CANEY BAY — Brantley County, fresh off a bye week, kicks off its Region 1A schedule hosting unbeaten seventhranked Jeff Davis at homecoming in the region opener for both programs.
BCHS (0-4) and the Yellow Jackets (40), ranked for the first time since 2021, are tangling for the 23rd time and first since 2020 in a series dating back to 1972. Jeff Davis has captured the last three meetings under head coach Lance Helton’s arrival. The Herons won six of nine matchups between 1998 and 2016.
“They (Yellow Jackets) are a solid, veteran team,” said BCHS head coach David Shores. “They are senior heavy on the offensive side with nine starters.”
Jeff Davis is unbeaten through its first four games for the first since 2021 and fifth overall in Helton’s eighth campaign (2018-24).
The Yellow Jackets started 2018 4-0 finishing 7-4. They started 6-0 in 2019 missing the playoffs. The 2020 team began 5-0 en route to a 9-2 mark. Jeff Davis got off to an 80 start in 2021 finishing 10-2.
Brantley County’s offense, which is averaging seven points a game, matches up with Class A DI’s third-ranked scoring defense.
The Herons have scored just two touchdowns over the last 14 quarters in losses to Class A DII Charlton County (61-13; the only common opponent), Class 3A Windsor Forest (20-8), Class 2A top-ranked Pierce County (42-7) and Class A DI Vidalia (30-0).
“We’ve had some issues picking up first downs to keep possessions alive,” Shores said. “We’re young after losing 18 seniors last year, so we’re a work in progress. The good thing is we’ve played four games before region starts to get some experience.”
The Yellow Jackets are allowing six points a game having surrendered four touchdowns in wins over Class A Region I Washington County (22-6), Class AA Rutland (44-12), Class A DII Charlton County (32-0) and Class AA Tattnall County (306).
“They switched to a 3-3 stack this year and its paying dividends,” said Shores. “They are more aggressive and run up field attacking. They have two physical linebackers with No. 10 (senior Haydon King) and No. 2 (junior Latrell Sellers).”
King leads six players with double-digit tackles recording a team-high 20 including four behind the line of scrimmage.
He has one sack and has caused three fumbles.
Sophomore Josh Worthington (5-11, 160) has a team-high six tackles for loss among his 19 total tackles. He has forced three fumbles. Sellers (61, 205) is second with five tackles for loss and has two quarterback sacks.
The Jeff Davis offense is scoring at a 32 points per game clip. The Yellow Jackets wing-T offense has scored 30 points or better in each of their last three games.
They will be going against a BCHS defensive unit allowing 38.25 points an outing. Only Windsor Forest has scored less than 30 points.
Jeff Davis averages 40 runs a game while attempting just five passes.
“Coach Helton is a disciple of (Dublin head coach) Roger Holmes so he learned the wing-T from the best,” said Shores. “They’ve (Jackets) have a really good fullback (senior Kyrice Hunt) and a good-looking athlete at quarterback (senior Colby Beach).”
Beach (6-foot-3, 190 lbs.) leads the team in rushing with 416 yards while averaging 12.2 yards per attempt (34). He has four of the Yellow Jackets’ eight rushing scores. Beach is 11-of-20 passing with five scores.
Hunt (5-8) is next with 342 yards (76 attempts) and three scores. In total, Jeff Davis has used 12 players in the rushing game.
“They (Jackets) are running the traditional wing-T along with some option,” Shores said. “We’ve got to be disciplined and stop the fullback and hem up the quarterback.”
