Dragons face East Jackson Friday
After eight games and 47 and a half minutes of playing time in the ninth game, Jefferson’s title hopes hung on one kick.
If the North Oconee Titans made it, it would tie the game at 17-17, sending the game into overtime. That would have put the Dragons’ undefeated record and, more importantly, their region title on the line.
If they missed, the Dragons would be in the driver’s seat to clinch their first region title in over three decades.
Jefferson quarterback Darius Minor (12) prepares to fire a pass down the field during Friday night’s game against North Oconee. Photo by Brandon Reed
Jefferson defeats Titans to clinch 8-AA title
A hard push by a tough Dragon defensive line hurried the kick, causing it to go wide, and plunging the Dragon Nation into jubilant celebration.
Jefferson would stroll through the last 26 seconds to win a 17-16 squeaker, sealing their first region title since Jimmy Carter was president.
Coach Bill Navas said he was very proud of his team and their efforts.
“Any time that you could make that many mistakes and still win against a good football team, it is rewarding.”
Despite the impact of such a historic event, however, Navas was quick to point out that their job is not yet finished.
“We still have another regular season game and the play-offs,” he said. “We enjoyed the win this weekend but are back to business now.
“I am very happy for this community, as it has always been very supportive of us. We feel very fortunate to be able to bring a championship home.”
Up Next
With the region title wrapped up, the Dragons now look to continue their momentum into the post season. But first, they have to travel to Nicholson to face the second year East Jackson Eagles, who themselves are looking
to end their year on a strong note.
It will take a Herculean effort on the part of the Eagles to pull off a major upset on Friday. East Jackson is 3-5 in the region, and 3-6 overall in their first year of region play.
Side by side, the differences are pretty obvious. The Dragons have scored 338 total points this season, an average of 37.6 per game, while the Eagles have scored 143 points, an average of 15.9 per game.
East Jackson has allowed 220 points to be scored against them, an average of 24.4 per game, while the Dragons have allowed about half that, 112 points total for a 12.4 per game average.
But that doesn’t mean that the game should be a cakewalk for the Dragons. With nothing to lose and a reputation to gain, the Eagles could go all out in their final game to try to pull off the miracle upset of the year.
Kickoff Friday night is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
For more of this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.
Jefferson would stroll through the last 26 seconds to win a 17-16 squeaker, sealing their first region title since Jimmy Carter was president.
Coach Bill Navas said he was very proud of his team and their efforts.
“Any time that you could make that many mistakes and still win against a good football team, it is rewarding.”
Despite the impact of such a historic event, however, Navas was quick to point out that their job is not yet finished.
“We still have another regular season game and the play-offs,” he said. “We enjoyed the win this weekend but are back to business now.
“I am very happy for this community, as it has always been very supportive of us. We feel very fortunate to be able to bring a championship home.”
Up Next
With the region title wrapped up, the Dragons now look to continue their momentum into the post season. But first, they have to travel to Nicholson to face the second year East Jackson Eagles, who themselves are looking
to end their year on a strong note.
It will take a Herculean effort on the part of the Eagles to pull off a major upset on Friday. East Jackson is 3-5 in the region, and 3-6 overall in their first year of region play.
Side by side, the differences are pretty obvious. The Dragons have scored 338 total points this season, an average of 37.6 per game, while the Eagles have scored 143 points, an average of 15.9 per game.
East Jackson has allowed 220 points to be scored against them, an average of 24.4 per game, while the Dragons have allowed about half that, 112 points total for a 12.4 per game average.
But that doesn’t mean that the game should be a cakewalk for the Dragons. With nothing to lose and a reputation to gain, the Eagles could go all out in their final game to try to pull off the miracle upset of the year.
Kickoff Friday night is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
For more of this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.
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