For the first time in decades, the Rockmart Yellow Jackets are hosting a quarterfinal playoff game, and they are getting ready for the biggest game of the season yet.

Though the 10-2 Jackets had a couple of stumbles early in the season and close victories on the road in non-region play, they cruised onward this year to a seventh region title in a row and shutout wins in the regular season over Murray County, and a playoff shutout over Washington in the first round.

After the Union County swamping, the Jackets haven’t lost a game since Semptember and seem to be on a roll. Let’s take a quick look back at how the Jackets got here in 2023, and who they face on Friday.

Scrimmage ups and downs

Rockmart started out the pre-season strong with a win over Bremen on the road, but then things went awry against the on-again off-again rivals with the Rome Wolves. The Jackets fell in an ugly one (Rome is poised to look for another title win this year, of note) but it did leave them with a 1-1 record in the pre-season.

It got a bit bumpy of a ride from there.

Week 1 – The Battle of Polk County

The Rockmart Yellow Jackets were hoping to grab a victory after last year’s loss at home in the Delay Game – especially after Cedartown’s magical season in 2022 – and at the Doc to boot.

IT WAS CLOSE. Rockmart was down by one with seconds left on the clock when they lined up for a field goal, but fell to Cedartown when it missed and the Bulldogs got to take two in a row in the annual rivalry showdown.

Week 2 – Fortunate Sons

Bouncing back against a strong Cass Colonels team was just the thing that Rockmart needed.

The Jackets put up a 24-23 win over Cass (still in the playoffs, a quarterfinal team that started with a fourth seed and OVER CALHOUN TO BOOT) and got things back on track. Rockmart’s JD Davis would find this would be his last full game under center as well, and they showed their talents on the ground more in this one than in the air (by only three yards.) A 303-yard performance for the offense included a two-interception performance for Jake Bailey (now a KSU baseball commit.)

Week 4 – Stumbling at home against the Cats

Another close one came up short by a touchdown for the Jackets against the Dalton Catamounts, who won over Rockmart at home 21-14. However something good came of the loss: we saw the emergence of Calliyon Thompson under center and the fortunes of Rockmart completely shifted on the season.

Thompson put up a 6 for 19 and 155 yard performance coming in for Davis, throwing a touchdown and two picks. His first outing might not have been what Rockmart fans expected, but the slick roads of early season play soon dried out and Thompson has since become a dominant force – one that 6-AA foes are glad they won’t have to face in 2024.

The Jackets put up 327 yards on Dalton, who through ups and downs made it into the playoffs as well. They got knocked out last week in the second round.

Week 5 – Bounce back on the road

The Jackets last year faced an Irwin County team that dominated them at the Rock. This year, Rockmart got one back on the Indians.

In only their second meeting, Rockmart evened up the record books with a 28-16 win to close out their non-region schedule. The Jackets with Thompson under center for his first full game saw the senior throw a 4-for-8 and 132 yards in the victory, grabbing three touchdowns on the night in the victory. He connected with Tristan Anderson twice in the game, and Nahzir Turner for the third. It only took 208 yards to get Rockmart a win over Irwin County, who are still in the playoffs as well in Class A Division I.

Region Highway to Victory

From here on out, Rockmart is smooth sailing over every opponent. Model came first on Sept. 29, going down 45-14. Haralson was toppled on the road 48-6 on October 6, and then came a 57-0 shutout over Murray County for Homecoming on October 13.

The trip to Gordon Central saw the Jackets deliver a knockout blow to the Warriors 43-7, then a moved-up game to Thursday for Senior Night saw Fannin County blown over 48-14.

North Murray, who had a better chance than most to stop Rockmart this year didn’t come close as the Jackets stung the Mountaineers 59-7.

This marks Rockmart’s seventh region title in a row. It is the first time Rockmart has been on a run of this nature since the 1950s, when between 1954 and 1957, the Jackets won four region titles in a row.

Time to host Toombs

This third round game against Toombs County comes against a team that is about evenly matched with the Jackets this year. The 11-1 Bulldogs have had their string of big wins and close ones just like Rockmart. They opened with a 29-22 win over Long County and didn’t look back as they put up double digit wins and shutouts over Wheeler County, Jefferson County, Treutlen, Tattnall, and Brantley County before they faced any further stiff opposition.

That came in the form of Appling County, who fought them but Toombs kept their winning streak alive with a 31-28 win.

When the wall came, it came hard in a three-point loss the following week to Pierce County at home. Pierce, of course, is playing in the quarterfinals tonight as well. The Bulldogs fell in a 17-14 loss to mar their otherwise perfect season, which finished with big wins over Windsor Forest and Vidalia before hitting the playoffs with a second place in Region 3-AA.

Crushing victories over Southwest and a 11 pointer over Thomson have gotten Toombs to where they are currently.

Rockmart’s defense will have their work cut out for them with quarterback TJ Stanley who has a 2,000+ yard season and 24 touchdown passes (giving up only four picks.) They also have to find a way to stop running back Dabvn Wadley, who has 800+ yards on the ground and nine rushing touchdowns on the year, and Hayden Roy with 10 scores on the ground and nearly 300 yards rushing.

To be more exact, Rockmart’s defense could face one of 13 different rushers based on Toombs stats for the 2023 season leading up to this game, including Stanley who put up 240 yards on the ground.

Possibilities ahead

Rockmart’s fortunes with coin flips are going to work out this season, so long as they keep winning. The Jackets get to host Toombs County on Friday thanks to last week’s universal coin flip going toward the top of the bracket, and the flip went their way again for this week’s.

If the Jackets top Toombs, they will face the winner of the Coffee-Cook game happening on Friday night as well.