VINEMONT — From the opening kickoff to the final second, West Point dominated the Vinemont Eagles in their 2017 spring game.
West Point jumped on Vinemont early when, after going for it on 4th and goal from the six and failing to convert, the Warriors forced a fumble that was recovered by the Eagles in the end zone resulting in a safety and the first two points of the game for the Warriors.
After the free kick following the safety, West Point went to the air to showcase the arm of quarterback Rylan Jones who missed all but two games last year due to injury. Jones started the drive with a 12-yard rush to the Vinemont 38 and ended it with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Persall on 4th and ten.
Vinemont went three and out on their next possession and West Point went right back to work. After a holding call set them back to 1st and twenty on the Vinemont 45, track star Hunter Appling raced to the Vinemont 27, setting up a 3rd and two. Following a Brayden Martin carry of two yards, Persall capped the drive with a 25-yard scamper into the end zone to make the score 16-0 in favor of the Warriors.
Vinemont seemed to be picking up a little traction in the waning seconds of the first quarter but a fumble derailed the drive and gave the ball back to West Point as time expired in the first.
It took just one play into the second quarter for the Warriors to dent the scoreboard again when Jones connected with Martin for a 40-yard touchdown. The PAT was good and the score stood at 23-0.
Another three-and-out gave the ball back to the Warriors who proceeded to go on a 62-yard touchdown drive, capped by a two-yard hard run by Peyton Jones who broke four tackles on his way to the end zone. The PAT was missed and the Warriors took a 29-0 lead into the half.
The varsity squad got a few more series of work in to start the third quarter then the JV took the Warriors the rest of the way home as they cruised to a 49-8 victory.
