Jacksonville Opens Season With Stunning Upset of No. 3 Carthage, 34-30 [VIDEO]

CARTHAGE -- After Friday night, the Jacksonville Indians have an undefeated head coach, and a new quarterback.

Jacksonville (1-0) rallied to defeat the No. 3 Carthage Bulldogs (0-1), 34-30, on Friday night, as sophomore quarterback Carter McCown threw four touchdown passes and led the team to a game-winning touchdown with just 40 seconds left to stun the Carthage crowd.

McCown, starting his first game, was 23-for-36 for 369 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception, and remarkable poise throughout the game.

McCown, a cousin of the famed McCown brothers from Jacksonville, led the final drive, ending in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Darrell Minifee for a 34-30 lead with 40 seconds left. Minifee ended the game with a final interception of Carthage quarterback Blake Bogenschutz.

Jacksonville scored first with a McCown pass to Cory Holman in the first quarter, then a flea-flicker pass from Londedric Taylor to Kedarrius Buckingham midway through the second for a 14-0 lead.

Carthage stormed back for two scores in the final three minutes to tie the game at halftime.

After Jacksonville's first possession of the second half went scoreless, it appeared Carthage would pull away from the Indians.

Junior quarterback Bogenschutz threw a 14-yard pass to Terian Goree, then Carthage trapped another Jacksonville quarterback, Trevor Ewalt, in the end zone for a safety and a 23-14 lead.

Carthage couldn't score on the ensuing free kick though, and Jacksonville capped a five-play, 63-yard drive with a 35-yard pass from McCown to Ladarrius Session to make the score 23-20 going into the fourth.

After a 43-yard-interception return by DD Franklin, McCown connected with Buckingham for a 2-yard fade route and a 27-23 lead with 10:14 remaining. Carthage rallied to take the lead with 4:37 to go on a 6-yard touchdown run from Tevin Pipkin, and Jacksonville was down to its last chance.

A Jacksonville drive ended in a fourth-down interception by Bryian Bolton, but Ladrarius Session ran Bolton down and stripped the ball to give Jacksonville another set of downs.

Pipken ended the game with 136 yards and two scores for Carthage, while Minifee had 7 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown for the Tribe.

Carthage plays at Lindale next Friday, while Jacksonville is home against Palestine.

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