BRADENTON — His left shoe was coming off.
Alex Jackson was sure of it.
But what was Bayshore’s junior running back going to do? Stop and tighten his laces?
Not with his Bruins hosting Sarasota during Friday night’s spring game. So Jackson hoofed it, running nearly 40 yards with a shoe on his right foot and a bright yellow sock on his other.
Oh, and he didn’t stop until he reached the end zone. Jackson reached the end zone three times Friday, helping the Bruins defeat the bigger Sailors 28-21.
His final score, a 51-yard run with less than nine minutes left in the game, was the game winner. Jackson totaled 223 yards on 16 carries, a number made more impressive considering he didn’t play the first quarter, when both teams used all freshmen.
His most impressive run, however, was the aforementioned one-sock spring. Jackson lost his left shoe for the final 39 yards en route to galloping to a 46-yard third quarter score that tied the game at 14.
“It was coming off, and I just kept running,” he said. “I had some momentum built up.”
Not everything went Jackson’s way — he fumbled three times. But Bayshore coach Jean P. Gordon knows he has a special back once Jackson cleans up that part of his game.
“Alex definitely has all the tools, but we’ve got to hold on to the football,” Gordon said.
“He’s a good running back, and (with) a good summer in the weight room, he’s going to be even better.”
Jackson and Gordon both doled out compliments to Bayshore’s big offensive line, which spent the night creating holes for backs such as Jackson and Tim Finklea, who finished with 20 yards on seven carries.
But Gordon was really pleased with his team’s spring — and with the way it ended.
“I’m proud of them,” Gordon said. “You can say, ‘Hey, it’s just a spring game.’ But I’m proud of ’em. We’ve still got a lot of young kids in there, believe it or not, and they did a good job.”
@z-BR Agatehed:Bayshore 28, Sarasota 21
@z-BR TabQuarters 1col:Sarasota 0 14 0 7 — 21
Bayshore 7 0 14 7 — 28
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:First quarter
B — Dominic Everett 4 run (Jhonathon Bustos kick), 4:04.
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Second quarter
S — Greg Jackson 3 run (Mike Morrissey kick), 3:57.
S — Jackson 5 run (Morrissey kick), 1:50.
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Third quarter
B — Alex Jackson 46 run (Bustos kick), 7:43.
B — Jackson 19 run (Bustos kick), 2:12.
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Fourth quarter
S — Jackson 8 run (Morrissey kick), 10:50.
B — Jackson 51 run (Bustos kick), 8:32.
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