The Mercer County Titans blew out the West Jessamine Colts, 63-13, on senior night Friday, Oct. 28. The Titans remain undefeated against the Colts and improve to 11-0 since 2011. Mercer held the high scoring West Jessamine offense to a season low 13 points and kept the Colts quarterback, Jacob Jones, in check. Jones is the son of former University of Kentucky quarterback Pookie Jones and has scored 47 touchdowns for West Jessamine this season.

Senior Gavin Wilson kicked off to start the game and had to make the tackle himself after a good return from the Colts out to midfield. The Titans wasted no time getting to Jones with Caden Semrau making a tackle in the back field for a loss of four yards. The Colts converted on a fourth down and scored two plays later on a 35 yard touchdown pass and took a six point lead after missing the extra point, 0-6.

Mercer made another change at quarterback with junior Thaddeus Mays back under center for the Titans. The Mercer offense started their first drive on the Colts 33 yard line and Mays picked up 25 yards on the ground running the ball three times. West Jessamine left senior Wade Lane all alone down the middle of the field for a 40 yard touchdown catch, 6-6. Senior Jase Cocanougher hit the extra point and went seven for eight on his PATs on the night, 7-6. 

West Jessamine had two incompletions on their next drive and punted the ball back to the Titans. Mercer took over at their own 47 yard line and junior running back Denim Griffieth rushed for 15 yards on the first play of the drive. Mays connected again with Lane for a 29 yard contested catch down the right sideline. Griffieth scored two plays later on a three yard run, 14-6.

West Jessamine had a costly penalty on the following drive bringing back a forty yard completion.  Senior Morgan Pennington caught Jones in the back field scrambling on the next play for a huge loss of 12 yards. The Colts had to punt and gave the Titans a short field with Mercer taking over at the West Jessamine 44 yard line.  

The Titans needed a yard on fourth down and Mays went untouched for a 35 yard touchdown behind great blocking from his offensive line,  21-6. The Colts were penalized  on kickoff and had to start on their own seven yard line. On their first play, freshman corner Carter Devine jumped a curl route and took the interception back for his first career touchdown, 28-6. 

The Colts didn’t go away with Jones showing why he leads class 5A in rushing with a 64 yard quarterback run for a touchdown, 28-13. The Titans answered back with their own two play scoring drive capped off with Jackson Perry catching a 35 yard touchdown behind the Colts secondary, 35-13.

To start the second quarter, the Titans defense forced a three and out after Jones fumbled a snap in the back field. Mercer didn’t need a big play this time around as they put together a nine play drive complete with Mays converting a fourth down and Pennington scoring on an 18 yard run, 41-13.

West Jessamine picked up two first downs on their next drive, but got behind the stick on a holding call. On second and 18, senior Zeydan Jackson got home for a sack on Jones, but Jones was able to pick up a first down on a quarterback scramble. The Colts put together a solid drive and were on Mercer’s 25 yard line until they were penalized for holding and unsportsmanlike conduct backing them to the 50 yard line. The Titans sacked Jones on third and 35 yards to go which brought out the West Jessamine punt team. 

The Titans couldn’t help themselves scoring their seventh touchdown of the first half with freshman Ashton Drakeford running wide open down the field for a 65 yard touchdown reception, 47-13. Mercer went for a two  point conversion and picked it up with a Griffieth run up the middle, 49-13. The Colts ran four more plays before halftime, but never got past midfield. 

Mercer received the ball to start the second half and started their first drive on their own 29 yard line. Griffieth ran the ball four straight times and picked up  48 yards. Pennington came in and rushed for another 18 yards to give the Titans first and goal from the one yard line. He walked in for a touchdown on the next play to extend the Titans lead, 56-13. 

To start the fourth quarter, the Colts had a successful catch and run down the left sideline for a pick up of 41 yards.  Two incompletions from West Jessamine brought up a fourth and four and the Colts took a shot to the redzone, but the pass was broken up by Senior Branson Sims.

 Mays was done for the night and freshman Cornelius Mapp took over as quarterback. The Titans kept it on the ground with seniors Andrew Sheperson and Garrett Fister taking turns running behind the dominate Mercer offensive line.  Fister picked up 15 yards before being tackled on the goal line and Sheperson took it in for the touchdown the next play, 63-13. West Jessamine ran four more plays before the time ran out on the Titans big time win on senior night. 

Mercer played their best all around game on offense with eight touchdowns and their defense held a high scoring offense to 13 points. It seems like the team has found their stride heading into the playoffs 

The Titans finish their regular season with a 5-5 record and travel to Elizabethtown to play the  Panthers (7-3) in the first round of the playoffs Friday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m.