Jefferson County proved they can win big last Friday (they won by 42) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out the Powell Panthers 27-24. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Patriots have posted since September 20, 2024.
Jefferson County found their leader in sophomore Sean Young, who made 14 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Jefferson County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 202 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 91 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last five games they've averaged 189.7.
Powell lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Deuce Rodgers, who rushed for 63 yards and one TD, and also threw for 118 yards and one touchdown. Another player making a difference was Ory Vananda-Walker, who rushed for 91 yards and one score on only 11 carries.
Jefferson County has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 33.8 points over those games. Having lost for the first time this season, Powell fell to 6-1.
Jefferson County and Powell should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps Tennessee Rankings. The Patriots will take on Morristown-Hamblen East at 7:00 p.m. on Friday with a big rank advantage (42 vs. 270). Meanwhile, Powell (ranked 29th) will meet Clinton (ranked 158th) at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
