JEFFERSON coach T. McFerrin certainly remembers last year’s scrimmage with Lumpkin County. The game obviously didn’t count, but it didn’t go well on the scoreboard for the Dragons.
“Yeah, it will be a tough scrimmage again,” McFerrin said. “They’re a good Class AAA team. They beat the heck out of us last year.”
Jefferson, coming off a 6-4 season last year, scrimmages Lumpkin County Saturday night at home at Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m.
One of the problems Lumpkin County posed last year was its blitz-happy 3-3-5 defense, a scheme that Jefferson rarely faces. Jefferson turned the ball over three times and trailed 21-0 at halftime before scoring twice in a simulated overtime segment in the second half.
“They stunt every down, and it puts a lot of pressure on us,” McFerrin said. “It’s something we don’t see very often. We’ve had to stop and get ready for that.”
Lumpkin County, 6-4 last year as well, also boasts a Division I-caliber tailback and a Division I-caliber defensive end.
Since Jefferson is scrimmaging this weekend, that will allow Dragon coaches nearly two weeks to dissect that film and prepare for the Aug. 26 opener at home against arch rival Commerce. The Dragons beat the Tigers 17-14 in a nail-biter last year.
“That’s the way we planned it,” McFerrin said of the timing of the scrimmage. “Then we’ll have two weeks to work for Commerce. So that’s exactly what we wanted to do. I didn’t want to wait until the last week.”
Like everyone else, Jefferson’s practice schedule has been interrupted by the severe heat. The Dragons’ Monday practice was their first in shoulder pads since last Wednesday. McFerrin said the layoff was evident.
“It’s been a long layoff and it showed today,” McFerrin said Monday. “We were pretty bad today. This is the worst practice we’ve had all summer. I hope we come out and do a lot better tomorrow (Tuesday).”
