Hawks Hold Off Furious Jordan Rally to Even Record at 1-1

Junior Levi Nelson breaks away from a diving Jordan defender during his 74-yard touchdown run to open the scoring Saturday. Nelson finished with 260 rushing yards and three touchdowns in CJI's 33-30 win. Photo: Chad Smith Photography

By Chad Smith / HLSN Sports

A week after a lopsided season-opening loss, the Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hawks looked like a different team on both sides of the ball, and they needed every bit of that improvement to survive a wild Saturday afternoon at home against Jordan.

CJI built a commanding 33-12 halftime lead behind a fast start and a balanced offensive attack, then held on as Jordan stormed back with 18 unanswered points in the third quarter. The Hawks escaped with a 33-30 win, evening their record at 1-1.

Junior running back Levi Nelson set the tone early, breaking off a 74-yard touchdown run on CJI's opening drive. He never slowed down, finishing with 27 carries for 260 yards and three touchdowns, adding a workhorse rushing performance to a defense-first effort that also saw him lead the Hawks with 15 total tackles.

Quarterback Avery Devries threw for 160 yards and three touchdowns, connecting twice with senior Ryan Ramberg for scores of 13 and 36 yards. Ramberg's biggest play of the day may have been a 57-yard catch-and-run that set up a short touchdown run two plays later, part of a 137-yard receiving day.

Senior Ryan Ramberg hauls in one of his four catches Saturday. Ramberg finished with 137 receiving yards and two touchdowns in CJI's win over Jordan. Photo: Chad Smith Photography

Sophomore Connor Mattson also came up with a second-quarter interception that helped CJI extend its lead before the break. Senior Dane Grammar did damage of his own on special teams, booting five kickoffs for a 44.4-yard average and pinning Jordan deep with three touchbacks. He added 44 yards on offense and participated in 5 tackles for a well rounded game.

Senior Dane Grammar boots one of his five kickoffs Saturday. Grammar averaged 44.4 yards per kick, including three touchbacks, pinning Jordan deep throughout the game. Photo: Chad Smith Photography

Jordan had no answer for the Hawks through the first two quarters, but the Mustangs made a significant adjustment at halftime, spreading the field and using a quick passing attack to get playmakers isolated in space. The wrinkle sparked a third-quarter surge, with Jordan scoring three unanswered touchdowns to cut what had been a 21-point deficit down to three. A string of unsuccessful conversion attempts on those second-half scores proved costly for Jordan, keeping CJI in front through a scoreless fourth quarter that ended with Devries taking a knee to close it out.

The result is a meaningful one for a Hawks team looking to answer last week's blowout loss with a statement, and it was enough to move CJI back up in this week's statewide 6-Man rankings after last week's slide.

"I was proud of how hard our boys played against a very tough team," Coach Jim Vinson said. "We were projected to lose by 20 after our first week's performance, and the team came through when it mattered. These two teams we've played might be the most athletic 6-man teams in the state, and I believe both of them are legitimate semifinal teams this year."

Vinson pointed to both ends of the game as the difference, crediting the fast start and a defense that came up with two critical late stops to close it out.

"The start of the game was huge for us, giving us confidence and the space we needed to win," he said. "But the two big stops at the end of the game were even more impressive, as they spoke to the character, grit, and determination of this team."

CJI will look to build on this win next Saturday, September 12, when the Hawks travel to North Star for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

For more action photos please visit the gallery at https://gallery.chadsmith.photography/?r=35b0d2