Jackets Down Charlton 23-20

Jeff Davis High School’s football team opened their 2023 season Friday night in Folkston with the Yellow Jackets pulling out a 23-20 win over Charlton County, ranked No. 9 in Class A, Division II.
The game was a back-and-forth contest as the lead changed hands six times before Jeff Davis took the lead for good late in the fourth quarter.
The Jacket defense was rock solid as two of the Indians’ three touchdowns came on defense — a punt return and a fumble return. Plus, a Charlton fumble recovery set up their final touchdown of the game.
Turnovers hurt the offense but the offensive line played well. And the JD defense got some turnovers of its own.
At times the game got a bit sloppy. There were three interceptions, three lost fumbles, a fumbled snap, a bad snap and other miscues in the game.
The Jackets kicked off to the Indians to start the game and Jacket linebacker Carter Mullis intercepted a 3rd down pass to give JD the ball at the Charlton 41.
Kyrice Hunt picked up eight as the JD offensive line opened a big hole for him. Carter and quarterback Colby Beach carried the ball deep into Charlton territory and then Beach hit Elijah Benjamin over the middle to move the ball close to the goal line. But an interception in the end zone ended the drive. When the Tiger tried to run back the interception, La’Trell Sellers brought him down from behind at the Indian one yard line.
That set up the Jackets first score as, on the next play, Carter Mullis nailed an Indian running back in the end zone for a safety to give Jeff Davis a 2-0 lead.
After a couple of changes of possession, early in the second quarter, Jacket punter Konner Munsayac retreated into punt formation and kicked the ball away. But an Indian returner took the ball down the left sideline all the way to the end zone to put Charlton up 6-2. The 2-pt. conversion attempt failed.
Neither team experienced much success on offense through much of the first half but the Jackets got a break when Charlton, backed up into the shadow of their own goal posts, fumbled in the backfield. Linebacker Jonathan Bohannon pounced on the ball and two plays later, Beach took the ball around his right side, slipped a couple of tackles and fell into the end zone for a touchdown. Fabian Valdelamar kicked the extra point and the Jackets led 9-6.
That score stood until intermission.
After the second half kickoff, Hunt picked up a first down on two carries but Munsayac had to punt the ball away three plays later. Then Hunt broke up a 4th down pass as JD took over on downs at their own 40.
After a penalty, Hunt picked up a couple and Beach got 15 on a keeper.
But a fumbled handoff on the next lost eight and the Jackets couldn’t recover. Munsayac punted the ball inside the 20 as Charlton took over.
A Kace Galbreath sack put the Indians in a hole and they had to punt the ball away to their 43.
On the first play after the punt, another muffed handoff fell into the arms of a defender and he returned the ball 54 yards for a TD. The 2-pt. conversion gave the Indians a 14-9 lead.
A 45-yd. kickoff return put the Jackets in business at the Charlton 38. Hunt and Mullis combined to make it 3rd-and-3 as the third quarter came to an end.
The fourth quarter was a wild one. The Jackets moved the ball inside the 15 when Beach faked a handoff and went around the left side for a 1st down inside the 10. But a penalty backed them up to the 24. Then Beach again faked a handoff and took the ball up the middle to the end zone and the Jackets led 15-14. A fumbled snap thwarted the 2-pt. conversion attempt.
Four plays after the kicks, freshman Josh Worthington made a sliding interception of an Indian pass and JD had the ball back at midfield.
But on the first play after the kickoff, an Indian defender picked up a fumble and returned it 15 yards to the Yellow Jacket 48.
Charlton scored in three plays to go ahead again 20-15. The JD defense smothered the 2-pt. conversion attempt.
After the kickoff, the Jackets were unable to move the ball and Munsayac got off his best punt of the evening, from the Jacket 21 to the Indian 22 — 57 yards.
Worthington and Uriel Ortega Silva combined for a quarterback sack two plays later and Charlton had to punt the ball away.
Starting from the JD 43, Elijah Benjamin got 11 and then another six. Then Hunt took the ball around his left side for nine more. Beach kept for four and a first down. Hunt then took the ball over the right side, cut upfield and outran everyone to the end zone for a 28-yd. score as the Jackets regained the lead, 21-20.
The Jackets went for two and Hunt scored easily with Kade Carver throwing the key block to open the way.
But the Indians weren’t done just yet. They moved the ball from their own 25 to the Jacket 15 when a low snap backed them up to the 26. Then the Indians panicked and a high pass into the end zone was overthrown and then another pass into the end zone fell incomplete. On 4th down, Mullis came firing off the left side to flush the quarterback out of the pocket and then hauled him down from behind to seal the victory.
Beach then knelt on the ball two times to run out the remainder of the time on the clock.