Jefferson head coach Travis Noland talks about his team's Class 5A quarterfinal matchup at Harris County on Friday.
The game can be heard live on FM 102.9 WDUN and streamed at accesswdun.com.
CLASS 5A
JEFFERSON at HARRIS COUNTY
Records: Dragons (12-0, No. 1 Region 8-5A); Tigers (11-1, No. 1 seed Region 3-5A)
Last week: Jefferson beat Hiram, 42-21; Harris County beat Statesboro, 42-7
Where: Hamilton, Tiger Stadium
Radio: WDUN 102.9 FM
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: First-ever meeting between the two schools. The Tigers are into their first Elite 8 since 2012. They have never advanced to the semifinals in their 67-year history. The Dragons are back in the quarterfinals for the first since 2020, when they advanced to the 4A title game. It has the makings for a defensive battle, as both teams are in the top 6 in defense. The Tigers, however, have the lowest-rated offense of the 8 teams left in 5A (352, 29.3 ppg), but they’re averaging 42.0 ppg in the playoffs. They do have 4 players with 300 or more yards rushing, led by Sr. RB Mataye Youman (1,438 yards, 19 TD).
What to watch for: The Jefferson offense vs. the Harris County defense. The Tigers have the best defense the Dragons have faced this season. They have only allowed 11 points (11.0 ppg) over their past 10 games, and no one has scored more than 20 in that span. The Tigers have 82 TFL, including 50 sacks, and have forced 14 turnovers (11 INT, 3 fumbles). Jefferson is averaging 40.0 ppg, which is 3rd in 5A. Sammy Brown, a Clemson commit, has 1,892 yards on the season and is 2nd in rushing in 5A and 1st in TDs with 27. After having just 1 game of 150 or more passing yards through their first 7 games, the Dragons have thrown for 148 or more in 4 of their last 5 games.
