Jeff Davis went on the road Friday night and came away with a hard-fought 29-20 victory over Fitzgerald, using a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to put away the Purple Hurricane at Jaycee Stadium.
The Jackets and Fitzgerald entered the fourth quarter tied at 14 before Kobe Hill scored twice in the final period, including a 26-yard touchdown with 1:21 remaining that gave Jeff Davis some breathing room. Jeff Davis finished the night with 229 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Jeff Davis struck first midway through the opening quarter. Mark Durden broke loose for a 16-yard touchdown run, and the extra point gave the Jackets a 7-0 advantage. Fitzgerald answered just before halftime when Caden Cowan connected with Darryon “Pookie” Devine for a 24-yard touchdown with 25 seconds remaining, sending the teams into the break tied 7-7.
The Jackets wasted little time regaining the lead after halftime. Durden scored his second touchdown of the night on a 28-yard run early in the third quarter to make it 14-7. Fitzgerald responded later in the quarter on an 8-yard touchdown run by Latavis “LJ” Devine, tying the game again at 14-14.
Jeff Davis answered the Fitzgerald touchdown with an important 62-yard drive that carried into the fourth quarter. Facing fourth-and-seven along the way, Braylon Varnadore broke a 32-yard run to move the Jackets to the Fitzgerald 3-yard line. Hill finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, putting Jeff Davis back in front 21-14. jeff-davis-at-fitzgerald-2026-0…
Fitzgerald wasn’t finished. The Purple Hurricane put together an 80-yard drive and scored on a 2-yard run by R.J. Stanley with 5:15 remaining. The two-point attempt failed, leaving Jeff Davis with a slim 21-20 lead. With the game on the line, the Jackets responded.
Jeff Davis marched 62 yards on eight plays, converting a fourth-and-one along the way on a 14-yard run by Durden. Hill then broke free for a 26-yard touchdown with 1:21 remaining. Durden connected with Jacob Laney for the two-point conversion, extending the lead to 29-20. jeff-davis-at-fitzgerald-2026-0…
The Jeff Davis defense then shut the door, stopping Fitzgerald on downs before the Jackets ran out the final seconds.
Hill led Jeff Davis with 91 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while Durden added 83 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Varnadore rushed for 28 yards, Laney added 18 and Garrison Coleman finished with nine.
Durden completed his only pass attempt of the night, a 12-yard completion to Jaiden West. jeff-davis-at-fitzgerald-2026-0…
Jeff Davis’ rushing attack proved to be the difference. The Jackets averaged 6.2 yards per carry, rushing for 229 yards compared with Fitzgerald’s 167. Fitzgerald finished with a slight edge in total offense, 260-241, but Jeff Davis found the end zone four times and converted both of its red-zone opportunities. jeff-davis-at-fitzgerald-2026-0…
After a back-and-forth battle that was tied twice and separated by just one point with a little more than five minutes remaining, the Jackets delivered when it mattered most — answering Fitzgerald’s final touchdown with the decisive scoring drive and a defensive stop to secure the 29-20 road victory.
When you’re wearing navy, you’re as good as gold!
