JEFFERSON -- As the 2012 season unfolded, a vibe began to emerge for the Jefferson football team that coaches and players realized had the makings for something special.<br />
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As we know now, their intuition proved to be correct as the Dragons rode that wave all the way to the Class AA state title.<br />
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As the 2014 regular season wraps up Friday in Hartwell in a winner-takes-all battle against Hart County for the Region 8-AAA title, the current Dragons are getting that old feeling again.<br />
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Ben Hall, who was the offensive coordinator for Jefferson in 2012 and is now the head coach, said he sees some similarities but they try not to live in the past, no matter how well things ended.<br />
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"I think there is a little vibe like (2012) especially the last couple of weeks as we got closer to the end of the (regular) season," Hall said. "The intensity is there and the desire and understanding of what's at stake are like 2012. But, this is a different team and we let the kids on this team make their own mark and not worry about what happened in the past."<br />
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It's a dream matchup to end the regular season pitting the two best offenses vs. the two best defenses in the region. Jefferson (9-0, 5-0 Region 8-AAA) is averaging 44.2 points a game and yielding just 8.5 on defense to lead the region in both categories. The Bulldogs (9-0, 5-0) are right behind averaging 40 points and giving up just 11.4 points a game on the season.<br />
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Hart County coach William Devane said it could be a white-knuckle ride the entire night.<br />
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"Both offenses are putting up some big numbers. The defenses better buckle up," Devane said. "It's probably going to come down to the final possession."<br />
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Jefferson features a traditional pro-style attack behind quarterback Evan Shirreffs and running back Sammy Williams, who have had some big moments in the big games this season.<br />
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The Bulldogs counter with a spread attack led by quarterback Cameron Fouch. However, Hart County has nearly double the rushing attempts than passing in its version. Running backs Trae Stowers and Trey Clark have combined for over 1,000 yards for the Bulldogs.<br />
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Both teams have athletic, hard-hitting defenses that are accustomed to getting their way. <br />
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"They have proven to be hard to stop," Hall said. "This will be by far the toughest challenge of the season. But, we both have strengths and weaknesses so we're going to try to take advantage of some things we see and hopefully we can minimize our weaknesses and mistakes."<br />
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Both teams have already wrapped up the top two playoff spots in the region but putting the finishing touches on a perfect regular season and grabbing the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs is a high priority for both coaches.<br />
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Jefferson has not completed a perfect regular season since accomplishing it 2008 and 2009. Hart County has not posted a perfect regular season since doing it four straight seasons from 1998-2001. The 1999 Bulldogs eventually lost to Cartersville in the Class AA state finals.<br />
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And neither coach said they will back off to save themselves for the playoffs.<br />
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"We're definitely excited about this opportunity," Devane said. "It's been a while since we've had a season this good. Our goal every year is to win the region so we're going to do everything we can to win it. We wouldn't do it any other way."<br />
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"We're going all out," Hall said. "Winning the region is our goal every year. You don't have to win the region to be able to win state but it does give you home field advantage all the way through depending on what happens to the other region champs. We always feel we have an advantage at home and want to get as many games at Memorial Stadium as we can get."<br />
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In the big games, it usually comes down to the little things and the intangibles that are hard to measure on paper. Turnovers, penalties, and heart figure to play huge factors.<br />
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"It sounds cliche but turnovers and special teams always play a factor in games like these," Devane said. "Whoever makes the big plays and has the fewest turnovers usually wins. But, whoever wants it more and is willing to sacrifice the most will come out on top."<br />
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"Both teams are well-coached so I don't expect to see a lot of big mistakes," Hall said. "But in the big games between evenly-matched teams, turnovers, the kicking game, penalties at key moments, all will have a bearing on the outcome. We're treating it like the first playoff game of the year and heart and desire are big factors in games like this. We'll see who wants it more. It should be a great game."
