Jeff Davis Defeats Clinch County 42-7
HOMERVILLE, Ga. — Jeff Davis improved to 2-0 Friday night with a 42-7 road win over Clinch County at Donald Tison Field.
The matchup gave the Yellow Jackets an early-season test against one of the top teams in Class A. Clinch County entered the game ranked No. 2 after reaching the state semifinals last season, while Jeff Davis came in ranked No. 11 in Class AA.
Clinch County scored first after a Jeff Davis fumble gave the Panthers good field position. The Yellow Jacket defense stopped the drive and forced a punt, but a low snap changed the play. Clinch County junior LaMarcus Bryant picked up the ball, found room downfield and scored on a 35-yard run to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
Jeff Davis answered late in the first quarter.
The Jackets moved the ball on the ground and finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Kobe Hill. David Calderon made the extra point to tie the game 7-7 with 10 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Hill gave Jeff Davis the lead in the second quarter when he broke free for a 44-yard touchdown run. The score put the Yellow Jackets ahead 14-7.
Quarterback Mark Durden added another rushing touchdown before halftime, extending the lead to 21-7. Durden also made an impact on defense, coming away with an interception late in the half.
At halftime, Jeff Davis had 181 yards of offense, all on the ground. Clinch County had 112 total yards. Hill had 96 rushing yards on six carries at the break.
Jeff Davis continued to add to the lead in the second half.
Durden opened the third quarter with a 69-yard touchdown run, pushing the score to 28-7. Later in the quarter, he scored again from three yards out.
The Jackets added their final touchdown in the fourth quarter when Garrison Coleman scored his first touchdown of the season.
Jeff Davis finished the night with 389 rushing yards on 43 carries, averaging 8.8 yards per carry. The Jackets recorded 16 first downs and attempted only one pass. Clinch County finished with 248 total yards, including 137 rushing yards and 111 passing yards.
Durden led Jeff Davis with 156 rushing yards on 13 carries, while Hill finished with 101 yards on eight carries. The two combined for five rushing touchdowns.
The win gave Jeff Davis its second victory and came one week after a 37-0 win over Vidalia. The Yellow Jackets scored 42 unanswered points and finished the night with 389 rushing yards while holding Clinch County to one touchdown.
Jeff Davis is now 2-0 and has outscored its first two opponents 79-7.
Next up: Jeff Davis travels to Metter High School on Friday, Sept. 4. Metter is 0-2 after a 27-23 loss at Rabun County Friday night.
Final: Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets 42, Clinch County Panthers 7
--Sophia Allen | GameFace Media