Fitzgerald tops Yellow Jackets

Laney, Powell lead the blocking

Latrell Sellers runs the football

The Jacket defense pulls down a Hurricane

Colby Beach rolls out to pass (Photo by Lauren Dixon)

Jeff Davis High was just too young, and too inexperienced to compete with defending Class AA State Champion and No. 1 ranked Fitzgerald Friday night in Fitzgerald as the Purple Hurricanes rolled to a 48-0 win. The win upped the Hurricanes’ record to 7-0 while the Yellow Jackets fell to 0-7.
After graduating 22 seniors from last year’s Jeff Davis squad and losing another half dozen returning starters to injuries and rule violations, the freshman and sophomore dominated Yellow Jackets continued to fight valiantly but the older and more experienced Fitzgerald team had no problems taking the win. Most of the Jacket ball-carrying during the evening was divided between a pair of freshmen — Karter Galbreath and Latrell Sellers.
The Jackets took the opening kickoff and quickly picked up a first down as Sellers picked up five, and Galbreath took a pitch from sophomore quarterback Colby Beach to get nine more to the JD 45. After Sellers got three more, things turned bad and, on 4th-and-10, Galbreath punted the ball away, with the punt rolling dead at the Fitzgerald 6 for a 49-yd. punt.
The ‘Canes rolled 94 yards in six plays, scoring on a 36-yd. run to jump out to a 7-0 lead.
Galbreath’s second punt of the game went 39 yards, rolling dead at the Fitzgerald 35. Again, the Hurricanes scored in six plays, with the final play a 24-yd. scoring toss. The kick made it 14-0.
The Jackets came close to picking up another first down on their next possession but, on 4th-and-1 at the Jeff Davis 42, a high snap lost 11 and the Hurricanes took over at the Jacket 31.
On the first play after the turnover, Galbreath picked off a Hurricane pass and returned it to the JD 30. But the Jackets couldn’t move the ball and the first quarter ended with the hosts up 14-0.
Three plays into the second quarter, Sellers picked off a Fitzgerald pass. But three plays later, Galbreath punted the ball away.
Fitzgerald then rolled 45 yards in five plays, scoring on a 14-yd. pass to make it 21-0.
Following the kickoff, Sellers ran for six yards and then five for a first down.
Galbreath then got eight yards in three tries to make it 4th-and-2 and the Jackets went for the first down, but came up short.
Fitzgerald then scored in four plays with a 30-yd. run to the five highlighting the drive. The P.A.T. kick failed and the score stood at 27-0.
Galbreath’s next punt rolled dead after 47 yards, again backing up the ‘Canes. But it took them only six plays to go 86 yards, scoring on a 30-yd. pass. The halftime score was 34-0.
After taking the second half kickoff, Fitzgerald went 65 yards in six plays to up the score to 41-0.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Yellow Jackets got another fist down on an 11-yd. run by Sellers. But they couldn’t move the chains again and Fitzgerald took over after the punt at their 36.
Three plays later, a freshman Hurricane running back broke free for 54 yards and a touchdown to close out the scoring.