Jeff Davis piles up 363 rushing yards as Jacob Laney and Mark Durden score three touchdowns each.
NASHVILLE, Ga. — The Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets delivered an impressive performance on the road Friday night, October 30, defeating the Berrien Rebels 41–20 in region football action.
Behind a dominant ground game that produced 363 rushing yards and six touchdowns, the Jackets pulled away in the second half, scoring 21 unanswered points to secure the victory. Jacob Laney and Mark Durden each scored three rushing touchdowns, while Garrison Coleman led all Jeff Davis rushers with 147 yards.
Jeff Davis wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. On the opening possession, the Jackets marched 76 yards in just four plays. Laney broke loose for a 54-yard run before finishing the drive with a four-yard touchdown. The extra point gave Jeff Davis a 7–0 lead.
Berrien answered with a nine-yard touchdown run by quarterback Cash Perkins, tying the game at seven.
The Jackets responded when Durden scored from four yards out, putting Jeff Davis ahead 13–7 at the end of the first quarter.
Berrien tied the game again early in the second quarter when Perkins connected with Christian Rodriguez on a seven-yard touchdown pass. However, the Rebels missed the extra point, leaving the score tied at 13.
Jeff Davis regained the lead when Durden capped a seven-play, 63-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. A key play on the possession was Coleman’s 41-yard run on fourth-and-one. The Jackets carried a 20–13 advantage into halftime.
Berrien opened the third quarter with a 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Perkins to Cole Stone. The extra point tied the game at 20. From that point forward, Jeff Davis took control.
The Jackets answered with a 10-play, 62-yard drive that ended with Laney scoring from 13 yards out. The touchdown gave Jeff Davis a 27–20 lead with 3:13 remaining in the third quarter.
The Jackets then put together another sustained drive, moving 49 yards in 11 plays. Durden finished the possession with a 20-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 34–20.
On Berrien’s next possession, Durden made a big play on defense, intercepting a Perkins pass and giving Jeff Davis the ball in Rebel territory.
Four plays later, Laney scored his third touchdown of the night on a three-yard run, pushing the Jackets’ lead to 41–20 with 5:15 remaining. The Jeff Davis defense held Berrien scoreless in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Jeff Davis relied heavily on its running game, finishing with 363 yards on 47 carries while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt.
Jeff Davis offensive leaders:
- Garrison Coleman: 19 carries, 147 yards
- Jacob Laney: 9 carries, 107 yards, 3 touchdowns
- Mark Durden: 9 carries, 51 yards, 3 touchdowns
- Braylon Varnadore: 9 carries, 50 yards
- Keylin Biggins: 1 carry, 8 yards
Laney averaged nearly 12 yards per carry, highlighted by his 54-yard run on the opening drive.
Durden contributed on both sides of the football. In addition to his three rushing touchdowns and fourth-quarter interception, he completed his only pass attempt for 28 yards to Braylon Varnadore.
The Jackets finished with 391 yards of total offense, 18 first downs and six touchdowns. Jeff Davis also converted all six of its red-zone opportunities into scores.
Berrien finished with 324 yards of total offense, including 152 rushing yards and 172 passing yards.
Perkins led the Rebels with 113 rushing yards and one touchdown. He also completed 16 of 21 passes for 172 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Stone led Berrien’s receivers with eight catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.
After allowing Berrien to tie the game at 20 early in the third quarter, the Jeff Davis defense kept the Rebels out of the end zone for the remainder of the contest. Durden’s fourth-quarter interception helped set up the Jackets’ final touchdown, while the defense also forced a turnover on downs during the first half.
The victory marked another strong outing for the Yellow Jackets, who followed their 21–14 win over Cook County with a commanding road performance against Berrien.
Jeff Davis scored touchdowns on six possessions, controlled the game with its rushing attack and finished with 21 unanswered points.
The Jackets will look to carry that success into their next region matchup.
When you’re wearing navy, you’re as good as gold!
