Eagles show fight in second-half rally despite loss
Jefferson Middle School battled in the second half of its loss to Fort Loudoun in its second game of the 2024 football season Thursday night.
But the Eagles (1-1) faced an uphill climb after being plagued by turnovers before halftime.
“In the first half, every possession for us ended with a turnover,” Jefferson Coach Rodney Ellison said after the Eagles fell 42-21 to the Braves in Loudon.
Fort Loudoun capitalized on Jefferson’s miscues, building a 36-0 lead by halftime.
After the break, Jefferson rallied, and Ellison said that was a positive for his young squad.
The Braves secured the win, but Jefferson’s run defense was stout.
However, the Braves’ passing attack proved too much for the Eagles’ secondary.
“Our run defense was pretty good; they had minus-17 rushing yards in the game,” Ellison said. “But they hit us with big [passing]
plays. We have a lot of work to do in the secondary.”
After halftime, running back Brandon Zamora scored a pair of touchdowns.
He rushed for 67 yards on 17 carries and found the end zone from one and three yards out.
Jefferson’s other touchdown came on defense, as Braylon Wooten intercepted a pass and returned it 61 yards for a score.
