Jefferson County gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Oak Ridge Wildcats , sneaking past 34-31. For the Patriots, this counts as revenge for the 30-13 defeat the Wildcats walked away with the last time they faced one another back in August of 2023.
Skylar Thomas was a one-man wrecking crew for Jefferson County as he rushed for 264 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. Another player making a difference was Mason Henderson, who threw for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Jefferson County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 293 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 191 rushing yards in 13 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Several Wildcats players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Will Pressley, who picked up 192 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Pressley was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield for a catch that went for 66 yards. Damillyan Porter was another key player, gaining 159 total yards.
Jefferson County will face off against Sevier County at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both might be coming in a bit winded given how much these teams ran up and down the field in their prior games. As for Oak Ridge, they will have a little extra prep time after the loss as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Powell at 7:30 p.m. on September 6th.
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