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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Isabella High School got back into the win column and snapped a four-game skid defeating Billingsley High School 42-28 on Sept. 27.

“You kind of take wins for granted sometimes, so it is good to get one,” Isabella head coach Tate Leonard said.

After the Bears tightened the game at the end of the first half, they received the second-half kickoff and carried over their momentum. Kaden Cotton ripped off a long run into Mustangs’ territory and completed the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run to shrink the lead to 28-20 following the missed extra point.

“The fact that we did not quit and put ourselves back in position was huge, we just struggled tackling. We felt like we had a good scheme, but we are just not making plays,” Billingsley head coach Lanny Jones said.

When the game was cut to a one-score affair, Isabella rose to the occasion. Their offense put together two scoring drives — seven- and 54-yard runs by Jedaiah Works, and those sandwiched a defensive stand to stretch the advantage back out to 36-20 by the midway point of the fourth quarter.

The Bears continued to fight as Landon Jones connected with Kyle Boice for a long completion down inside the Isabella 10-yard line, and Cotton got in again for the score. Landon Jones hit Boice for the two-point conversion to bring the game to its final 42-28 resting. Landon Jones was 13-for-19 passing for 203 yards, and added 11 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown. Boice made eight catches for 146 yards.

“This is the most important stretch for us (coming up) and we have to find a way to win three out of the next four (games) to give us a chance, and that is all we can ask for. I like our chances, and we are getting better every week. If we can stay healthy and get everybody back it would be nice,” Lanny Jones said.

Isabella came out hot scoring quickly on its opening possession, capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Works to put them up 7-0. They doubled their lead on their next possession as Works got in from 15 yards out. The Mustangs continued to pour it on as Tristen Sledge recovered a fumble on the next kickoff, and one play later, quarterback Levi Wilkins hit Austin Porter for a long touchdown connection to make it 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter started with more of the same from the Mustangs, this time as Javarius Craig got into the end zone from 10 yards out to push the lead to 28-0. Then, Billingsley began to hit their stride. Their offense put together a long drive that was finished by Landon Jones’ eight-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was no good leaving the score at 28-6. The Bears’ defense forced a turnover out of Isabella as Jones recovered a fumble, and the offense turned it into points with Cotton finding the end zone. Jones connected with Trent Cobern for the two-point conversion to get the score back to 28-14 just before halftime. Cotton ran for 121 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns.

Caleb Massey was the leading tackler for the Bears’ defense with 11 stops and a sack, followed by Kyson Thomas with nine tackles and Boice with eight.

“We came out and put things together, and I do not care what anyone says, we have been really close playing really good teams,” Leonard said. “We have been hurting ourselves with some stuff, and we did that a little tonight but overcame it. We have a good football team, we just have to keep putting it together.”

Isabella (2-4) will hop back into Class 2A Region 5 play for its next game on Oct. 4 traveling to Highland Home High School for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Billingsley (2-4) will get back to Class 1A Region 4 play hosting Ellwood Christian Academy on the same day and time.