Two weeks ago after a Region 1-AAAAA victory at Evans, Ware County head coach Jason Strickland said the Gators were now in a run to the GHSA playoffs.
If defense wins championship, Ware County (6-2 overall, 5-0 region) proved it’s rounding into postseason form.
With an offense struggling to find much rhythm in a penalty-filled game against a solid Jenkins defense, the Gators’ defense came through by smothering the Warriors to key a 17-0 region win Friday, October 23 in Memorial Stadium on Senior Night.
The visitors (3-5, 3-2) managed just 28 total yards — all rushing — and two first downs on 33 plays against the swarming Ware County defense, which forced seven punts.
Jenkins didn’t get its initial first down until late in the third quarter, and it came on a 10-yard run off a fake punt to account for the Warriors’ secondlongest play of the game behind a 22-yard run from Tasean Rhodes in the fourth period long after the game was decided.
“Credit the defense for the night they had,” said Strickland, who earned his 70th win during his seven seasons at Ware County and 169th in his career. “I thoght our defensive front handled their offensive front. To keep them off the scoreboard was special.”
The victory, after a region- wide bye last week, was the fifth straight overall and in the region for the Gators. Ware County shares the region lead with sixth-ranked Benedictine (7-1, 5-0).
The Gators travel over to Jesup to face Wayne County Friday night before closing the regular season at home against the Cadets.
Friday’s game was marred by 23 total penalties — 10 consisting of 10 or more yards — resulting in 213 lost yards. Jenkins was flagged for 13 covering 105 of the total.
Three of the major infractions came following the end of one play in the third period resulting in the ejections of two players from Jenkins and one from Ware County. By GHSA rule, they will be ineligible for their next game.
“Obviously this was not as clean as we wanted,” Strickland said. “There’s a lot to clean up.”
In between the stops and starts for penalties, Ware County’s offense managed enough production and points for the win. The Gators had 244 total yards with 156 coming on the ground.
Jimmy Taylor ran 13 times for 69 yards and a touchdown while Mehki Porter added 67 on six carries and a score. Kicker Jeffrey Gonzalez added a field goal and two conversion kicks for the other Ware County points.
“I 1,000 percent credit their (Warriors) defense,” Strickland said. “They made some tough running and throwing lanes. They did some things to make us uncomfortable. We couldn’t get anything on first down, then there were the penalties and delays.
“Thankfully, we contained their guys defensively. We gutted one out.”
After forcing Jenkins to punt off the opening kickoff, Ware County scored all the points it needed on its first possession with a 43-yard field goal from Gonzales.
The Gators took over on the Jenkins’ 44 and quickly moved to a first down at the 21 before stalling. Quarterback Isaiah White misfired on a pair of passes before being sacked for a fiveyard loss.
On came the junior kicker who split the uprights for a 3-0 lead with 6:22 left in the opening quarter.
Ware County capitalized on a Jenkins’ mistake which led to one of the game’s more interesting plays to stretch the lead to 10-0 midway through the second quarter. Faced with a fourth-and-10 at its own 47, the snap sailed well over the head of Warriors’ punter Tayden Walthour.
He was hit immediately when he went to pick up the ball, but it squirted away and what followed resembled a county fair contest of kids trying to catch a greased pig. Multiple players got their hands on the ball before a Warrior finally retrieved it and was tackled out of bounds way back at the Jenkins’ 13.
Three plays and a penalty on each team later, Taylor went over left tackle from a yard away for the touchdown with 7:40 left in the half for a 10-0 lead after the extra point kick from Gonzalez.
Ware County had a chance to stretch the lead at the end of the half, but came up empty when Gonzalez had a 43-yard field goal attempt blocked at the buzzer.
The Gators had taken over at their 34 with 1:08 left after forcing a punt. After quarterback Isaiah White was incomplete on a first-down pass, the senior quarterback hit Elon Jones for 10 yards and Ja’Londi O’Hara for 21 for a first down at the 39.
Following a spike to stop the clock, O’Hara was called for interference on a pass from White moving the ball back to the 46. White connected with LaTerrian Hayes on passes of six and 22 yards, the last one on which Hayes fought to get out of bounds with just 2.8 seconds left in the half.
The Gators hustled out the field goal unit, but the kick had no chance as Jenkins smothered the attempt.
Ware County set the final score midway through the third quarter on a quick, four-play 81yard drive ending in Porter’s touchdown. After an incomplete pass, White hit O’Hara for 11 yards and Porter gained four.
On the next play, the fleet freshman took a handoff toward the right side of the formation and broke the line, but ran into a pocket of defenders. Somehow, he escaped, cut back left and outran the remaining two defenders into the left corner of the end zone with 6:59 left in the third quarter.
“We got (Jenkins) to lighten the box a little on that play and the line got it blocked up pretty well,” Strickland said. “Then Mekhi was Mekhi. He’s a special athlete.”
The teams had a heated exchange on the following possession resulting in two unsportsmanlike calls on Jenkins and one on the Gators. As the teams were unpinning after a five-yard run by Tyler Smalls, a flurry of shoves and punches ensued and flags flew with officials sending both teams to their sidelines.
After order was restored, officials ejected the three players, then walked off two penalties from the Warriors’ 27 against Jenkins and one back the other way against the Ware County. The Warriors ended up punting from their 21.
Neither team threatened the rest of the game as Jenkins seemed resigned to the outcome and the Gators were content to run the clock, which they did over the game’s final 4:29.
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