The Dragons (12-3) lost a 27-7 State 3A Championship game on Wednesday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as unbeaten Sandy Creek (15-0) took a lead in the second quarter and never relinquished it. Jefferson was held to just seven first downs in the game and gave up two touchdown drives of less than 15 yards.
Jefferson elected to give the ball first to Sandy Creek, and the Patriots marched down the field while draining off almost exactly seven minutes on the opening drive. A fourth-down stop turned it over to the Dragons, who went a quick 3-and-out. Sandy Creek’s next drive was nearly as lengthy and bled into the second quarter.
Amari Latimer finally broke through with a 15-yard TD with 8:01 on the clock, at which point Jefferson had still only run three offensive plays. The offense struggled, as the next drive again was 3-and-out before a blocked punt set the Patriots up nicely at the 15.
Caleb Hill punched it in on a 3-yd QB keeper for the 14-0 Sandy Creek lead with 2:53 left in the half. The Dragons needed a homerun play, and it came on the ensuing kickoff. Chance Payne took it all the way for a TD, reeling in the deficit to 14-7. That reignited the team going into the break.
However, the first drive of the second quarter stalled quickly, and a wild circumstance led to the Patriots getting the ball on the 4-yard line after punter/kicker Taylor McCall inadvertently had his knee touch the ground on a low snap off a punt attempt. A couple plays later, Hill dove in for the 21-7 lead.
Colton Grant used his legs and a big pass to Darren Pinkard to get down the field, but the drive stalled and was pushed back with penalties and some busted plays, and ended with a turnover on downs. They had another shot on the next drive, but after a big pass from Grant to Logan Edmunds, the Dragons missed a field goal attempt.
Sandy Creek added on in the fourth when Latimer torched the defense for a 26-yard TD, pushing it to 27-7 and well out of reach late in the contest.
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