Our Game of the Week takes us to Jefferson for the Region 8-AAA title contest. After the game, check back with NowHabersham.com for a recap and video highlights.
Jefferson
The Dragons got an extra week to prep for this one. Jefferson is rolling at this point in the season, and everyone for the most part seems healthy. Gavin Markey is orchestrating an offense that has more weapons than they know what to do with – Rett Hemphill, Dallas Russell, Mickell Pittman all at RB, and WRs Talan Childress, RJ Hinton, Dalton Dye, and more. The Dragons are up to 33.5/game offensively and only 16.4 allowed. The defense has allowed 14 or less in 3 straight games. That side of the ball features Max Brown, Hemphill, Jayden Yang, Kelan Butler, etc. And the trenches are stout with Ashley Eckert, John Morgan Kinney, and several others doing the dirty work.
Cherokee Bluff
#3-ranked Cherokee Bluff (8-0) and the Bears are undefeated. They’ve had close ones – wins over Lumpkin (by 9), Habersham (7), and Oconee County (7) all were nail-biters. That gives you a little idea of how they might compare to Jefferson. Cherokee has a talented offense (37.6/game) that’s one of the best in the state, and the defense allows only 14 per game, giving up only a max of 24 twice this season. SR QB Brooks Brien (1,750 yds, 18 TD; 5 rush TD) has been fantastic, and he has an embarrassment of riches in RBs Jackson Pirkle (465 yds, 7 TD) and Connor Griffin (444 yds, 1 TD) and WR KT Thompson (753 yds, 10 TD). The offense is evenly-balanced and will keep Jefferson on its toes, and the defense includes a unit with 9 picks, led by Landon Kemp’s 4. They cause pressure (15 sacks, 14 QBH), resulting in 12 turnovers this year.
By the numbers (2024)
Jefferson
6-2 (3-0 in 8-AAA)
Region Standings: T-1st
33.5 OFFENSE AVG (9th in Class 3A)
16.4 DEFENSE AVG
#2 State Ranking
Cherokee Bluff
8-0 (3-0 in Region 8-AAA)
Region Standings: T-1st
37.6 OFFENSE AVG (4th in Class 3A)
14.0 DEFENSE AVG (7th in Class 3A)
#3 State Ranking
Game highlights
Be looking for highlights post-game later tonight as well as a story recapping Week Eleven. BLITZ partners with Fox 5’s 11 PM “High 5 Sports” show throughout the season. We make sure to get Jefferson coverage on the big market show! (schedule is different this week). You can also follow us on Twitter (@BlitzSportsGa) for live score updates (5G pending).
Team lowdown
Let’s begin with the Dragons. Jefferson is well-coached, stocked with talent, disciplined, and very good. These guys could easily have padded numbers several times this year, but they play smart and respectable football. If you’re a visitor, good luck grabbing a win at Memorial Stadium. The last time Jefferson lost a regular season game at home was 2021 to North Oconee. Since then, all dubs. With an extra week to plan, that means coach Travis Noland’s scheme is going to be extra-special, and the team is that much more rested and ready. They win if they take care of the football. Cherokee Bluff is no stranger to being here (playing for region titles), but it’s been awhile. The Bears opened their school doors in 2018, but have quickly risen to being on the map. They won back-to-back titles in 2020-21, and made Sweet 16 appearances both times. The last 2 seasons prior to this year they combined to go 7-13 in a rebuild. Now, they’re back. That said, Bluff has been fantastic, but some lucky bounces have helped. Their wins include a 9-point win over Lumpkin, 7-point win over Habersham, and 7-point win over Oconee County. Simply-put, Cherokee Bluff hasn’t been tested like the Dragons (24.2 SOS for JHS; 8.2 for Bluff). This environment is going to be the difference and how they handle it. If Cherokee Bluff takes the crowd out of it, look out.
Game details
Time: 7:30 PM Kickoff
Place: Jefferson HS / Jefferson, GA / Jefferson Memorial Stadium
Last Meeting: N/A
All-Time Record: N/A
Records: #2 Jefferson Dragons (6-2; 3-0 in 8-AAA); #3 Cherokee Bluff Bears (8-0; 3-0 in 8-AAA)
Head Coaches: Travis Noland (216-95; 27 Seasons); Tommy Jones (103-98; 19 Seasons)
Historically speaking
There’s no history here…until now. This is the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Team leaders (2024 Stats)
*Stats accumulated by team-published data on Ga MaxPreps
Jefferson
Passing
Gavin Markey – 1,016 yds, 9 TD, 4 INT, 60% completion
Rushing
Gavin Markey – 614 yds, 8 TD
Dallas Russell – 456 yds, 8 TD
Mickell Pittman – 307 yds, 3 TD
Rett Hemphill – 242 yds, 5 TD
Receiving
Talan Childress – 366 yds, 2 TD, 18 rec
Dalton Dye – 313 yds, 3 TD, 17 rec
RJ Hinton – 121 yds, 2 TD, 9 rec
Rett Hemphill – 84 yds, 1 TD, 4 rec
Dallas Russell – 75 yds, 1 TD, 4 rec
Defensive Leaders
Max Brown – 65 TKL, 6 TFL, 1 Sack, 3 FR, 1 FF
Rett Hemphill – 61 TKL, 4 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 INT, 1 FR
Jayden Yang – 46 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 FR
Kelan Butler – 40 TKL, 7 TFL, 4 Sacks, 1 FF, 1 BLK
Darren Pinkard – 33 TKL, 6 TFL, 2 Sacks
Dashaun Keith – 28 TKL, 2 INT
Cherokee Bluff
Passing
Brooks Brien – 1,750 yds, 18 TD, 3 INT, 61% completion
Rushing
Jackson Pirkle – 465 yds, 7 TD
Connor Griffin – 444 yds, 1 TD
KT Thompson – 61 yds, 2 TD
Brooks Brien – 41 yds, 5 TD
Receiving
KT Thompson – 753 yds, 10 TD, 40 rec
Malcolm Millsap – 316 yds, 2 TD, 19 rec
Dylan Haley – 305 yds, 2 TD, 14 rec
Landon Kemp – 170 yds, 1 TD, 15 rec
Defensive Leaders
Caleb Cooper – 40 TKL, 6 TFL
Colin Muyres – 40 TKL, 2 TFL
Tyler Underwood – 36 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 FR
Landon Kemp – 27 TKL, 4 INT
Hudson Davis – 27 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 Sack
Connor Griffin – 26 TKL, 7.5 TFL, 2.5 Sacks, 2 FF
Rylan Ackerman – 25 TKL, 3 TFL, 4 Sacks, 1 FR
Tony Rushin – 18 TKL, 3 TFL, 4 Sacks
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