Due to Jesse Bethel High running back Thome Walters wearing a roster number that isn't between 1 and 99, the Jaguars football team was penalized 15 years to start its game Friday night with Richmond.

Head coach Daniel Martinez didn't mind. He knew that eventually Walters, who wears the number 0, would get the 15 yards back eventually.

That, and a whole lot more.

Walters ran wild in a high-powered offense at Corbus Field, as he rushed nine times for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-26 Tri-County Athletic League win. Walters' two touchdowns both came in the second half.

Martinez said he switched Walters' number from 22 to 0 earlier in the season because of Walters' team-first mentality.

"He's the most selfless player we got, so I gave him no number," Martinez said. "I didn't know I'd get penalized when I picked up the jersey, but that's OK. We'll take the penalty to prove a point. Thome is a very determined kid and you can see it with all his running plays. He's determined to do the best he can and he gets upset when he can't succeed. So that determination translates into his running style."

Walters wore No. 22 early in the year but Martinez told him, "Nah I got another number for you" according to the senior running back.

"I don't see myself as the most selfless player, I just got to do what my teammates believe I can do," Walters said.

The win comes just two weeks after the Jaguars lost to Hercules while scoring just eight points. This week Martinez was more impressed with how the offense played.

"The focus and execution was a lot better this week," Martinez said. "We challenged them to do better on offense as we haven't been clicking like we needed to. They stepped up to the challenge. Everybody from up front to the back field and the quarterback (Travis Jackson) who led us."

It was Jackson that helped put Bethel (4-3, 2-1) on the scoreboard first in the opening quarter. On a third down play, Jackson rolled to his left and explored his downfield options, thanks to his offensive line giving him more time than Doc Brown and a DeLorean. Jackson eventually saw Mahaj Mabrey all alone down the left side of the field and hit him for a 67-yard touchdown to make it 6-0.

Bethel added to the lead in the second quarter when Jackson hit Laron Blue with a 10-yard pass for a score that made it 14-0 in favor of the Jaguars. Jackson finished with three touchdown passes and 162 passing yards. He also rushed for 100 yards on 10 carries and scored on a 57-yard running play.

Martinez said the biggest improvement from last week's loss came from the passing game.

"We had a lot more reps this week and did a lot more attention-to-detail type of stuff," Martinez said. "And we have a hell of a receivers coach, Bobby Guillory. He has a lot of ideas that lose me, but they work out. So hat's off to him because he's the one that helped. Jackson did a good job with his extension of plays. We've been talking a lot in practice that he needs to give us a chance. So when he rolls out and scrambles and then stops and throws the ball down field that gives us a chance to continue winning."

Richmond, which has yet to win a game this year (0-8), cut the lead to 14-6 when Damion Lewis hit Josue Prado for a 35-yard touchdown pass that made it 14-6.

However, Bethel wasted no time in answering as Jackson ran 57 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown on the next offensive play. The score made it 22-6 at the half.

In the third quarter Jackson connected for this third touchdown pass of the night -- this one going to Jordan Ratchford from 24 yards out. The conversion failed so Bethel led 28-6.

Richmond's offense came to life somewhat in the fourth quarter as Lewis had a two-yard touchdown run and Prado used some fancy footwork near the back of the end zone to haul in his second touchdown of the game.

However, those two scores were matched by Walters, who had a 38-yard rush and a 70-yard romp to give Bethel two more touchdowns. On the 70-yard score by Walters, the Jaguar hit a few linebackers at the line of scrimmage but refused to go down. After the hard contact, Walters busted through the line and down the left sideline for the score.

Despite the accolades given to Walters by his head coach, the senior was quick to point the praise elsewhere for his accomplishments on the night.

"It's not on me. I'd like to thank my linemen for giving me great gaps all game," Walters said. "I just have to read off them. They make me better."

Walters' second score came with six minutes remaining in the game. Lewis had another rushing touchdown with just under four minutes to play in the game, but a fumble on a punt return by the Oilers sealed the win for Bethel.

The score

Bethel 42, Richmond 26

Next game: Oct. 30 at St. Mary's: 1:30 p.m.