JEFFERSON – Jefferson moved a game closer to the Region 8-3A championship with a 35-7 victory over Cherokee Bluff on Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
The third-ranked Dragons (7-2, 4-0 Region 8-3A) travel to Oconee County next Friday. A win there would give them the region title.
“We have a tough game ahead of us,” Jefferson Coach Travis Noland said. “It’s a big game. They are a physical football team and well-coached. We know what’s in front of us.”
The first-ever meeting between the fourth-ranked Bears (8-1, 3-1 Region 8-3A) and the Dragons had a lot riding on it. The Bears could have clinched the region championship with a win.
Both teams have already secured playoff spots, but where they finish in the region standings could significantly impact their pursuit of a state title. Earning home-field advantage as a top-eight seed could be a huge plus in the Class 3A playoff field, which is brimming with talented teams.
Jefferson used a solid overall performance to close in on the region championship. Its defense set the tone in the first half, holding the Bears to just 19 yards total offense. The Dragons’ defensive front, led by Kelan Butler, Jayden Yang, Joshua Causey, and Max Brown, set the tone.
“We were able to pressure them up front,” Noland.
Jefferson cornerback Chance Payne had two interceptions in the end zone to stop Cherokee Bluff drives. Payne also blocked a punt.
The Dragons’ offense used its running game to control the contest. Quarterback Gavin Markey ran 23 times for 122 yards. Jefferson totaled 212 yards on the ground. Markey also threw two touchdown passes.
Markey’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Talan Childress capped the Dragons’ six-play, 67-yard opening drive. After Payne’s blocked punt on the next Cherokee Bluff possession, Markey dove in from the 3-yard line for a 14-0 Jefferson lead with 3:56 left in the first quarter.
Jefferson’s defense forced a 3-and-out on the Bears’ next possession. Markey capped a 53-yard drive with a 22-yard scoring pass to Dalton Dye 1:21 before the half.
The Dragons scored twice more in the second half. Dallas Russell had a 5-yard touchdown run, and Markey ran 61 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Bears broke the shutout with 37 seconds left on quarterback Brooks Brien's 1-yard pass to Bryce Fontenot. It was set up by Landon Kemp’s 52-yard run. Another highlight for the Bears was Ben Craig’s blocked punt in the first half.
Cherokee Bluff closes out its regular season at home next Friday against East Hall before heading into the Class 3-A state playoffs.
