Patriots Knock the Wind Out of the Hurricanes, 26 – 6
Staff Photo by Angie Stanley
The Jefferson County Patriots hosted a rare Thursday night game against the Morristown East Hurricanes this week at Leroy Shannon Field.
It didn’t take Jefferson County long to set the tone for the game, which was total domination.
After winning the coin toss, the Patriots elected to defer to the second half. On the Hurricanes’ first possession, a fumbled snap ended up being recovered by Jefferson County’s Caman Cody. The recovery started a drive that went all the way to within 20 yards of the goal, but did not produce a touchdown for the Patriots. It did, however, provide the opportunity for Jefferson County to go for the field goal. The effort was good, and in the first minutes of the game the Patriots were up 3-0 to the hurricanes.
Morristown East struggled offensively against a stout Patriots defense, even after a personal foul against Jefferson County moved the ball to the 40. After the punt, the resulting drive provided an open door for the first touchdown of the night. After a dozen plays, Jefferson County found the endzone to strengthen their score 9-0, with a failed extra point attempt. Morristown East just could not move, and the Patriots’ Jaylon Haney recovered at the 33, which set another scoring drive for Jefferson County. The Patriots ended the first quarter ahead of the Hurricanes 16-0
The second quarter of the game showed even more obstacles for the Hurricanes’ offense, as they continued to struggle against a determined Patriot defense. Gabe Tabor made his presence known to the Hurricanes and knocked them back a few yards. Unable to recover, Morristown East was forced to punt, yet again. During the next drive, with 33 seconds left in the half, the Hurricanes intercepted. The morale victory was short lived, as Tabor grabbed the ball back in the final seconds. The second quarter remained scoreless, and the Patriots ended the half with the 16 point advantage.
Staff Photo by Angie Stanley
The third quarter continued much like the first two, with the Hurricanes’ falling victim to the storm that was the Patriots’ defense. Jefferson County’s offense had slightly less wind in their sails as they did in the first quarter, and were limited to a field goal during the period. The Patriots ended the third ahead of the Hurricanes 19-0.
The final quarter mirrored the first three. The Hurricanes’ offense rendered unproductive against Jefferson County’s defense, and just could not produce the downs needed to maintain possession. In the final minutes of the game, one more scoring drive sealed the deal for the Patriots. With a 26-0 lead, Coach Riley gave the young bucks a few minutes of play time. In the final seconds of the battle, the Hurricanes avoided the shut out, as a 14 yard pass made landfall for the Hurricanes.
The Patriots’ domination of the ball resulted in over 300 yards for the evening. Clay Woods, once again, broke the 100 yard mark, as Seal improved his number by over 80.
The Patriot defense limited the Hurricane offense to just under 130 yards for the whole game.
Up next for Jefferson County, the Patriots will be traveling to Knoxville to face off against Bearden. The last time the two met, the Bulldogs rallied for the win 21-10. Kickoff is set for 7:30
