THOMSON — Thomson proved the only team capable of defeating Jefferson football in 2016.
And the Bulldogs left their mark, twice felling the Dragons, including a season-ending defeat in the Class AAAA state semifinals.
So you might think that Jefferson has done nothing but dream of payback in the long weeks following the end of the 2016 campaign.
And you'd be flat wrong.
Make no mistake, the Dragons would love nothing more than to answer the Bulldogs' two-game win streak in a series that has captured statewide attention between two top five-ranked programs. But the Jefferson also knows that Friday night's game at The Brickyard is about far more than settling scores.
In fact, for the Dragons, it's really more about, well, the Dragons than it is the Bulldogs.
(NOTE: To read full previews of all of tonight's contests, simply click here.)
"We're mainly worried a lot more about us than we are them," said Jefferson head coach Gene Cathcart. "We certainly realize that I think they've only lost one game in probably 20 at-bats. So it'll be a great challenge, but I want to see how our kids handle it. Hopefully our kids will respond, they always seem to."
Certainly the fourth-ranked Dragons (2-0) know just how tough an environment The Brickyard presents for opponents, as the second-ranked Bulldogs (2-0) enter Friday's showdown having won 20 of their last 21 contests on home turf -- the lone setback over that span coming against Buford in the 2015 Class AAAA state quarterfinals.
"If you were to ask me what we put into this, it will be exactly how we're able to play, how we're able to execute in such a stressful environment -- packed house, a notoriously hostile crowd...The Brickyard's a special place to play," Cathcart said. "And how we're able to stay focused on the task at hand -- that'll be a big measuring stick for us."
That said, Jefferson players and coaches admit that last season's semifinal loss at Thomson -- in which the Dragons put up 213 yards rushing but could not score a touchdown, while the Bulldogs completed five passes for 23.4 yards per completion in a 27-6 victory -- left an impression.
"We've spent a great deal of time trying to work to become more balanced on offense and take some pressure off (senior running back) Colby (Wood) and that offensive line and being able to throw the ball when we need to throw the ball," Cathcart said. "And they did a great job in the second game last year of stacking the line of scrimmage and played very, very well. And we didn't necessarily have our best game."
The early returns certainly look appealing for the red and blue, as Jefferson enters this week's showdown on the heels of two dominant victories (combined 93-13 scorelines over Discovery and Riverwood). And while Wood continues to run wild -- 243 yards and three touchdowns in last week's win at Riverwood -- the senior standout believes his team is already more balanced than last season with quarterback Bryce Moore mixing into the line-up and providing a counterpoint to fellow signal caller Colby Clark, who is a threat to keep the ball and run over defenders. Justin Cole has also developed into a No. 2 rushing threat with 120 yards on the ground and 2 TDs.
"(It has) most definitely has taken some pressure off me," Wood said. "I feel players like (receiver) Zac Corbin and (tight end) Sammy Elegreet have stepped up and have taken the pressure off me and loosened the box. I'm just ready to show (Thomson) how balanced we are and that they're going to have to play the pass and the run this year."
Perhaps the biggest test will come for Jefferson's men in the trenches. And after graduating two current collegiate linemen in Caleb Chandler and Dontae Wilson, the Dragons say they are rounding into form -- even in the face of some injuries.
"We've been doing good. I think they're really coming into it; they're starting to step it up. They had a few hiccups at the beginning, but I think they're starting to really get it," said Dragons veteran center Logan Garner. "And hopefully this game is really going to be a tester for them. I think they're really going to step up well for us."
The Bulldogs -- especially on defense -- should present some very familiar challenges.
"They've got nine, really nine-and-a-half starters who started fairly regularly for them on defense -- one guy split about half the season -- and return about seven or eight on offense," Cathcart said of Thomson, whose defense allowed just under 13 points per game last season.
Amongst the returning Bulldog talent are standout running backs Tyrek Braswell (44 rushes, 250 yards, 3 TDs so far in 2017) and Bubba Murray (21 rushes, 180 yards, 3 TDs), while quarterback Mills Ridings (who lofted those key passes last season) is also back for his final varsity campaign.
Jefferson too features a number of seniors hoping to make a mark on their final high school season -- and what a mark a victory on Friday would make.
"I've been ready all week; I've been studying film on them. I'm just excited to actually play a team that we lost to twice last year and just ready to get after it and just play our hardest," Wood said.
And, with the way things have been going between these two, it could be yet another prelude to an even bigger showdown later in the campaign.
GAME of the WEEK
JEFFERSON at THOMSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
-- WHERE: The Brickyard, Thomson
-- JEFFERSON (2-0, 0-0 Region 8-AAAA): Dragons defeated Riverwood 50-13. Jefferson is No. 4 in Class AAAA
-- THOMSON (2-0, 0-0 Region 3-AAAA): Defeated Effingham County 14-13 last week. Thomson is No. 2 in Class AAAA
-- HISTORY: Thomson leads the series 8-2-2, including two wins last season.
