The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets are traveling two hours north from Brooklet to take on the Harlem Bulldogs in round two of the GHSA AAA State Playoffs. The Bulldogs are (10-1,7-1) after their 27-13 win against the Cedar Grove Saints last week. This matchup may be evenly matched, but the Bulldogs come in as the favorites to win with a higher playoff ranking and win percentage than the Yellow Jackets.
This is the second time the Yellow Jackets have made it to the second round since 1973, and both times since then have been under head coach Jared Zito since he started in 2021. His team has been here before. He just wants to make sure they are confident in what they’ve practiced.
“I think we just have to keep being us, do what we do, and continue to stay hungry,” Zito said.
The main thing he has stressed to his team is to not get bored with trying to be great everyday.
“It may be a long season, but the hard part is over – now they get to focus on being better each day and enjoy it,” Zito mentioned.
In last week’s matchup the Yellow Jackets did just that by dominating Heritage in a 35-9 victory, starting strong with a touchdown by Quentin Reed in the first quarter. Heritage responded with a field goal but trailed 7-3 at the end of the first. In the second quarter, Colby Smith added a touchdown, and despite a forced fumble by Southeast Bulloch, Heritage managed to score their first touchdown before halftime, making it 14-9.
The Jackets extended their lead in the third with another Smith touchdown, a touchdown pass to Clay Williams, and Heritage's mistakes, including face mask penalties, gave SEB additional yardage. In the fourth quarter, Southeast Bulloch's defense shut down Heritage's attempts, and Smith capped his night with a third touchdown, making it 35-9. The Jackets controlled the clock with a lengthy final drive, and Heritage’s last-ditch efforts were thwarted, securing Southeast Bulloch's dominant win.
For this matchup against the Bulldogs, the Jackets have to do three things offensively:
- Not turn the ball over
- Play old fashioned football
- Trust the game plan
“Don’t make the moment bigger than it should be,” Zito told his team at practice this week. “If you do what you are capable of doing on Friday – just like you did last week, you will have nothing to worry about.”
Zito said that games like these will come down to special teams and turnovers. Believing his team is the better team, he expects the Jackets to come out with a ferocity and play to their best potential.
If you would like to tune in to the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets taking on the Harlem Bulldogs in Harlem, GA, Friday, November 22, 2024, you can listen to the game on The Boro’s 106.5 FM or CLICK HERE to listen live. Kickoff is at 7:30 PM. If you can't make the game, you can click here for live score updates by the Grice Connect sports team during the game.