The Rockmart Yellow Jackets started off the season with two tough games against a longtime rival and the potential for a new area foe to get serious in the future. They had a win and a loss on the record after a one-game loss to Cedartown, and a one-game win over Cass.
Grueling defensive struggles punctuated by the thrill of hard-fought touchdowns means that on paper, the Jackets haven’t had the chance to show off what they can fully accomplish on both sides of the ball, but they have the chance to set their standard for the rest of the season coming up after a much-needed break.
The Jackets are a bye week, and they need it: the 24-23 win over Cass came after a long, hot game at home that was interrupted by 3-minute water breaks that extended the time on the field for both squads overall.
JD Davis under center is 16 for 26 overall for passing completions on the season, putting up 212 yards against Cedartown and Cass. He’s technically four games into the year with the Bremen scrimmage win and the Rome scrimmage loss.
The ground game right now is what is getting the most attention, though at an attrition pace on paper. Senior Brent Washington (the General) has 22 carries for 127 yards on the season with two touchdowns, the highest rusher on the team so far as defenses have held the squad to under 200 yards per game.
Davis at quarterback is the team’s second on the rushing leader list, grabbing 68 yards ahead of Nahzir Turner in the backfield with just 60 – and the same number of carries at 17.
Combined, the offense has put up 330 yards on the ground, and 542 overall with receptions.
The Jackets’ Jake Bailey is leading the team on completions with 9 so far on the year and 127 yards, but his more impressive numbers have come on defense.
Bailey is sitting at two picks on the season – one in the Cass game that ultimately gave the Jackets a field goal early (and with the single point advantage the win.)
The defense is getting to opposing rushers and quarterbacks, with Bobby High, Turner and others recording sacks and big tackles. Washington playing on the defensive side of the ball has recorded 10 tackles and six assists during the past two games.
They’ve got work to do on Special Teams after the kicking game hasn’t panned out over the two games. Blocks and misses have hurt Rockmart, and in the Cedartown game came down to the final opportunity to score didn’t have the distance.
One bright spot was a Tristan Anderson Kickoff Return against Cedartown to get the Jackets back in the game, but a bad snap on the PAT meant the Jackets were still down a point instead of tied.
The bye week gives Rockmart the chance to work on the offensive line providing Washington and Turner holes to run up the middle against the Dalton Catamounts on Sept. 8, and the special teams to work out the kinks before region play comes up later in the month ahead on the road at Model.
