Jackets go to 3-0 with 40-0 win

Jeff Davis High’s football team improved to 3-0 last Friday with their third straight lopsided win. The Jackets got their second shutout of the season with a 40-0 victory over Metter High School on the Tigers’ home field.
The Jackets took the opening kickoff and, on the first play from scrimmage, Kobe Hill burst through a big hole and raced 40 yards into Metter territory but a flag brought the ball back. And David Calderon eventually had to punt the ball away, with the 37-yd. kick downed at the Tiger 5. Three plays later, Metter punted the ball back and the Jackets were in business at the Tiger 44.
Garrison Coleman got 12 up the middle and on the next play, Jacob Laney picked up a fumbled handoff in the Jacket backfield, darted around the left side, and raced down the sidelines for a 32-yd, score. Calderon kicked the extra point and the visitors led 7-0.
Calderon’s kickoff sailed into the end zone and Metter started at their 20. Using a mixture of passes and running plays, the Tigers moved into Yellow Jacket territory before giving out of steam with the Jackets taking over on downs at the JD 30.
A fumbled pitch and a penalty put the Jackets in a hole and, on 3rd down, Laney picked up 14 around the left side but it came up just short of a 1st down and Calderon had to punt the ball away.
The Jackets started their next drive at their 45 and scored in 4 plays. After a 9-yd. run by Kailyn Biggins picked up a 1st down at the Metter 31, Durden dropped back to pass and threw a strike to a wide-open Jaiden West behind the Metter secondary for the score. A 2-pt. conversion attempt failed and it stayed 13-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Metter receiver fell to a knee as he took the ball inside the 10 yard line so Metter started in a big hole.
After 3 plays and a punt, the Jackets started on offense again at midfield.
Cam Vann then went outside and raced all the way to inside the Tiger 20 but a penalty nixed the play. On the next play, Hill took a handoff behind big Brice Bohannon, stepped to his left and raced into the end zone for a 53-yd. score. Calderon’s P.A.T. kick missed left and the score remained 19-0.
Calderon’s kickoff again went into the end zone and Metter started at their 20 again.
Metter ate up most of the remainder of the 2nd quarter clock with a 9-play drive but eventually punted the ball into the end zone.
On the first play after the punt, Durden kept the ball around the right side, cut back to his left to avoid two tackles, broke into the open and, with West leading the downfield blocking, raced down the left sideline for a touchdown as West took out the last Tiger defender.
Calderon kicked the extra point and it was 26-0 at intermission.
To start the 2nd half, Metter put together their best drive of the game. Calderon’s second half kickoff hit inside the Metter 5 but, instead of rolling into the end zone, the ball backed up, the return man belatedly grabbed the ball but barely got outside the 10 yard line before a host of Jackets downed him.
Metter kept the ball for the next 15 plays, marching over 70 yards before the Jeff Davis defense finally stiffened. On 4th-and-12 from the 22, Metter lined up for a 37-yd. field goal attempt. The kick was long enough but just missed to the left and the Jackets had their shutout saved.
On the 3rd play after the missed field goal, Biggins took a pitch around the right side and streaked 78 yards to the end zone. But a flag called the play back and the Jackets had to punt the ball away.
On the 2nd play after the punt, Durden picked off a Metter pass at the Tiger 48 and returned the ball all the way to the end zone for another score. Justin Torres came on to kick the extra point and make it 33-0.
Calderon’s kickoff went into end zone for a touchback again.
The Yellow Jackets got the ball again late in the game at their own 27.
Two plays later, Braylon Varnadore took a pitch from Durden on the right side and rolled 62 yards to the end zone. But a flag nullified yet another Jeff Davis score.
Two plays later, a pitch from Durden to Laney on the left side hit the turf, Laney picked up the ball and dashed 46 yards to the Tiger 11. Two plays later, Hill, covered the 5 yards to the end zone. The P.A.T. made it 40-0.
Durden finished the night with 101 yards rushing on 6 attempts and 31 yards passing as West caught the only Jeff Davis pass of the night for a score.
Laney ran 6 times for 98 yards and a TD, Hill had 6 carries for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns, Coleman picked up 11 yards on 2 carries, Biggins rushed once for 9 yards, Varnadore had a 4-yd. run and Vann’s only run lost 6 yards.
Penalties nullified a 40-yd. Hill run, a 30-yd. Vann run, a 78-yd. Biggins run and a 62-yd. run by Varnadore.
Josh Worthington topped the defense with 10 tackles, one for a loss. Marigus Sampson had 7 stops, Durden and Robert Bruin had 4 stops each, Hill and Amare Burney had 3 tackles each.
Statistics
JD Met.
Plays 31 61
1st downs 15 13
Rush Yds. 289 94
Pass Yds. 31 116
Total Yds. 320 210
Fumbles lost 1 0
Intc. thrown 0 1

Score by quarters:
JDHS 7 19 7 7 -40
MHS 0 0 0 0 – 0
Scoring:
Jacob Laney – 32-yd. run. David Calderon kick
Jaiden West – 31-yd. pass from Mark Durden. 2-pt. failed.
Kobe Hill – 53-yd. run. Kick failed.
Mark Durden – 80-yd. run. Calderon kick.
Mark Durden – 48-yd. interception return. Justin Torres kick.
Kobe Hill – 5-yd. run. Calderon kick.