Bren Shepard/The Tifton Gazette
CNHI
TIFTON —
The Tift County Blue Devils couldn’t overcome mistakes or over 200 yards of penalties, and fell 22-14 to the Worth County Rams.
The Blue Devils jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after a 7-play, 90-yard touchdown drive that was capped off on a 35-yard pass from Tadric Jackson to Nick Utley.
It took the Devils just over three minutes to get the first score. It appeared the Rams were in for a long night defensively, but it wouldn’t appear that way for long.
The Rams took their opening drive down to the Tift 12-yard line, but after a fumble on third down, the ball ended up on the 34-yard line. Worth came out to attempt a 51-yard field goal but the attempt fell just short.
After the Devils took over on their own 20, the Rams’ defense wrapped up Rashad Daniels who eventually came down for an 11-yard loss. On the next play Jakevin Jackson caught a pass from Tadric Jackson, but fumbled at the 30. After a skirmish for the ball it was recovered by the Rams for a first and ten at the Tift 25 with just under three minutes to go in the first quarter.
It took the Rams six plays before Savon Farley found his way into the Tift endzone from six yards out on a third down play.
The Devils and Rams would trade possessions after that. Leading to a Tift first down on their own 21-yard line. On the first play Drew Davis hauled in a Tadric Jackson pass for 50 yards, and after a late hit on the play the ball would end up on the Rams’ 14-yard line. Three plays later, Nick Utley caught his first touchdown pass on the night from six yards out.
Utley would end the game with seven catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
After the Tift defense held the Rams to a three and out, Tift would take over on their own 36 with two minutes left in the half. After a screen pass to Daniels got the Devils into Worth territory, Tadric Jackson hit Donnell Tuff, who made an incredible one-handed catch in double coverage, to give the Devils a first and goal from the three. After a couple penalties though, which both cost Tift touchdown catches, one by Drew Davis, the other by Tuff, the Devils ended up with the ball back on the 18, and eventually a Worth interception would end the threat.
While the Devils took a 14-7 into the half and appeared to be destined for their fourth win of the year, the Rams had other plans.
Worth would take their opening drive of the second half 65 yards on five plays, highlighted by a 38 yard touchdown run by Farley. After the point after, the game was tied 14-14 and would remain that way until the fourth quarter.
Both teams had chances in the third quarter though, as the Devils would get a big pick by Shaq Lewis at the Rams’ 32. After a couple of Tift penalties, an interception by Worth’s Lavontae Robinson would kill the drive.
A drive by Worth that would start in the third, advanced to the Tift 39. On a fourth and inches, the Rams tried to run the ball around the outside despite Ellis Anderson running all over the Tift defense up the middle on the drive.
The Tift defense broke through and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Shaq Bryant on the Tift 44. After a penalty pushed them back to their own 49, Tadric Jackson rushed to the Worth 35.
Tift looked as though they were in business, but Robinson would pick off another Tadric Jackson pass on the next play and returned it to the Tift 32. Robinson was taken down in part due to a facemask, which advanced the ball to the Tift 17-yard line for a Worth first down.
Four plays later Anderson would score from three yards out to give the Rams the lead. A Tift penalty on the extra point led to Worth going for two. After a successful conversion the Rams had a 22-14 lead with 7:50 to go in the game.
Tift would get the ball down to the Worth 31 but would turn the ball over on downs.
With 42 seconds left Tift would get another chance, but they would make it not further than the Worth 35 to give the Rams a 22-14 victory, putting them at 2-2 for the season, and dropping Tift to 3-2.
Tadric Jackson led the Tift offense on the night, passing for 346 yards and two touchdowns. He hit six different receivers on the night, including Tuff, Utley, Davis, Daniels, Jakevin Jackson and Nigel Reese.
The Tift rushing attack was shut down on the night, Aquervious Wilson being the only Devil rushing for positive yards, going for 19 on four carries.
For Worth, Farley went 8-11 and 99 yards, while rushing for 100 yards on ten carries. He hit five different receivers, including Robinson, Tevin Hicks, Kareem McDaniel, Marlin Hall and Quantavious Sweney. Anderson ran for 60 yards on 19 carries, most of them taking it up the middle.
The Blue Devils fall to 3-2 on the season, and will face Glynn Academy next week at 8 p.m. in Tift County’s homecoming game. The Rams bring their record back to 2-2 on the year, and will face Americus next week at home, with a kickoff of 7:30 p.m.
