Clemson commit Sammy Brown injured in Jefferson football's semifinal loss at Creekside
CREEKSIDE 28, JEFFERSON 17: At Arrowhead Stadium in Fairburn, Creekside – ranked No. 2 in Class 5A –scored 21 consecutive points in the second quarter and held No. 3 Jefferson to just 200 offensive yards to advance to the state finals, where the Seminoles (13-1) will face No. 1 Coffee.
Jefferson’s Sammy Brown was injured with about eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return; Gainesville radio station WDUN reported the Clemson commit suffered an ankle injury
In the semifinals for the first time since 2020, the Dragons got on the board first when Gavin Markey threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Christopher Law with 3:08 left in the first quarter. The short scoring drive came as the result of a bad snap on a Creekside punt attempt recovered by Jayden Yang.
On the first play of the second quarter, Brown rushed 58 yards to put Jefferson up 14-0 with 11:49 before halftime. Creekside then scored on a pass play with 7:47 remaining and tied the game at 14-14 with 4:22 remaining. The Dragons fumbled the ensuing kickoff at their own 32-yard line and the Seminoles needed about two minutes to take a 21-14 lead on a fourth-and-goal run.
Sophomore Taylor McCall kicked a 39-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the second quarter and Jefferson trailed 21-17 at the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Seminoles closed out the scoring and brought the Dragons’ season to an end on a 20-yard scoring pass with 11:54 remaining. Two of Jefferson’s subsequent fourth quarter drives ended in interceptions.
Brown – who came into the game with 2,140 yards and 35 touchdowns – rushed 20 times for 114 yards and a touchdown before his injury. Markey completed four passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
The Dragons, who have won four region championships in the last five years, end the season at 13-1, the most victories for a Jefferson team since its state championship run in 2012, when the Dragons went 14-1.
Creekside, which last advanced to the semifinals in 2021 (losing 40-15 to Warner Robins) and won the only state title in the school’s 33-year history in 2013, will oppose Coffee in the state finals at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Coffee (14-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, defeated No. 4 Cartersville 33-18 in the semifinals. The two teams have met once, a 28-21 Creekside victory in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Clemson commit Sammy Brown injured in Jefferson football's playoff loss
