Yellow Jackets host Golden Hawks

Jeff Davis High School’s football team will host Washington County this Saturday night in the opening round of the 2020 Georgia High School Association playoffs.
The game was originally scheduled for Friday but the GHSA announced Monday that, due to a shortage of referees, Class 2A and Class 4A playoff games were moved to Saturday. Coach Lance Helton said the time for the kickoff will be 6 p.m.
The Yellow Jackets are 8-1 and Region 2-AA runner-up while the Golden Hawks are 6-4 and finished 3rd in Region 3-AA.
In other playoff games involving teams from 2-AA and 3-AA, No. 1 seed Vidalia hosts No. 4 seed Bleckley County, No. 4 seed Swainsboro travels to No. 1 seed Dodge County, and No. 3 seed Toombs County goes on the road to play No. 2 seed Northeast Macon.
The winner of the Jeff Davis-Washington County game will play the winner of Jefferson County (No. 1, 4-AA) vs. Cook County (No. 4, 1-AA).
Saturday’s game in Hazlehurst will mark the first time since 1997 that the Yellow Jackets have hosted a playoff game. Coach Tom Hybl’s 1997 team finished the regular season with a 9-1 record, finishing second in the region. They defeated Lamar County 20-0 before falling to Brooks County in Quitman in a second round match-up.
Washington County is the Alma Mater of Jeff Davis High Head Coach Lance Helton who was a 2-time All State offensive tackle for Golden Hawks Coach Rick Tomberlin. Tomberlin is now the head coach at his Alma Mater, Appling County.
The 2020 Yellow Jackets 8-win season is the first time the Jackets have had eight wins since the 1999 team was 8-3, losing in the first round of the playoffs.