The Yellow Jackets welcome in the Ware County Gators, who are 7-1 overall and 4-0 in region play, into Jaycee Stadium on Friday night to decide the sub-region championship and set up a region championship game with Statesboro next week at Womak Field. Ware has been the most consistent team in the region this year with their only blemish a loss at Lowndes. Since they have won four straight and won every game by double digits. The Jackets having won three of their last four have put themselves in a position for a top three seed needed to play for a playoff spot. But its not a given as they can finish anywhere from first to fourth depending on the outcomes of the Brunswick-Richmond Hill game and the Glynn-Liberty game. A loss by either Glynn or Brunswick guaranteed the Jackets a top three spot regardless of the outcome of the Ware game. But as coach Grooms said Monday night at the touchdown club, we can only control one thing and thats how we play on Friday night against Ware.
Ware is a very big football team along both lines of scrimmage. They rely on their lines to control the other team which allows their running backs holes to run through on offense and their linebackers to run free on defense. The Jackets have to have some success up front in order to be in this game. Defensively we have to keep their offensive linemen from getting clean, one on one blocks, on our linebackers trying to make tackles on running backs Xavier Tobler, Bernard Robertson, and William Golden. Ware is very balanced on offense but they would rather run it than throw it. Another concern is the playaction passing of the Gators. If they run effectively, then the playaction passing becomes a threat and the Jacket secondary has to keep everything in front of them and not allow long scoring plays. Causing a few turnovers would also greatly improve the Jackets chances of winning.
Offensively the top priority is to protect Greyson Lambert. Ware has given up yards through the air this year against the better passing teams they have faced. The Jackets have one of the best passing attacks in the state and given time, they will be successful at moving the ball. The passing game is the key to the running game as well. It gets seven and eight defenders out of the box which will give RB Jaleel Lorquet room to run. Finishing drives in the red zone will be crucial as well as the Jackets have struggled in that area since losing Lorenzo Larry to injury.
Ware is going to bring a huge crowd on Friday. Everyone needs to be out at Jaycee Stadium and be in their seats by kickoff. It makes the players play better knowing they have a huge crowd cheering them on. Games like Friday night don't come around that often. Its been too long since we've had one this big at our stadium. Get there early, stay the whole time, and scream and yell all night and we might just pull off the unthinkable and be hosting a state playoff game in two weeks.
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