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Jackets down Swainsboro 15-7

Friday night’s 15-7 Jeff Davis victory over Swainsboro on the Tigers’ home turf was a defensive battle from beginning to end with the Yellow Jacket defensive unit prevailing.
Jeff Davis spotted the Tigers to a 7-0 first quarter lead and then shut them out for the remainder of the game while scoring two touchdowns and a field goal to claim the victory.
The win upped Jeff Davis’ record to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in region play while the Tigers fell to 4-4 and 2-1.
On the second play of the game, Miyon Connoway picked off a Swainsboro pass to give the Jackets the ball at the Tiger 27. JD could not move the ball and then on 4th-and-6 Audiel Placencia missed a 40 yard field goal attempt.
On their second possession, Jeff Davis’s Cade Walters retreated to punt but a bad snap lost 12 yards and Swainsboro took over at the Jacket 40. It took the Tigers seven plays to get on the scoreboard and take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Starting at their own 45 after an onside kick, the Jacket offensive line opened a big hole for Aahiyus Allen, who raced 42 yards to the Swainsboro 13, with senior tackle Charles Stegall throwing the key block to clear the way. The Jackets started the second quarter with a 2nd-and-5 at the Tiger 8. After a 5 yard penalty Walters kept for 5 yards and then threw to Allen for an 8 yard scoring pass. The P.A.T. was no good and Jeff Davis trailed 7-6.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers faced a 3rd-and-1 at their own 29 when Andrew Aycock burst through the line to almost take the handoff, and nailing the runner for a 4-yd. loss to force a Tiger punt.
The Jackets started their next possession at their own 20 and marched to the Swainsboro 8 in eight plays. Allen had three carries for a total of 46 yards in the drive. But a three yard loss and an incomplete pass left the Jackets with a 4th-and-8 at the 11, bringing on Placencia to boot a 28 yard field goal and put Jeff Davis in front 9-7.
With time running out in the first half Swainsboro went to the airwaves, chiefly to heralded senior twins, Cedric and Fred Seabrough, as the Tigers marched from their own 20 to the Jacket’s 26. After defensive end James Wood batted down a Swainsboro pass the Tigers completed another “twin” pass for 17 yards to the 9 as time ran off the halftime clock.
Three punts into the third quarter, Swainsboro completed a pass to twin Cedric for 19 yards but the big receiver fumbled the ball at the Jacket 45.
Six plays later the Tigers picked off a Jacket aerial at the JD 42. On the first play after the turnover Amarion Mitchell forced the quarterback out of the pocket and Carter Mullis nailed him for a loss. Swainsboro faced a 3rd-and-1 at the Jacket 33 but Mitchell nailed the ball carrier for no gain and then Carter blew in from his linebacker position to down the runner for a three yard loss to halt the threat as the ball turned over on downs.
Early in the fourth quarter Michael Dotson picked off a Swainboro pass at the Jacket 47 to set up the final scoring drive of the game. After a holding penalty, Walters pitched to Allen for a 19 yard pick up into Tiger territory. Three plays later Walters hit C.J. Parker for a 14 yard pass to the 28. Two plays later Allen broke off blocks from Nate Lewis and Chaston Googe for 24 yards into the end zone. The kick failed but Jeff Davis led 15-7.
After the kickoff, Swainsboro used passes to the Seabrough brothers to quickly march to the Jacket 11. But a high snap and a trio of incomplete passes turned over the ball on downs.
After an 18 yard Austin Wood run off blocks from Lewis and Curtis Morgan and two running plays, Walters took the snap and knelt on the ball to run the final seconds off the clock.
Score by quarters:
JDHS    0    9    0    6    -15
SHS    7    0    0    0    –  0

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