Off week offers top-ranked JoCo chance to reflect on perfect start, season’s historic potential

After seven games, the Johnson County Trojans are hoping they have another eight to play. If they are right, this week’s open date offered something of a midseason break and an opportunity to examine the numbers behind their success.

The Trojans are 7-0, ranked No. 1 in Class A by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and in the driver’s seat to capture their fifth consecutive region championship.

With three regular-season games remaining, Johnson County is also among the leaders in the Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) Post Season Rankings (PSR), a formula used to determine playoff qualification and seeding. Unlike traditional polls, the PSR considers a team’s winning percentage, the records of its opponents and the records of those opponents’ opponents.

Rankings are one thing, but there are plenty of numbers to back up the notion that the Trojans are among the state’s best.

Through seven games, Johnson County has scored 350 points, averaging 50 per contest, while permitting just 70. The Trojans have accumulated 3,027 yards of total offense, an average of more than 432 yards per game.

The ground game has been particularly impressive, producing 2,295 yards and 37 touchdowns. Johnson County is averaging 327.9 rushing yards per contest and an eye-catching 10.1 yards per carry. The Trojans have added another 732 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air.

Junior Jeremiah Scott has been at the center of that offensive success, putting together a remarkable individual season. Scott has rushed for 885 yards and 17 touchdowns while catching 13 passes for another 325 yards and six scores. He has also scored on a kickoff return and a punt return, giving him 25 touchdowns and 150 points through seven games.

Scott’s accomplishments have been extraordinary, but the Trojans have plenty of other offensive weapons.

Jeremiah Taylor has rushed for 435 yards and four touchdowns, while sophomore Kelsey Waters has contributed 338 yards and five scores. Senior Jacaden Webb has added 311 rushing yards and five touchdowns, giving Johnson County four players with more than 300 yards on the ground.

Quarterback Chance Wombles has provided balance through the air, completing 30 of 50 passes for 726 yards and 10 touchdowns against just one interception.

Scott leads the receiving corps with 13 catches for 325 yards and six touchdowns. Daezon Devero follows with 10 receptions for 236 yards and two scores, while Webb has caught two passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Scott’s 150 points lead the team by a considerable margin, but Webb and sophomore kicker Grayson Jackson are tied for second with 38 points apiece. Waters follows with 30 points, while Devero has contributed 26.

Jackson has quietly put together one of the state’s most productive kicking seasons. The sophomore has converted 38 of 42 extra-point attempts, a 90.5 percent success rate. His 38 successful kicks rank eighth among players across all Georgia classifications, according to MaxPreps.

Under defensive coordinator Devin Cannon, the Trojans have been just as impressive on the other side of the football. Johnson County has recorded 344 tackles, including 62.5 tackles for loss, along with eight sacks, eight interceptions and five fumble recoveries, according to MaxPreps.

Cedric Bridges leads the team with 42 tackles, followed closely by Jeremiah Taylor with 40. Dewayne Abrams has contributed 32 tackles and a team-leading 3.5 sacks, while sophomore Kelsey Waters has added 31 tackles and a sack.

The secondary has also produced its share of big plays. Devero leads the team with three interceptions and 93 return yards, while Webb has collected two interceptions. Scott, Glen Jenkins and Jayden Strickland have one interception apiece.

Jenkins has also recorded two sacks, while Derrick Dixon has contributed 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Those statistics reflect the depth of a Johnson County team that has found success in a variety of ways. While the offensive stars have generated impressive individual totals, much of that success begins up front, where the offensive line has consistently opened running lanes and provided protection for quarterback Chance Wombles. Defensively, the Trojans have combined pressure behind the line of scrimmage with an opportunistic secondary.

The Trojans’ success has also added to head coach Don Norton’s career record. Norton now has 157 victories at Johnson County and 164 overall, further cementing his place among the most successful coaches in the program’s history.

Johnson County returns to the Blue Monster Friday to face Hancock Central before hosting Georgia Military College the following week. The Trojans will then travel to Jenkins County for their regular-season finale, with a fifth consecutive region championship and favorable playoff positioning at stake.