This story was originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on October 14, 2014 and can be found here.

JEFFERSON | Jefferson High School showed Elbert County first-hand why its a force to be reckoned with in Region 8-AAA.

Just like their first five games of the season, the Dragons rolled to a lopsided win behind their balanced offense and turnover-creating defense. This time, Jefferson jumped ahead early and cruised to a 52-6 win — it’s first victory over the Blue Devils since 1976.

“We ran the ball hard tonight and were able to avoid turnovers,” Dragons head coach Ben Hall said. “We came out firing in the first half, and it was just a nice night.”

Jefferson (6-0) let running back Sammy Williams carry the load to start the game, maximizing his 48-yard kickoff return to open the night’s action by marching down the field and taking an early 7-0 lead on a 2-yard scamper by the senior.

The Dragons’ defense proved it was in the mood for some points as well on Elbert County’s first possession of the contest. Needing to convert on third and long, the Blue Devils had their pass intercepted by Kendrick Robinson, who returned the ball 35 yards for a touchdown to hand Jefferson a 14-0 advantage.

Then the Dragons made the most of their dangerous rushing attack by using play-action passes on a number of occasions, hoping that the acting skills of quarterback Evan Shirreffs and Williams would be enough to fool the Blue Devils’ defense. Shirreffs accomplished just that in the closing seconds of the opening quarter of action, faking the handoff to Williams and instead connecting with wide receiver Dalton Hill on a 30-yard touchdown pass to take a 21-0 lead.

Williams simply would not let Elbert County off the hook, finding the end zone again with 4:50 left before halftime to push the Dragons ahead 28-0. Jefferson tacked on three more points on a 20-yard field goal by Gage Lawson late in the second quarter to hold a 31-0 lead at halftime.

Shirreffs came out in the second half and continued to dissect the Blue Devils’ defense. The third quarter for Jefferson started with a bang, as Shirreffs found wide receiver TJ Skelton beyond the safeties and placed the ball perfectly on a 77-yard touchdown pass.

The ball-hawking defense of the Dragons struck soon after Shelton’s touchdown, as Mecole Hardman made an interception and bolted 27 yards to increase the lead to 45-0.

Backup running back Colby Wood stepped in and picked up where Williams left off, entering the game and quickly erupting on a 43-yard run followed shortly thereafter by one for 20 yards. Wood finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, making it a 52-0 game.

Elbert County (3-3) pieced together its finest drive of the game late in the third quarter. The Blue Devils drove 68 yards on the heels of a determined running game before Rantious Reed scored on a 5-yard rush to create a 52-6 score.

Williams finished the outing with 14 rushes for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Shirreffs matched his running back’s productivity with seven completions for 214 yards along with two touchdowns through the air.

The Dragons will defend their perfect record next week when they travel to Morgan County next Friday. The Blue Devils will look to rebound next Friday when they hit the road to take on Jackson County.