Yellow Jackets win Homecoming 42-21
Photo by Hailey Beach
Photo by Hailey Beach
Photo by Hailey Beach
Jeff Davis High’s 42-21 Homecoming win over East Laurens last Friday night wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate.
The Jackets raced to a 35-0 halftime lead, returned the second half kickoff for a TD and a 42-0 lead, and then JD Head Coach Lance Helton chose to give his younger players some valuable game experience for the remainder of the contest. The Falcon starters outscored the Jacket reserves 21-0 to make the final score deceptively closer.
The Yellow Jackets scored on their first possession of the game, marching 85 yards in six plays and overcoming a 15-yd. penalty in the process.
The big play in the drive was a 45-yd. romp by sophomore Terrance Clemons who was starting at wingback replacing injured senior Austin Wood. Quarterback Cade Walters started and ended the drive with pass completions, the first to Aahiyus Allen for 13 yards and the second to Tyson Alls for 24 yards and the score. Audiel Placencia’s P.A.T. kick missed left and the score study at 6-0.
On their second possession, the Jackets moved from their 24 to the Falcon 10 before the drive stalled and Placencia missed on a 31-yd. field goal attempt.
Jeff Davis scored four touchdowns in the second quarter, the first on a drive that started late in the first quarter and covered 59 yards. Fullback Landon Roberson had a 10-yd. pickup in the drive which was capped by a 25-yd. Allen run as Nate Lewis and Andrew Aycock opened a hole at the point of attack and C.J. Parker threw a key downfield block to clear the way. Walters kept for the 2-pt. conversion to make it 14-0.
By that time, the Jacket front wall had established complete control of the line of scrimmage and the defense had forced three consecutive 3-and-out Falcon possessions.
The third Jacket scoring drive started at the JD 41 after a penalty. It took only three plays as the offensive line cut the Falcon defense to ribbons. Clemons ran for 17, Roberson picked up nine and freshman Kiyon Dotson, in at fullback, raced through a huge hole up the middle to dart 33 yards untouched for the score, Placencia’s kick made it 21-0.
The Falcons fumbled the ensuing kickoff return and the Jackets recovered at the East Laurens 32. A 23-yd. Allen run and a 13-yd. scoring pass to tight end Matthew Glass upped the score to 27-0 and Placencia made it 28-0.
East Laurens then finally got their offense working as they put together a 12-play possession that reached the Jacket 25. The drive overcame a 2-yd. loss as defensive end James Wood ran down a runner from behind and three plays later linebacker Curtis Morgan almost came up with an interception. On 4th-and-15, the Falcons missed a 46-yd. field goal but a roughing the kicker penalty put them in a 4th-and-4 situation at the 15. They decided to go for it but the pass attempt failed and Jeff Davis took over at their own 15.
After a 1-yd. Allen run, Dotson dashed through yet another huge hole in the middle of the Falcon defense and outran everyone for an 88-yd. TD. Placencia made it 35-0 at intermission.
East Laurens kicked off to start the third quarter. Parker took the kick at the 11 and followed his blockers up the middle for an 89-yd. scoring return and the Jackets quickly led 42-0.
Sophomore Ethan Griffin took over at quarterback early in the third quarter and freshman Kamden Munsayac did the signal calling for much of the final quarter. While the jayvee offense didn’t score and the defense yielded three touchdowns, the younger Jackets held their own for the most part against the East Laurens starters. More importantly, the younger Jackets got some game time experience that will serve them well in the years to come.
Score by quarters:
ELHS 0 0 7 14 -21
JDHS 6 29 7 0 -42
