Jackets open with win over Washington County

Jeff Davis High’s football team opened the 2024 season Friday night in Sandersville as the Yellow Jackets took a 22-6 victory over Washington County.
The Jackets were impressive in their opening drive, taking the opening kickoff and marching 80 yards in 19 plays as the JD front wall dominated the line of scrimmage. Interior linemen Uriel Ortega Silva, Jamari Wilcox, Kade Carver, Malachi Jones and Jaylen Wilson Gamble established their dominance quickly. Those five players, along with tight ends Jonathan Bohannon and La’Trell Sellers manhandled the Golden Hawks defensive front to spot the Jackets to an early lead.
The Jeff Davis offense overcame two 4th-down situations with quarterback Colby Beach, back in punt position, spotted an opening and picked up a first down on 4th-and-2 and fullback Kyrice Hunt darted through a big hole for a first down on a 4th-and-1 situation. While Hunt was the workhorse in the drive, Beach and running back Jude Worthington both had 11-yd. runs in the drive.
Beach capped the march with a 9-yd. scoring toss into the back corner of the end zone where Sellers made an over-the-shoulder catch of the perfectly thrown aerial.
The JD coaching staff spotted a weakness in the Hawk defense on the extra point try and Beach hit Hunt on the left side for the 2-pt. conversion, giving the visitors an 8-0 lead.
The drive ate up virtually the entire first quarter as the clock ticked down to zero on the ensuing kickoff.
After the two teams traded punts in the second quarter, the Jackets scored again on their third possession of the game.
The Hawks went for a first down on 4th-and-2 at midfield but the Jacket defense, led by Sellers and Worthington, as tackle Christian McDaniel and nose Terrance Boges nailed the runner for a 3-yd. loss and the Jackets took over at the Hawk 47.
On the second play of the drive, Elijah Benjamin took a pitch from Beach for a 16-yd. pickup to the Washington County 31. Then freshman Mark Durden went around the left side for 21 yards to the 10 but a penalty nullified the play. Then Beach hit Worthington with a quick pass over the middle for 19 yards to the Washington 15.
Two plays later, Beach connected with Worthington again, this time Worthington was wide open in the end zone for the score. Fabian Valdelamar kicked the P.A.T. to give the Jackets a 15-0 lead. That score stood at halftime.
Valdelamar kicked off into the end zone to start the second half.
The teams traded fumbles early in the third quarter with Ortega Silva recovering a Hawk fumble.
Late in the quarter, the Jackets put together another scoring drive. Starting at the Jacket 45, Hunt got seven yards, then seven more for a first down as the third quarter came to an end. Then Hunt got two more, Durden six, and a 5-yd. walk-off against Washington County got another first down at the Hawk 29. Two plays later, Beach faked a handoff and sped through a big hole for a 25-yd. scoring run.
Valdelamar booted the P.A.T. to make it 22-0.
Washington County finally got its offense untracked and put together a 14-play drive for their score to cut the final margin to 22-6.
After the kickoff, the Jackets ran off nine plays to eat up the remainder of the time on the clock.