JEFFERSON’S path to the state playoffs is pretty straight-forward: Beat a team that it’s already beaten by 28 points earlier this year.
But it’s far from that simple, Dragon coach T. McFerrin said. He stresses that Dawson County (5-4 4-1) isn’t the same team Jefferson (7-2, 4-2) steamrolled 42-14 on Sept. 9, a Dragon win that was aided by some Tiger turnovers.
A little film review with the players will show that.
“It won’t be hard to convince them after they see the film that they’re improved and that we were fortunate to get the turnovers that we did,” McFerrin said. “You can’t count on getting those.”
The rematch is Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Dawsonville in the region play-in round for the right to advance to the Class AA playoffs.
Dawson County has won four of six ball games since that lopsided evening of Sept. 9, including a 49-7 pasting of East Hall and a 38-7 throttling of Rabun County.
“They’re playing pretty darn good right now,” McFerrin said.
In fact, McFerrin calls Dawson County “scary.”
The Tigers have added a wrinkle to their defense, shifting from a 3-3-5 to a 4-4 or vice versa prior to the snap to create confusion on the opposite side of the ball.
“That’s a tough deal right there for the offense because you never know what kind of defense they’re going to be in,” McFerrin said.
Offensively, Dawson County is putting up 30 points per game operating out of a shotgun, spread attack.
McFerrin said that Dawson County’s system resembles that of East Jackson, though the Tigers use more of a wing-T philosophy.
Still, the similarities to Jefferson’s most recent opponent are there.
“They’re a lot like East Jackson with them lining up in a lot of different formations,” McFerrin said.
Defending that scheme requires a lot of discipline. Jefferson can’t chase the ball all over the field, he said.
“I hope how we prepared for East Jackson last week will help,” McFerrin said.
Jefferson is trying to get back to the state playoffs for the 11th time in 12 years. The Dragons sat home last year with a 6-4 record, but Jefferson — which beat rival East Jackson 35-7 Friday with a 334-yard rushing performance — has rebounded with a 7-2 campaign and given itself a chance to get back to state.
But it will be all for naught if the Dragons can’t win Friday.
That should provide plenty of motivation.
“It’s good for the seniors who don’t get to play again after this year, and we’ll talk about that a little bit today (Monday),” McFerrin said. “We don’t want it to be their last game.”
