Oct 27, 2002 By Mike Ciarochi 4 min read

CARROLL TWP. – Albert Gallatin running back Vaughn Jones went over 1,000 yards rushing by churning out 243 yards on 37 carries in a 33-14 win over Ringgold in the last Quad West game for both teams Friday night at Ringgold. Jones scored the first and last of Albert Gallatin’s five touchdowns, as the Colonials improved to 2-4 in conference play and 2-7 overall. AG visits Penn-Trafford in a cross-over game next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Quarterback Zack Dawson also scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground for the Colonials, while Scott Piper added a touchdown run.

The Colonials ran for 350 of their 400 total yards and limited the winless Rams (0-6, 0-9) to an even 200 (136 on the ground and 64 through the air).

Ringgold hosts Plum in another cross-over game Friday night.

Jones, only a junior, not only topped 1,000, but crossed 1,100 in the process. He goes into the Penn-Trafford with 1,104 career rushing yards.

“It’s kind of hard to enjoy it because we had a losing season,” Jones said. “But I’m happy with the way we played tonight. The offensive line and our defense did a heck of a job tonight.”

“Vaughn had a great game for us,” Colonials coach Chuck Colburn. “In fact, all of our backs ran well tonight. The conditions were sloppy out there. We would have liked to have thrown the ball a little bit more, but we decided to just keep it on the ground.”

“He does a nice job,” Ringgold coach Jeff Matty said of Jones. “He’s a good back and I’m sure Chuck is happy to have him back for another year.”

It was Jones who got the Colonials off and running when he took an option pitch from Dawson and turned a third-and-5 situation into a 60-yard touchdown run. Jones finished the first quarter with 99 rushing yards on eight carries.

His score came with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter and the Colonials quickly added another. Eddie Robinson intercepted a pass on Ringgold’s ensuing possession and returned it to the Ringgold 48-yard line. AG took advantage of the short field and scored on the last of eight running plays, a 1-yard dive by Dawson to make it 13-0.

Ringgold responded with a 10-play scoring drive that was capped by an 8-yard scoring pass from Jeff Pucky to Dennis Hawkins six minutes before intermission. Piper’s 5-yard touchdown run 1:50 before the break extended AG’s lead to 19-6 at halftime.

The rainy weather took its toll early in the third quarter, when Ringgold fumbled the kickoff and AG gave it right back on the first play from scrimmage. Ringgold seemed to be getting some momentum on its ensuing drive by moving from its 38-yard line to the AG 28. However, the Rams drew back-to-back penalties and passed incomplete to end the threat.

“We were driving pretty good right there,” Matty said, “but the penalties really hurt us. That, to me, was the key to the game. If we score there, it’s a whole new ball game.”

Instead, it was AG’s ball game, one the Colonials wanted to win for Colburn, who used to coach at Ringgold.

“That made this a bigger game for us,” Jones said. “We knew Coach Colburn wanted to win here, but he just told us to come out and play our best.”

For Colburn, this win offered some redemption. Last year, his first at AG, Colburn saw his Colonials blanked at Ringgold, 41-0.

“The kids knew that I was here before,” Colburn said, “but I was glad we took control early and kept it because it’s important to the program we’re building here to be able to do that.”