The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets were defeated 21-10 by the Statesboro Blue Devils in the season opener Friday night at Womack Field.
After a brief delay from afternoon showers, fans packed the stands for the return of high school football. SEB struck first when senior running back Jayden Murphy capped off the opening drive with a touchdown run, giving the Jackets a 7-0 lead.
Statesboro looked poised to answer with senior back Keon Childers, but a penalty erased his touchdown run. The Blue Devils settled for a field goal attempt, which missed wide, keeping SEB in front.
Momentum shifted in the second quarter when the Jackets fumbled, giving Statesboro prime field position. Sophomore quarterback Beckham Jarrard scored on the ground, though the PAT missed, leaving SEB narrowly ahead 7-6. Statesboro’s defense, led by senior Keyonne Johnson, then forced a three-and-out and set up a drive finished by junior running back MJ Kimble, who punched in a score and added a two-point conversion to make it 14-7.
Murphy nearly swung momentum back before halftime with a long run to the Blue Devils’ six-yard line. SEB settled for a field goal, cutting the deficit to 14-10 at the break.
In the third quarter, Childers broke through for a touchdown run, extending the lead to 21-10. Both teams battled fatigue in the fourth, with several players down after plays, but Statesboro’s defense sealed the win when senior Aiden Kemp intercepted a Yellow Jackets pass in their own territory. The Blue Devils ran out the clock to secure the victory.
Blue Devils head coach Matthew Dobson praised his defense and coordinator Jacob Lord after the win.“I was so proud with the way we responded,” Dobson said.
“Coach Jacob Lord, our defensive coordinator, he is my right hand guy and I love that dude to death. What he did tonight defensively was really impressive.”
Yellow Jackets head coach Jared Zito said his team must treat the loss as a stepping stone.
“The season is a long way from being over, so we have to use this as a learning point and move forward from here. It’s all we can do,” Zito said.
Statesboro (1-0) travels to Kathleen to face Veterans on Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Southeast Bulloch (0-1) heads to Savannah to take on Islands on Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Live Score Updates
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