Jets take a win after heartbreaking defeat

James Clemens Jets defeated the Hazel Green Trojans 21-9 on Sept. 11. (RECORD PHOTO/CHARLEY GAINES)

Written By Charley Gaines

HAZEL GREEN – On a drenched field with a slight autumn chill in the air, the James Clemens Jets pulled out a solid win for their third game of the season against the Hazel Green Trojans 21-9.

The win came as the team was still licking sensitive wounds from a gut-wrenching loss to Bob Jones in their second game of the season. The Jets battled through four quarters of a literal back and forth, up and down the field game with a tough 27-24 loss.

“It was an emotionally tough week for us just to get over a week ago,” Head Coach Wade Waldrop, “but bottom line we got over it and found a way to do what we needed to do.”

The team came out strong in the first quarter with fourth-year starting quarterback Heath Burchfield (7) throwing to sophomore Devon Atkinson (1) who carried the ball down the outside to get the team’s first seven points on the board within a minute and a half. That show of strength got a response from the Trojans at the bottom of the first quarter tying the game 7-7 with a minute left.

Although it was ultimately a W for the Jets, there is room for improvement for the offensive game as they missed several opportunities with fumbles, incomplete passes and some oversight on the field. On the other side of the coin, James Clemens’ defense stepped up and owned the field.

“Our defense played extremely well all night,” Waldrop said. “Offense, we feel like left 21 to 28 off the board, but we’re just glad to be 2 and 1 right now.”