Summary of last season:
The Yellow Jackets got out of the gates at 3-0 in 2015 and ultimately improved for the third straight season, finishing at 5-5. However, the Jackets fell shy of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2001. In the off-season, JDHS handed the reigns to Ed Lovvorn, who spent the last two seasons as the school’s defensive coordinator. The Jackets improved defensively under Lovvorn’s direction as coordinator, from 33.4 points per game in 2013 to 20.9 PPG in 2014. Last season, that number dropped to 19.4 PPG. Lovvorn has coached 30-plus seasons at more than a half dozen schools and spent two seasons as the head coach at Temple High School in the 1990s.
Outlook for this season:
“Jeff Davis is looking to continue making strides toward becoming a consistent playoff team,” says Lovvorn. “Our strength and conditioning program at both the high school and middle school has made a huge difference in overall team strength. We return most of the offensive line as well as several experienced players on defense. The goal for this year’s team is to continue the improvements made in the last two years and to secure a playoff berth.”
Players returning from last year’s team:
The offensive line features seniors, Khody Sellers and Darton Stankowitz, and junior Harrison Sheeler. Senior, Wyatt Montgomery figures to be a prime player in the backfield. Senior DE Justin Kight, senior LB Wyatt Williams, junior LB Willie Waters, and junior defensive backs Jaylene Kirby and Jeremey Solomon headline the defense. Several Jackets will see action on both sides of the ball, including senior DeAngelo Adams (RB/LB), senior Treyton Waters (DB/WR), junior John Jackson (TE/DE), and junior Alex Sanders (RB/CB). Junior kicker Moises Briceno is also back.
What has realignment changed this year?
The Jackets still call 2-AA home, where they’ll once again play seven region games. Realignment sent Long County, McIntosh County Academy, and Groves elsewhere. Meanwhile, Swainsboro joins the fold along with Metter and Toombs County, who rejoin the region after a two-year hiatus. However, JDHS kept Long County on the slate as a non-region foe.
