Woodside finally wakes up in win over South City

It wasn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, what with the teams combing for 16 penalties (eight each) for 125 yards. The Warriors, in fact, had nearly as many penalty yards (50) at halftime as total yards (51). Both teams were shaky for the better part of three quarters.

That's when Jacks took over.

His 7-yard touchdown run capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive, which gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead with 2:26 left in the third quarter, was highlighted by Jacks' 50-yard reception to start the possession. The Warriors went three-and-out on their ensuing drive, and Jacks promptly took the punt at the 50, juked three defenders with an assortment of spins before racing down the left sideline for the score to make it 14-0 with 34 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Woodside's defense held once again, and the Wildcats went on a nine-play, 50-yard drive, capped by Jacks' 1-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0 with 4:56 to go. After South City failed to convert on a fourth-and-six from its 35-yard line, the Wildcats broke the game wide open with a four-play, 35-yard drive. Jacks opened the possession with a 25-yard run and ended it with a 3-yard touchdown. He finished with 135 yards on 25 carries.

With an uncanny ability to explode through the hole, dodge defenders and shift directions on a dime, Jacks' extraordinary play week after week makes him one of the best tailbacks in all of the Central Coast Section.

"It was basically my teammates that helped me get those yards," Jacks said. "We haven't proved anything yet. We have to win the Ocean, but this is a big step. (Quarterback) Julian (Edelman) is a great leader and inspires us all. He keeps us motivated and in line. We went into this game knowing basically it could've been for the championship."

Woodside coach Steve Nicolopulos credited his entire defense for putting the clamps on South City, which entered the game having scored 90 points in three games. But the Wildcats' defense, led by Jacks, Euri Thompson, Paul Tuiono, David Motuliki and Sandro Oyola, stifled the Warriors repeatedly. South City had a golden opportunity after it took over on the Woodside 16-yard line minutes into the fourth quarter.

But on a third-and-seven from the 13, Spencer Garrison intercepted an Eric Moore pass in the end zone. Edelman was 6 of 16 for 114 yards and rushed for 51 yards on 12 carries. Woodside totaled 311 yards to the Warriors' 127.

"We talked about how important this game was towards the championship," Nicolopulos said. "God, what can you say about Jacks? The best part is he made some great tackles, too. He's a player, boy, just fabulous. He can break for a touchdown on almost anything. I was proud of these guys even before the season started. We want to keep moving forward."