The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets went to battle with the Heritage Generals on a cold; brisk night – a perfect night for the first round of the AAA GHSA State playoffs. The Yellow Jackets defeat the Generals 35 to 9 to get to the win, and head to the second round of the playoffs.
Southeast Bulloch came out strong in the first quarter, securing four downs to gain possession. They converted a 36-yard run for a touchdown by senior running back Quentin Reed, putting the Jackets on the scoreboard first with 2:14 remaining in the quarter. The Generals responded, but despite a promising drive, they could only manage a field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-3 with 23.6 seconds left in the first. In the second quarter, the Jackets extended their lead when junior running back Colby Smith scored his first touchdown of the game with an 18-yard run. The drive took 16 plays and lasted 8:23, showing impressive ball control.
With 2:33 remaining in the half, Southeast Bulloch had an opportunity to add to their lead after forcing a fumble, but they couldn't capitalize and were forced to punt back to Heritage. Heritage took advantage of the remaining time in the second quarter, putting together a drive that culminated in their first touchdown of the night by Cody Bryan, the AAA Region 7 Player of the Year. The score at halftime stood at Southeast Bulloch 14, Heritage 9.
The Jackets received the kickoff to open the third quarter and quickly extended their lead. With 7:47 remaining in the quarter, Colby Smith scored his second touchdown of the night, and freshman kicker Owen Turner added the extra point, making the score 21-9 in favor of the Jackets. Heritage was unable to respond, failing to convert on third down and being forced to punt the ball back to Southeast Bulloch. On the ensuing drive, Heritage became increasingly desperate, committing two face mask penalties on the same drive, which gifted the Jackets 30 free yards. Southeast Bulloch capitalized on Heritage's mistakes, using a controlled offensive attack to burn clock, with sophomore quarterback Rhett Morgan demonstrating patience and precision in managing the game. With 47 seconds left in the third quarter, senior tight end Clay Williams caught a 17-yard touchdown pass, his first of the night, and Turner’s extra point made it 28-9 as the quarter came to a close.
In the fourth quarter, Southeast Bulloch’s defense stepped up, forcing a turnover on downs at 8:44 and continuing their dominant performance. With the running clock in play, the Jackets efficiently used time to their advantage. With just 2:29 remaining, Colby Smith capped off his big night with his third touchdown of the game, and Turner’s kick made it 35-9. SEB's final touchdown drive was a methodical 11-play, 50-yard march that took over six minutes off the clock. Heritage made one last attempt to get on the scoreboard in the final two minutes, but they were unable to break through SEB’s defense. After punting the ball back to Southeast Bulloch with less than a minute left, Morgan took a knee to run out the clock, securing a dominant 35-9 victory for the Yellow Jackets.
Colby Smith had a career game, rushing for over 30 carries, 219 yards, and 3 touchdowns. With his performance, he now has a total of 1,352 yards on the season. Head coach Jared Zito had nothing but praise for his junior running back star.
“Colby is a competitive warrior,” Zito stated. “He is physical, smart and athletic and he is also a great teammate who gives credit to the players around him.”
Overall the Yellow Jackets had a great game having 337 rushing yards and 41 passing yards on 58 plays for the night. Coach Zito was proud of how his team performed overall as well.
“We played physical football,” Zito said. “Our coaches did a great job of putting our players in a great position for success and our players trusted the coaching, themselves and their teammates!”
With this win, the Yellow Jackets will be traveling to Harlem, GA next Friday, November 22, to take on the Harlem Bulldogs. This is the second time in 4 years that the Yellow Jackets have made it to the second round. The Harlem Bulldogs finished they’re regular season (9-1,7-1) overall and in region play.
“Southeast Bulloch fans can expect the Jackets to come ready to play and play hard in next week’s matchup.” stated Zito.
