Jackets rip Rutland 42-6

Jeff Davis High’s football team tuned up for this Friday’s matchup with undefeated and top-ranked Worth County with a 42-6 victory over Rutland High of Macon last Friday night in Hazlehurst.
The Yellow Jacket victory gave Coach Lance Helton’s charges a 7-1 record with the No. 1 Rams of Sylvester bringing their 8-0 record to the Pinelands this Friday. The Jeff Davis-Worth game will be one of the top games in the state this week.
The Hurricanes of Rutland were no match for the Jackets as the hosts raced to a 28-0 halftime lead and led 42-0 after 3 quarters.
Rutland started the game well, returning the opening kickoff from the 15 all the way to the Yellow Jacket 43. After a pair of quick first downs, the Hurricanes had a 1st down just outside the 10. That’s where the JD defense stiffened. After a run got 3 yards to the 7, R.J. Sims burst through the line to nail the runner for a 3-yd. loss, and and then Sims and Jaylen Wilson-Gamble converged on the quarterback for a 7 yd. sack, leaving the ‘Canes with a 4th-and-15 at the 15. Rutland went for the 1st down but a roll-out pass fell short and Jeff Davis took over at their on 2.
After Kobe Hill got 14 up the gut and Ian Griffen went outside for 7, Hill took the ball up the middle, sidestepped a tackler and raced 77 yards to the end zone.
But a penalty nullified the score, and the Jackets started again. Sims spelled Hill at fullback and rambled 28 yards up the middle to the 43. Messiah Swinson then took the ball on a reverse and picked up 15 but, again, a flag nixed the play. Hill then got 12 and 4, and Jacob Laney took a pitch around the left side and, with an escort of 4 downfield blockers, he sprinted 43 yards for a touchdown to end the 98-yd. drive. Fabian Valdelamar kicked the extra point and the Jackets led 7-0.
The Jackets’ next possession started at their own 43 and they marched 57 yards in 7 plays with Laney capping the drive with the same play on which he scored earlier. After the 20-yd. scoring run, Valdelamar booted the conversion and Jeff Davis led 14-0 early in the second quarter.
A Mark Durden pass interception got the Jackets the ball again at their own 35. A 26-yd. Griffin run and a 44-yd. Sims scoring run up the middle upped the score to 20-0. Valdelamar made it 21-0.
On their next possession, the Jackets marched 60 yards in 8 plays with Laney getting his 3rd TD of the evening on a 14-yd. run after taking a highlight-reel-worthy pitch from Durden. Valdelamar’s toe upped the score to 28-0.
The Jackets got the ball one more time before intermission as Braylon Varnedore recovered a Hurricane fumble at the Jacket 24. The JD offense moved the ball down the field but the half ended on a 23-yd. pass completion from Durden to La’Trell Sellers to the Rutland 12 yard line.
The Jackets took the 2nd half kickoff and rolled 65 yards in 7 plays. The big plays in the drive were a 21-yd. pickup by Laney and a 19-yd. scoring run by Sims. Valdelamar kick the P.A.T. and the Jackets led 35-0.
After the ensuing kickoff, Rutland’s offense came to life as they kept the ball for an 11-play drive that ended on a failed 4th down attempt at the Jacket 10.
The JD offense streaked 90 yards in just 4 plays as Sims took the ball up the middle of the line, shook off tacklers and rolled 56 yards for the score. Valdelamar’s kick was true again and the Jackets had a 42-0 lead.
On the 3rd play after the kickoff, Rutland completed a 52-yd, pass to the JD 5. The Hurricanes scored on a 4th down pass early in the 4th quarter as the JD defense gave up yardage grudgingly. The 2-pt. conversion attempt failed as the Jackets led 42-6.
Jacket Coach Lance Helton emptied his bench in the 4th quarter and the No. 2 offense ran out the remaining time on the clock, highlighted by a 35-yd. run up the middle by Garrison Coleman.
Score by quarters:
RHS 0 0 0 6 – 6
JDHÍ 7 21 14 0 -42