Jenkins head coach Tony Welch admittedly never saw it coming.
His team was coming off a tough 9-0 loss to Wayne County, one of the better Class 4 teams in the state. Welch was proud of his team’s effort.
So, when his Warriors lined up against Ware County – one of the better Class 5 A teams – Friday night, Welch certainly was optimistic.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.
Ware County score on their first five possessions and went on to a convincing 56-0 victory at Memorial Stadium. It was Jenkins’ fourth consecutive loss, and they dropped to 1-5 on the season.
The visiting Gators (5-2) rolled 333 yards of total offense in the opening half and staked themselves to a 49-0 cushion. Consequently, Jenkins was out of sync from their opening series, and the Warriors netted just seven yards of offense without a first down in the opening half.
After they took a 14-0 lead, Ware County totally caught Jenkins off guard when they cleanly recovered an onsides kick. From there, running back Dae’Jeaun Dennis rambled down to the one-yard line where he was hit and fumbled. Teammate Cole Cox recovered in the end zone for their third score on the night.
Ware County closed out the game when posted three scores in the final 2:56 of the first half, two in a 28-second span. CJ Johnson returned an interception 50 yards before Dennis scooted into the end zone from four yards out with 13.1 second remaining.
Gators’ quarterback Luke Hooks threw for 224 yards and four touchdowns before halftime.
It was that kind of night for Ware County and just the opposite for Jenkins.
Welch didn’t mince any words about his team’s overall performance.
“We didn’t play well,’” he stated. “We didn’t play anything like we did against Wayne. That’s my fault. We missed tackles, we didn’t line up right, and our offensive line stunk it up. We couldn’t block and didn’t block.
“We went heavy so we go heavy and toe-to-toe, and we still got beat on the line. We didn’t do anything well.”
A strong week of practice proved to be a false indicator. Jenkins finished the night with 32 yards of total offense with three first downs, and they also didn’t complete a pass.
“We practiced really well this week,” added Welch. “I thought we had out guy on the ball in the end zone on the fumble. Momentum changes quickly in this game. We’re a young team, and we couldn’t get anything going.
“We couldn’t run the ball, throw the ball, and made terrible decisions.”
One bright spot for the Warriors was their special teams play, primarily their kickoff returns that often gave them good field position. Dominique Johnson had several lengthy returns.
“Our special teams were decent,” noted Welch. “But other than that, we couldn’t move the ball. We gave up too many big plays, especially on third downs.”
Welch, though, is confident his team can regroup for their game at Greenbriar next Friday. The Wolfpack began Friday night with a 0-5 record. Since their 41-30 win at Bluffton four weeks ago, Jenkins has scored 21 points.
“We have to correct things, and we’ll get better,” said Welch. “I thought we would play better tonight, and we didn’t. We have some guys hurt, but our other guys are supposed to step up. It’s disappointing because we didn’t play like we did last week. Last week, we played light’s out.
“We have played real good teams, and our progression has been good. We have played better since Bluffton, but tonight we didn’t.”
Ware County....7...42...7...0...-...56
Jenkins..............0......0...0...0...-....0
First Quarter
WC – Dae’Jeaun Dennis 19 pass from Luke Hooks (William Bates kick)
Second Quarter
WC- Dennis 4 run ( Bates kick)
WC – Cole Cox recovered fumble in end zone (Bates kick)
WC – Tayshaun Franklin 10 pass from Hooks (Bates kick)
WC – Quintin Orange 50 pass from Hooks (Bates kick)
WC - Jasper Bolds 20 pass from Hooks (Bates kick)
WC - Dennis 2 run (Bates kick)
Third Quarter
WC – Slade Sweat 8 run (Jurgen Sepulveda kick)
RECORDS: Ware County (4-2/1-0 region), Jenkins (1-5/101 region)
FINAL SCORES WEEK #8
Oct. 5, Thursday
GHSA Class 3A-Region 3
Savannah Country Day 38, Liberty County 14
Oct. 6, Friday
GHSA Class 7A-Region 1
Camden County 35, Richmond Hill 33
GHSA Class 6A-Region 2
Effingham County 35, Grovetown 32
Glynn Academy 35, South Effingham 0
GHSA Class 3A-Region 3
Coffee 62, Bradwell 6
Ware County 56, Jenkins 0
GHSA Class 4A-Region 3
Benedictine 38, Burke County 30
Wayne County 56, Islands 10
New Hampstead 50, SE Bulloch 34
GHSA Class 3A-Region 3
Long County 58, at Beach 29
Calvary Day 60, Groves 0
Savannah Christian 42, Johnson 6
GHSA Class 1A-Division 1
Bryan County 21, Metter 20
Claxton 7, Savannah High 0
SCISA AA Region 1
Bethesda 46, Colleton Prep 14
GIAA A Region 2
Pinewood Christian 43, Memorial Day 27
GIAA AAAA/AAA District 2
St. Andrew's 42, Trinity Christian 0
PHOTO CREDIT: Prep Sports Report Staff
FOLLOW the Prep Sports Report on Twitter @PrepSav, Instagram savannahsportsreport, or if you have a story or recap, contact PSR at https://prepsportsreport.com/Contact or kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com
Optim Orthopedics supports Prep Sports and the following schools: Benedictine Military School, Bradwell Institute, Calvary Day School, Liberty County High School, Richmond Hill High School, Savannah Country Day, South Effingham High School, and St. Vincent's athletics. Benedictine Military School, Bradwell Institue, and Liberty County's team doctor is Dr. David Sedory. Dr. David Palmer is the team doctor for Calvary Day School, South Effingham, and Richmond Hill. Savannah Country Day and St. Vincent's team doctor is Dr. Thomas Alexander. Remember, Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game.
.jpg)
