2-in-1: Wins over Wilco, Twiggs County all in a week’s work for Johnson County

WRIGHTSVILLE – Two games, 117 points scored. 

The Johnson County Trojans bookended the workweek with twin wins, defeating Wilkinson County 61-16 on the road Monday night before returning home Friday to shut out Twiggs County 56-0.

It was anything but an ordinary week for the Trojans. Scheduling difficulties pushed the Wilkinson County contest from Friday, Oct. 2 to Monday, Oct. 5, while the threat of a hurricane moved this past Friday’s homecoming game against Twiggs County to an earlier kickoff. Both games began at the unusual hour of 6:30 p.m.

The odd schedule did little to slow Johnson County, which improved to 7-0 while outscoring its opponents 117-16 in just five days.

Monday’s contest at Wilkinson County did not begin quite as smoothly as the final score might suggest. The Warriors struck first and took an 8-0 lead before Johnson County settled in and began to take control. The Trojans led 14-8 after the opening quarter and stretched that advantage to 41-8 by halftime.

Coach Don Norton acknowledged that it took his team a little time to find its footing.

“It’s always good to come here, and it’s a tough place to play, especially on a Monday night,” Norton said. “I thought our kids played well. It kind of took a little bit of time to get going, but once we did, we rock-and-rolled.”

The Trojans finished with 438 yards of offense, including 314 on the ground. Jeremiah Scott rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns, while Chance Wombles completed all four of his passes for 124 yards and two scores. Daezon Devero added a 58-yard interception return for a touchdown as Johnson County pulled away.

Perhaps as important as the final score was the opportunity to get players onto the field and come away healthy with another game just four days away.

“Everyone got to play tonight. We came out of here injury-free, getting ready for our next region game,” Norton said. “I thought our kids hit pretty well tonight.”

By Friday, the Trojans were back at the Blue Monster for homecoming, and this time there was no slow start. 

Johnson County raced to a 42-0 halftime lead and added 14 more points after intermission to complete a 56-0 shutout of Twiggs County.

The Trojans scored in a variety of ways, including rushing touchdowns, touchdown passes and a 58-yard punt return by Scott. Just as impressive was the defensive effort, which limited Twiggs County to 54 yards of total offense.

Norton was pleased with both the shutout and the opportunity to give his younger players more experience.

“It’s always tough on homecoming,” Norton said. “I’m glad to get a win. Everyone got to play tonight. Glad to get a shutout.”

Among those gaining experience was freshman quarterback Easton Ivey, who completed both of his pass attempts against Twiggs County. Ivey said playing in actual games teaches him things that cannot be learned on the practice field, and he believes the younger Trojans are responding well to their opportunities this season.

“The young guys are really doing good.We haven’t let up,” Ivey said.

While two games in one week might seem like the biggest challenge, Norton suggested that the distractions surrounding homecoming were actually the greater concern.

“It’s more about trying to get their attention with homecoming, worrying about rolling people’s houses and all that kind of stuff,” Norton said.

“Homecoming is much more of a distraction than two games in a week.”

Devero, who made his mark in both contests, offered a different perspective on the physical demands of the schedule.

“Very tiring, but if you want to make it, you’ve got to push through it,” Devero said.

For Johnson County, the two victories were about more than adding another pair of wins to the record. The Trojans showed they could respond after falling behind, maintain their focus through an unusual schedule, and continue developing younger players without sacrificing the results on the field.

Through seven games, Johnson County has scored 350 points while allowing 71, an average of 50 points scored and just over 10 allowed per game. The Trojans have recorded three shutouts and scored at least 48 points in five consecutive games.

Scott supplied 142 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against Wilkinson County, then added a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown against Twiggs. Devero scored on a 58-yard interception return Monday and caught a touchdown pass Friday. Grayson Jackson converted 15 of 16 extra-point attempts across the two games, while freshman Easton Ivey completed both of his passes Friday.

The Trojans will be off this week before returning to action the following week against Hancock Central.