Jefferson County may have entered the 1A state Final game in Orlando with 5 losses on their resume, however you could argue there wasn’t a single better 5-loss team in the entire State of Florida. Senior RB Alphonso Footman rushed for 137 yards on 19 carries and 2 TD’s while his brother Lenorris added 2 TD’s on the ground himself and went 8-12 for 145 yards and another 2 TD’s through the air. The Tigers used a 26 point 3rd Quarter after playing to a 7-7 stalemate in the 1st Half. The Monticello version of the Tigers finished with 423 total yards of offense while holding the Chipley version of the Tigers to less than 200.

Ladarian Smiley was also the big winner on the night with 207 all-purpose yards including a 72-yd punt return to blow the doors wide open for JeffCo. Ryan McIntyre was the lone bright spot for Chipley gaining 126 yards on 22 carries and a TD. Chipley did manage to own the time of possession by holding the ball for 30:02 to Jefferson County’s 17:58. The JeffCo quick strike plays and turnovers deep inside their own territory is what completely allowed Chipley to come undone. Chipley only managed 15 yards passing as the Jefferson County defensive front harassed the Tigers QB Josh Myers.

Shavarist Alexander and Kenneth Madison combined for 24 tackles including Alexander’s 10 solo tackles. Three other Jefferson County defenders including Jacob Pugh, Revonte Robinson and Levi Cobb averaged 9 tackles a piece.  The win avenges Jefferson County’s loss in the semis last season.