Senior Jordan Pruitt leads the way as TJ beats Montbello 21-12
by Jake Hazan
photo by Kevin Fleming
After starting off the season with rough losses to state ranked Monarch and Columbine, the TJ Spartans took the field at All City Stadium late Saturday afternoon with a chip on their shoulder, looking to pull out their first win of the season. The football squad did just that, defeating the Montbello Warriors 21-12.
Senior Jordan Pruitt started off the scoring in the second quarter with a short 4-yard run that would put the Spartans up 7-0 after a successful Keenan Moore extra point kick. Immediately following the Spartan touchdown, Montbello scored on a 92-yard kick return by Marquez Lovelace, but with a failed two-point conversion, TJ still led 7-6. The Spartans weren’t done in the first half, as Pruitt ran in a six-yard touchdown, his second of the game, before time ran out.
The second half opened with a 14-6 TJ lead, but the Warriors would eventually strike back with a 73-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sean Edwards to receiver Roderick Taylor, which would cut the Spartan lead to 14-12. The game would remain close until Pruitt put the game away with a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, capping off a hard-fought TJ victory with the final score being 21-12.
Pruitt finished the day with 187 yards rushing on 30 carries, and scored all three touchdowns for TJ, proving himself as a reliable source of offense for the football squad.
Another highlight was the Spartans’ run defense led by Senior Isaac Moore. TJ shut down the Warriors running game the entire afternoon, and allowed their opponents only to run backwards as Montbello finished the game with -6 total rushing yards.
The Spartans are confident the strong play will continue throughout the season. “It is apparent that we can play with anyone when we execute and eliminate mistakes,” said Assistant Head Coach Matt Nicolo.
TJ will travel to Rangeview Friday, September 19, at 7:30 pm, and look to snag their second victory in league play.
