TIFTON —
After last week’s 34-14 loss to the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets, the Tift County Blue Devils are hoping for better luck tonight when they play the Coffee Trojans in Douglas in the Region 1-AAAAAA opener for both schools. The Devils will enter with a 2-2 mark and the Trojans have gone through their non-region slate with a 3-1 record.
Tift led most of the way last week before Central’s veer offense started wearing the Devils down, taking first the lead, then a tie away from them in a period of five minutes spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter. Tift would remain in contention until a late interception and Adam Choice touchdown run put the game away for the Jackets.
Coffee has gotten off to a hot start this season, starting with a 41-3 pasting of Whitewater High of Fayetteville. After edging Ware County, the Trojans dropped their only game of the season when they lost by 12 to the defending state champions, Waynesboro’s Burke County Bears. Last week, Douglas team was able to rebound with a 38-13 drubbing of Mundy’s Mill. Over the four-game stretch, Coffee has averaged 30.3 points per game.
The Blue Devils had their own hot start to the season. After losing by a slim four points to Westover, they outscored Crisp County and Houston County by a total of 82 points. Then came last week’s game against Central, one where coach John Reid said team was worn down in the second half. Tift has putting up a similar average - 33 points per game over their non-region schedule.
The Devils will have their hands full this week. Though Coffee has a powerful ground game, the Trojans are equally balanced through the air. Coffee’s top four backs have combined for nine rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Keegan McGovern has passed for six more.
First-year Tift head coach John Reid sees tonight’s contest as being a fresh start.
“Everyone in the region is 0-0 right now,” he said.
Like Tift, the Trojans have their own first-year head coach, one who is a familiar face to area football fans. Robby Pruitt arrived in Douglas this year after spending 11 of his last 12 years at Fitzgerald. Pruitt took over for Ken Eldridge, who had been head coach the previous four seasons.
After a week on the road, the Devils will return home next week to face the Colquitt County Packers, who ranked No. 6 in the current Associated Press poll. Colquitt hosts Lowndes tonight.
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Tift County Blue Devils quarterback Ryan Wedgeworth is pursued by Thomas County Central’s Derrin Kilgore Photo/Hubby Brooks
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