Yellow Jackets top Rebels 41-20

Friday night’s Jeff Davis-Berrien football game turned out to be a clinic on how an offensive line can dominate an opponent. And it was the Yellow Jackets’ down linemen that won the contest.
Tye Rea, Kenneth Kidd, Jamari Wilcox, Brice Bohannon, Giovanni Torres, Delbert Sumner and Jeremiah Davis won the battle in the trenches as Jeff Davis pulled away in the 2nd half for a 41-20 victory.
The win upped the Jackets’ record to 8-1 while Berrien dropped to 5-4.
There was no punting in the 1st half as both teams’ defenses were hard pressed to stop the other’s offense.
The Yellow Jackets wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as they took the opening kickoff and, with the offensive line dominating the line of scrimmage, the Jackets rolled 76 yards in just 4 plays to go up 7-0.
Fullback Garrison Coleman set the tone on the 1st play from scrimmage, picking up 12 right up the gut of the Berrien defense. Jacob Laney then took a pitch around the left side and weaved his way untouched until he was finally hauled down on the Rebel 10 after a 54-yd. jaunt. Braylon Varnadore moved the ball to the 4 and Laney scored on the next play. David Calderon kicked the P.A.T.
The Rebels responded quickly, marching 74 yards in 10 plays to tie the game. Diminutive senior quarterback Cash Perkins did most of the damage, both with his feet and his throwing arm.
On their next possession, the Jackets went 62 yards quickly. Coleman, Laney, Varnadore and quarterback Mark Durden took advantage of the offensive line’s dominance to share the ball-carrying. Durden scored on a 4-yd. keeper. A low snap on the extra point kick attempt thwarted the point after as the Jackets led 13-7.
Again, the Rebels answered, this time with a 70-yd., 8-play drive. Perkins again did most of the work, ending the drive early in the 2nd quarter with a perfectly thrown aerial in the back left corner of the end zone. A low snap on the P.A.T. kept the score at 13-13.
Jeff Davis’ next possession began at the 37 and they raced 63 yards to score again. An errant pitch almost ended the drive on the 2nd play but Laney alertly recovered the ball. Facing a 3rd-and-15, Varnadore took ball around the right side for 14 yards and, on 4th-and-1 from the 46, Coleman took the ball up the middle, slipped through a narrow hole at the line of scrimmage and broke into the clear, picking up 41 yards to the Rebel 13. Coleman went 7, Varnadore 4 and Durden 2 for the score. Calderon booted the extra point and the Jackets led 20-13.
Berrien then raced quickly down the field, primarily on a 34-yd. pass over the middle, but the JD defense stiffened and the Rebels turned over the ball on downs at the Yellow Jacket 12. The Jackets moved the ball to the Berrien 27 when the 1st half came to a close with Jeff Davis up 20-13.
Berrien took the 2nd half kickoff and drove down the field in 9 plays to tie the game. Perkins’ passing keyed the drive and provided the touchdown.
From there on out, the Yellow Jacket offensive line provided 3 touchdowns to seal the JD victory.
The Jackets rolled 62 yards for a score with Coleman serving as the workhorse darting through holes carved out by the O-line. Laney capped the drive on a 10-yd. run and the Jackets were in front for good. Calderon made it 27-20.
After the Rebels went 3-and-out, the Jackets were in business again at the Berrien 49.
It took the Jackets 10 plays to cover the distance, overcoming two 3rd downs and a 4th down. Durden scored on 3rd-and-6 from the 20, freed on a downfield block by Jaiden West. Calderon’s toe made it 34-20 with 8:30 to play and the large crowd that made the trip from Hazlehurst for the game was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Durden set up Jeff Davis’ final score with a pass interception at the Rebel 43. It took the Jackets only 4 plays to score. Durden set up the tally with a 28-yd. pass to Varnadore, moving the ball to the 3 and Laney scored on the next play.
Calderon again kicked the P.A.T. and it was 41-20.
Berrien moved the ball downfield on the final possession but the drive ended when Amare Burney picked up a Rebel fumble with just enough time left for a kneel-down to end the game.
Coleman and Laney led the Yellow Jacket rushing. Coleman had 17 carries for 139 yards and Laney picked up 115 yards on 10 tries. Varnadore ran 45 yards on 9 carries and caught a 28-yd. pass from Durden.
Berrien’s Perkins ran for 107 yards and passed for 172.
Sawyer Brewer led the defense with 7 tackles and 2 assists, Jaiden King had 5 tackles, 2 for losses, 2 assists and a fumble recovery, Jeremiah Davis had 4 tackles and an assist, and Josh Worthington had 3 tackles and 4 assists.
STATISTICS
JD Ber.
1st downs 19 15
Plays 51 55
Rush yds. 342 140
Pass yds. 28 153
Total yds. 370 293
Fumbles lost 0 1
Intc. lost 0 1
Pen-yds. 5-62 3-15
Score by quarters:
JDHS 13 7 7 14 -41
BHS 7 6 7 0 -20
Scoring:
JD – Jacob Laney, 5-yd. run. David Calderon kick.
B – Cash Perkins, 9-yd. run. Kick good.
JD – Mark Durden, 4-yd. run. Kick failed.
B – 7-yd. pass. Kick failed
JD – Durden, 2-yd. run. Calderon kick.
B – 7-yd. pass. Kick good.
JD – Laney. 14-yd. run. Calderon kick.
JD – Durden, 20-yd. run. Calderon kick.
JD – Laney, 3-yd. run. Calderon kick.