WATKINSVILLE — Jefferson football showed it was in no mood for anything wild or crazy on Friday night.
The Dragons had the Region 8-AAAA title and a No. 1 playoff seed in their sites and played like it, pulling away from Oconee County for a 31-7 victory in Watkinsville that left little doubt as to the region champ.
The victory proved in stark contrast to last year's region title showdown between the two old foes, in which the Warriors claimed a double overtime win that sent Jefferson on the road for the second round of the state playoffs.
The fourth-ranked Dragons (9-1, 5-0 Region 8-AAAA) ensured that they will get a chance to host at least two rounds of postseason play on Friday courtesy their dominant ground game and solid defense.
Jefferson rushed its way to 304 yards, including 140 yards and a touchdown for junior running back Colby Wood. Freshman quarterback Colby Clark also chipped in with 91 yards rushing and two scores, while Zack Boobas put up 49 yards and a fourth quarter scoring blast that capped a dominant second half for the Dragons.
Oconee County battled throughout the first half, answering a 29-yard touchdown run from Clark and and a 28-yard run from Wood with a 79-yard scoring blast from Roques Dowdy to pull within 14-7. The score stayed that way until halftime thanks to two fired up defenses -- yet the Warriors (7-3, 3-2) never did find their offensive footing against the Dragons, managing just 171 total yards (96 rushing). Meanwhile, Jefferson began to kick into gear in the second half.
Hayden Kilgore's 350yard field goal made it 17-7 early in the third quarter, and a two-yard Clark plunge at the start of the fourth quarter gave Jefferson all the momentum it needed.
Jefferson will play host to the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs next Friday at Memorial Stadium.
