CHULA —
The Tift County Blue Devils proved they could play with some of the state’s best Friday night. Fighting themselves at times, along with the Stephenson High Jaguars, Tift battled until the very end, but fell 14-7 at Brodie Field to Stephenson, which is ranked eighth in this week’s Class AAAAA football coaches poll.
Down 14-7 with 4:16 left in the game, the Devils took the ball over on their own 34-yardline.
Four plays later, Tift’s Rashad Daniels fumbled the ball and Stephenson’s Patrick Smith recovered, but the Devils’ Donnell Tuff came up from behind him, stripped the ball and recovered to give Tift the ball back on their 40-yardline.
That gave the Devils one last chance with 2:36 left.
On a 3rd-and-4 play, Daniels raced 22 yards to the Stephenson 32.
After a running play lost a yard, Tift was called for two ineligible man down the field penalties.
Those two penalties and two incomplete passes gave Tift a 4th-and-21 at the Stephenson 43. Tift quarterback Tadric Jackson broke loose on an 18-yard run that came up just short of the first down. An illegal block penalty was called after the run was complete, but Stephenson declined the penalty, took the ball back over and ran the clock out.
Tift held a slight lead in total yardage in the game, 280-226. However, Stephenson took advantage of two big plays to gain their points.
An interception by Kadetrix Marcus gave the Jaguars the ball late in the first half.
Quarterback Jordan Tarver led the Jaguars on a 9-play, 67-yard drive that ended when he hit Cey-Ron Willingham on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds remaining in the half.
With the score 7-0 at the half, Stephenson’s Jared Boyd took the opening kickoff of the third quarter 82 yards for a touchdown. Colin Anderson’s point after gave Stephenson a 14-0 lead.
That was the biggest offensive play for the Jaguars in the final 24 minutes as Tift controlled the clock in the second half behind the running of Daniels.
The sophomore running back came alive with 17 carries for 114 yards in the final half, giving him 26 carries for 135 yards in the game.
Daniels’ hard work would be rewarded later in the half. A fumble recovery by Tift’s Michael Watts gave the Devils the ball on the Tift 32. Fourteen plays later, Daniels would burst in for Tift’s only score of the night on a 10-yard run. Griffin Martin’s point after made the score, 14-7 with 10:50 left in the game.
The teams would trade possessions until final frantic minutes of the contest.
Jackson would end the game with 41 yards rushing on 10 carries. He was also 8-for-24 passing with one interception and 102 yards.
Tarver was 9-for-16 passing for 78 yards for Stephenson, while Willingham had five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. Mike Davis led Stephenson in rushing with 66 yards on 14 carries.
Tift (2-2) will play host to the Worth County Rams Friday in what could be a standing-room-only crowd at Brodie Field. Game time is 8 p.m.
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TIFT COUNTY FOOTBALL HELMET
Devils battle until end, but fall 14-7
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