In a game filled with big plays, turnovers, and momentum swings, the Jones County Greyhounds (4-2, 3-2) delivered a thrilling 46-42 homecoming victory over the Stockbridge Tigers (4-2, 3-2) on Friday night.
The Tigers struck first, wasting no time as quarterback Joshua Scott connected on a 70-yard flea-flicker touchdown just two plays into the game. But Jones County answered with a methodical 70-yard ground attack capped off by a three-yard touchdown run from Kaden Canty, evening the score at 7-7.
The Greyhounds’ special teams delivered the first turning point, blocking a punt that Zaire Jones scooped and returned for a touchdown. Though the two-point try failed, Jones County grabbed a 13-7 lead. Later in the first quarter, a fourth-down conversion from Cason Taylor to Nate Vaughn kept a drive alive, leading to a 34-yard field goal by Jacob Watts for a 16-7 advantage.
Scott struck again late in the second quarter, throwing his second touchdown to trim the lead to 16-14. But Jones County responded with a steady 85-yard march, capped by a Watts 28-yard field goal as time expired, sending the Greyhounds into halftime ahead 19-14.
Halftime also saw the crowning of Jones County’s 2025 Homecoming Queen, Autumn Clarke.
The second half opened with fireworks. JR Clarke electrified the crowd, taking the Dr. Kay kickoff back for a touchdown, extending the lead to 26-14. Stockbridge countered quickly with Scott’s third touchdown pass, narrowing the gap to 26-21.
Momentum continued to swing. After an interception thrown by Taylor, the Greyhounds defense forced a turnover on downs when the Stockbridge punter was flagged for intentional grounding. On the next play, Bruno Hicks punched in a nine-yard score, making it 33-21. But Stockbridge refused to fade, as Scott kept the ball on a read-option to cut the deficit to 33-28 late in the third quarter.
Jones County regained breathing room early in the fourth when Taylor connected with Clarke for a 27-yard touchdown, but Scott and the Tigers kept fighting. A touchdown pass to Gavin Kitchen and another score minutes later gave Stockbridge its first lead of the night, 42-40, with six minutes left.
With their backs to the wall, the Greyhounds showed resilience. Starting from their own 40, aided by penalties, Jones County marched down to the Tigers’ goal line. With just 45 seconds remaining, Alex Hammond powered in from one yard out to restore the lead. The two-point attempt failed, but the defense held firm, sealing the 46-42 victory.
“This was a character win,” said Jones County head coach. “Our kids just kept battling, no matter how many times the momentum swung.”
With the win, Jones County moves into a four-way tie for second place in the region, while Stockbridge slides into that same group after starting the night tied for first.
The Greyhounds now turn their attention to a road matchup with McDonough (2-4, 2-3) next week.
Postgame Honors
• Offensive Player of the Game: Kaden Canty
• Defensive Players of the Game: Thad Smith and Hunter Harvick
• Tri-Co-Go Hi-Speed Plays of the Game: JR Clarke’s kickoff return TD and 27-yard touchdown reception
