown of the game came with 6:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, as Robin Collett found paydirt from five-yards out to give his team a 48 point victory over the Generals.
