GREYHOUND FOOTBALL
WAYCROSS – The climb is usually uphill for a fourthseeded team in the opening round of the state playoffs against a region champion. That was the case on Saturday for the Greyhounds at Ware County, as Jones County went wheel to wheel for a quarter or so with the unbeaten and top-ranked Gators before turnovers and untimely breaks on special teams undid chances of an upset win as the Greyhounds season ended in a 55-13 loss.
“Things just didn’t go our way. We didn’t do what we needed to in order to be successful. It’s disappointing, no doubt,” Greyhounds head coach Mike Chastain said. “I think we’re a better ball club than we showed, but the results are what they are. It’s tough.”
It’s the earliest postseason exit for the Greyhounds, who finish the season with a 6-5 record, since 2018, the year before Jones County began a run of two semifinal appearances in a row and three straight region championships.
Jones County will go into the offseason as it says farewell to a senior class that was a pivotal part of that three-year run, and some of the key cogs from that class played a big role in giving Ware County all that it could handle to begin with on Saturday.
“This is a special class; we’re very proud of this class,” Chastain said. “This is the longest I’ve ever coached anywhere, so seeing these guys from being freshmen to seniors, it’s special. We’re really proud of this group.”
Despite an 80-yard drive by the Gators offense to lead 7-0 with 8:40 to go in the first quarter on a run by Dae’jeaun Dennis, the Greyhounds got in gear offensively after each team traded punts, getting downfield where quarterback Judd Anderson found senior Javious Bond on an out route, and he muscled his way into to the end zone from 11 yards away to tie the score 7-7 with 1:58 to play in the first quarter.
Bond had three catches for 60 yards and rushed 17 times for 78 yards.
It was enough to give Jones County a fighting chance early, but those hopes gradually faded through a combination of turnovers, foul fortune on special teams and being unable to take advantage of Ware County turnovers in the first half. Ware amassed 370 offensive yards on Saturday, 203 on the ground.
The first came right after the Greyhounds game-tying touchdown, as Ware County perfectly played the short kickoff, running it back to the 25-yard line. That short field made it easy for the Gators, who led 14-7 on a 14-yard run by RJ Boyd.
The short-field gremlins would again haunt JCHS, as a short punt on the next Greyhounds drive set the Gators up on the Greyhounds 46-yard line, resulting in a nineyard touchdown run by Dennis. More critically, it put Jones County down 21-7. The Greyhounds, however, were not out of it yet, even after their next offensive drive to the Ware 34-yard line ended on an Anderson interception in the end zone. The next two Gator possessions saw Bond and Tae Lattimore snatch down interceptions, but Jones County could not take advantage, turning the ball over on downs on one drive and punting away on the other.
Ware finally got back going offensively, converting a 28-yard field goal near the end of the half to lead 24-7.
Matters snowballed in the second half, when a long punt by Shawn Huckebea was field inside the 10-yard line, fumbled, but returned 91 yards for a 31-7 lead on a touchdown, and it would be followed by a field goal to lead 34-7. JCHS stayed in it, getting on the board again with 6:15 remaining in the third quarter when Anderson found Tyler Stewart on an 80-yard slant to score and cut the lead to 34-13. It was one of two touchdowns for Anderson, who was 17-of-32 for 239 yards and three interceptions.
Stewart’s 96 yards on two catches led the Greyhounds receivers with Zion Ragins having six catches for 44 yards.
The Gators would have too much offensive firepower as the game went on, leading 41-13 before Anderson’s third interception on the play after that score further deflated things for Jones County, which yielded two more scores in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
“They’re No. 1 for a reason; they did a good job,” Chastain said. “Our guys had a chance to make some plays, and we didn’t. That’s what it comes down to on both sides of the ball.”
