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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007 -- PAGE 3B
8 Turnovers Help Dragons Halt Tiger Win Streak
The law of averages — abetted
by eight turnovers and a strong
Jefferson Dragon squad — caught
up with the Commerce Tigers
last week. For the first time since
1995 and only the third time
since 1983, the Dragons won the
cross-river rivalry game.
And they did it convincingly,
burying the Tigers 42-7 to the
delight of Memorial Stadium’s
hopeful fans.
The Tigers now have a week
off to regroup before heading
on the road for a playoff game
Nov. 16 at Gordon Lee, Bowden
or Bremen, depending on how
this week’s games turn out.
“We’re going to try to rest up,
heal up, regroup and work on
some things we been messing
up,” said coach Steve Savage,
“like no turnovers, making the
right reads and the right blocks,
those kinds of things.”
That would be helpful,
although the first three series
of last Friday’s game suggested
Commerce was again in control.
Commerce stopped the
Dragons on the game’s open
ing series, forcing a punt, then
quarterback Reuben Haynes ran
63 yards on the second play
for the game’s first touchdown.
The Numbers vs. Jefferson
die
11 First downs 18
24-150 Rushing attJyds. 47-148
6.3 Avg. 3.1
17-14-2 comp-att-int. 17-14-0
54 Passing yds. 244
204 Total off. 392
7-6 Fumbles-lost 3-0
2- 11.5 Punting 2-33.5
3- 25 Penalties 4-40
2-5 (40%) 3rd down conv 4-11 (36.4%)
0-1 (0%) 4th down conv 1-5 (20%)
17:08 Time of poss. 30:52
RUSHING
player
att.
yds
avg.
TD
Haynes
8
92
11.5
1
Cash
4
11
2.8
0
Allen
1
-6
-6
0
Brown
11
53
4.8
0
TOTALS
24
150
6.3
1
PASSING
player
c/att.
yds
TD
INT
Haynes
4/17
54
0
2
TOTALS
4/17
54
0
2
RECEIVING
player
rec.
yds
TD
Cooke
3
37
0
Cash
1
17
0
TOTALS
4
54
0
PUNTING
player
Punts
Total
AVG.
Streetman
2
23
11.5
TOTALS
1
34
34
DEFENSE
player Tac. Asst.
Sacks Fum. rec. INT
M. Adams 1
4
0
0
0
Allen 0
0
0
1
0
Austin 1
6
0
0
0
Barnes 0
1
0
0
0
Billings 0
1
0
0
0
Bowen 2
4
0
0
0
Cash 1
3
0
0
0
Drinkard 3
3
0
0
0
Edwards 1
0
0
0
0
Flint 0
1
0
0
0
Glasper 2
5
0
0
0
Hanley 3
1
0
0
0
Hill 0
2
0
0
0
Maloch 2
5
0
0
0
Orsborne 2
3
0
0
0
Sanders 1
0
0
0
0
Savage 1
3
0
0
0
Sears 7
6
0
0
0
Streetman 5
6
0
0
0
Totals 32 54
0
1
0
Tyler Austin (72) closes in on a Dragon back from behind.
Cameron Billings tacked on the
extra point, and with a 7-0 lead,
who in black and gold could
have predicted what was about
to happen?
Tiger fans had further rea
son for hope when the defense
stopped the Dragons again on
fourth-down on the subsequent
series, taking over on their own
27.
That’s when the wheels came
off of the Tiger bus.
On the third play, the Tigers
fumbled on their own 20; two
plays later Dragon quarter
back Josh Bohanan found wide
receiver John Sharpton in the
end zone from 14 yards, and the
game was tied at 7.
On its second play after taking
the kickoff, Commerce fumbled
again, this time at its own 25, and
Jefferson, seizing every oppor
tunity, covered that distance in
three plays to go on top 14-7.
The Dragons pulled off an
onside kick — another turnover,
as far as the Tigers were con
cerned — on the ensuing kickoff,
then drove 47 yards on seven
plays to make it 21-7.
“They executed it well,” com
mented Savage.
The score came when the
Dragons recovered their own
fumble in the Tiger end zone.
The next two Tiger drives ended
similarly. On the first play from
scrimmage, the Dragons picked
off an errant pass at the Tiger
37, but the defense stopped the
Dragons who punted. Then, the
Tigers drove 48 yards in six
plays before the Dragons picked
off Haynes in their own end
zone and returned it to their 20.
Ten plays later, Bohanan con
nected with receiver Will Meek,
and a stunned Commerce crowd
was looking at the wrong side of
a 28-7 lead at the half.
The turnovers continued in
the second half. On its second
play after taking the kickoff, the
Tigers dropped the ball at their
own 18. The defense stopped
Jefferson, which missed a field
goal attempt from the 20.
The offense managed six plays
before punting, and a seven-
yard punt put the Dragons in
business at the Tiger 43 from
where, it took three plays before
fullback Tyler Hill scored from
the one.
Commerce held the ball for
Photo by Allen Luton
four plays on its next posses
sion before coughing up the ball
on its own 46, and the Dragons
capitalized yet again, with Hill
taking it in from the seven.
“Generally, either someone
beats you or you turn it over or
you have penalties,” said Savage.
“Two weeks ago, (against Athens
Academy) it was penalties. This
week it was turnovers. You can’t
give a good football team the
ball too many times. Jefferson
played well. You can’t give them
the ball down on the short end
of the field. You’re fighting the
odds when you do that.
Quarterback Reuben Haynes looks for somewhere to go as
Dragon defenders close in. Photo by Allen Luton
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“I thought we were ready to
play and I thought we played
hard,” Savage commented. “We
made too many mistakes, and
Jefferson didn’t make any. When
that happens, you’re going to get
beat, and they deservingly won
the game.”
The score could have been
worse. The Tiger defense
stopped Jefferson three times
on fourth downs at the Tiger 27,
the 22 and the 11.
Haynes completed four of 17
passes for 54 yards with two
interceptions and rushed for 92
yards on eight carries, although
he also fumbled twice, both
of which were recovered by
Jefferson.
Bohanan looked good — as he
has all season — completing 14
of 17 passes for 244 yards with
no interceptions and two TDs.
The Dragons amassed 392 yards
of offense, the Tigers but 204.
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1P.M. -6 P.M.
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minimum) for Holiday Connection Jackson County
* Spectators Free • Car Show * Prize Drawings * Burn Out Exhibition • Kids Area * Tree Lighting
Schedule of Events
4:30 p.m
5:00 p.m
5:15 p.m.
Registration opens
Car Show begins
Registration Closes
Show ballots turned in
Holiday music by JCCHS
Awards presented
Burnout Exhibition
Followed by tree lighting
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