It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Jasper County had no problem doing just that on Friday. They walked away with a 41-31 win over the Academy for Classical Education Gryphons. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Hurricanes.
Jamarkus Thomas was a one-man wrecking crew for Jasper County as he rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 74 yards and two touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes. Another player making a difference was Jalen Stewart, who rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries.
Jasper County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 358 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Jasper County didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Bryan Ridley and DeMonte Greene. Cope Durand was another major factor on D, making 17 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Despite the defeat, Academy for Classical Education saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Ace Hatcher rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 44 yards and a touchdown. Those 173 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Hatcher. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Brice Whitley, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Jasper County's victory bumped their record up to 8-3. As for Academy for Classical Education, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-5.
Jasper County will square off against Dublin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Dublin will roll in looking for their 12th straight win, something Jasper County surely won't give up without a fight. Academy for Classical Education does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
