Jefferson Dragons Football ~ 1957

1957 Cheerleaders were; Reba Ricks, Junan Davis, Linda Meade, Beth Pierce, Doris Skelton, Judy Burch, Elaine Murphy, Beverly Burch, Joanne Whitmire, and Alice Gilbert.

The 1957 Jefferson Dragon band had 116 members divided into three parts. These were;

The BEGINNING BAND - Flutes - Claire Adams, Eileen Bryan, Mildred Bryan, Mary Lee McElhannon, Kathy Ray, Clarinets - Laura Amos, Joyce Beatty, Carol Bridges, Randy Daniel, Johnny Fawcette, David Hancock, Ricky Langford, Judy Marlow, Richard Motes, Emmett Robertson, Walter Storey, Sherry Webb, Al Westmoreland, John Wood, Bass - Dwight Ayers, Joe Davis, Drums - Harry Beatty, Jimmy Benson, Harry Fowler, Charles Hooper, JUNIOR BAND - Flute - Ellen Garrison, Evelyn Venable, Jennis Wilson, Clarinets - John Bryan, Steve Collins, Kenny Stringer, Billy Stringer, Neda Stringer, Trombones - John Elrod, Kenneth McDonald, Trumpets - Harold Bone, Jerry Duke, Phillip Freeman, Joe Jackson, Martha Pinion, Mike Welborn, Dennis Wright, Charles Hill, French Horns - Jane Bolton, Conrad Lavender, ADVANCED BAND - Julia Stovall, Mary Ann Woodall, Judith Welchel, Sara Freeman, Judy Whitmire, Jane Jones, Diane Park, Tommy Elrod, Jane Melvin, Beverly Davis, Kay Simmons, Paddy Williams, Bill Nalley, Vickie Ray, Suzanne Moore, Danny Wilson, Mary Ellen Wilhite, Ann Melvin, Jean Jackson, Harrison McDonald, Gloria Spence, Norman Botelho, Lynda Massey, Ray Bridges, Douglas Legg, Kenneth Bridges, Larry Strickland, Larry Bullock, Noreen Botelho, Omer Whitmire, Betty McClure, Betty Moore, Ned Shumake, Linda Cole, Walter Tonge, Margaret Hancock, LaVerne Bridges, Mary Ruth Hicks, Glenda Gee, Mary Davis, Johnny Melvin, Ola Freeman, Henry Fite, Valerie Jones, Carol Duke, Billy Robinson, Sara Massey, Anna Bolton, Pat McMullan, Jack Garrison, Jean Jones, James Brewer and Mary Grace Curruth.

The 1957 Jefferson Dragons were;

James Stringer, Franklin Nichols, Albert Logan, Omer Whitmire, Herbert Wilson, Jackie Lyle, Sammy Scott, Sewell Blackstock, George Waddell, Tom Venable, Columbus Williamson, Monk Tolbert, Charles Anglin, Bobby Potter, Gary Duke, Lynn Brothers, John Kesler, Norman Botelho, Jeff Davis, Steve Jackson, James Aaron, Scotty Brooks, Wayne Foster, Charles Gilbert, Daniel Gasaway, Buddy Tolbert, Donald Lord, Dickie Storey and Manager John Davis.

September 13 in Jefferson - Winder-Barrow - 19 - 12

The Dragons were both out rushed and out passed in the game. But the Bulldogs could not outscore them. With Gary Duke, Monk Tolbert and Daniel Gasaway rushing for 39, 34 and 32 yards respectively the Dragons eked out enough yardage to put two scores on the board. This, combined with a beautiful 75-yard punt return by Gasaway after a reverse handoff from Tolbert provided the Dragons with enough points to win a hard fought 19 - 12 victory over the aggressive Bulldogs.

September 20 in Lawrenceville - Central Gwinnett - 20 - 0

The Jefferson team came out ready to play on a muddy, drizzling night in Lawrenceville. On the games first play, Bobby Potter picked off an opponent pass and carried it to pay dirt. With Gary Duke rambling for 70 yards on the night including a 3-Yard touchdown scamper and a 10-yard screen pass touchdown from Potter the Locals won 20 - 0 over a good region opponent. Of significance was a 7-yard run on his first high school carry by Jeff Davis in the fourth quarter. It was the start of a brilliant Jefferson career for the Jefferson speed merchant.

September 27 in Commerce - Commerce 6 - 13

It was beginning to resemble the Mud Turtle days for Jefferson High School. For the second week in a row a steady rain pelted the players throughout the game, Jefferson lost only one fumble, but it set up the first Commerce touchdown, a three-yard plunge by the Tiger fullback. Jefferson managed a score in the third quarter when Albert Logan blocked a Gene Brake punt and it was recovered on the Commerce 2-yard line. Monk Tolbert crashed in for the score. A missed extra point left the score at 6 - 6. Early in the fourth quarter Gene Brake ran 55 yards through the mud and slush for what proved to be the winning touchdown. He also made the extra point on a dive into the line. Both teams had played well for the conditions, but Commerce had pulled out a big 13 - 7 win over their cross-county rivals.

October 4 in Jefferson - Rockdale County - 13 - 0

Another mud-fest at Memorial Field. The Dragons battled the elements for the third consecutive game as mud and rain came down on the Dragon field all day and continued throughout the game. Jefferson was playing without quarterback Bobby Potter and end Lynn Brothers, out with sickness. Monk Tolbert played only on defense as a badly injured calf muscle prevented him from being a ball carrying threat. Gary Duke sloshed through the mud for 162 yards on only 11 carries. He scored on runs of 32 and 58 yards to provide the Dragons with badly needed points. In the fourth Jeff Davis broke loose on his only carry of the night for 33 yards, only to have 15 yards erased by a clipping penalty. Most eager Jefferson fans were wondering just when Coach Davis was going to turn loose what appeared to be a very good running back.

October 11 in Madison - Morgan County - 6 - 7

The twice defending Class B State champions entertained the Dragon on a breezy night when the Dragons played what Coach Davis would call one of the best games since he had been at Jefferson. Morgan County came in with a 13 - 12 loss to the Tucker Tigers and a 34 - 0 blasting from Newton County on their record. Jefferson took an early 6 - 0 lead on a 6-yard Tolbert touchdown early in the second quarter. Tolbert was stopped a few inches short of the goal line on the conversion attempt. Morgan cashed in on an 70-yard drive in the fourth quarter that took almost eight minutes, scored the extra point and walked away with a 7 - 6 win. Gary Duke went out in the third quarter with a hyper-extended knee that would nag him for weeks afterward.

October 18 in Jefferson - Stone Mountain - 27 - 14

Playing without their leading ground gainer Gary Duke, who was out with an injury sustained against Morgan County the previous week, the Dragons moved Bobby Potter to a running back and reinstated Daniel Gasaway to quarterback. Potter responded with two scores on a 45-yard run and a 14-yard option play touchdown to lead the Dragons to a win over a much larger region team. Daniel Gasaway and Jeff Davis scored the other Dragon touchdowns on short plunges into the line.

October 25 in Crawford - Oglethorpe County - 33 - 7

After a Gary Duke gallop of 40 yards to the Indian 5-Yard line, Monk Tolbert scored the first Dragon touchdown and added the extra point for a 7 - 0 half time lead. The third quarter turned offensive as the Dragons outscored the Indians 19 - 7. Potter ran 40 yards for the first score, Tolbert dove in from the 4 and Duke ran an interception back 52 yards for the final Jefferson touchdown.

November 1 in Jefferson - Lithonia - 18 - 7

Gary Duke averaged 42 yards on 6 kicks and the Jefferson defense recovered three Bulldog fumbles in a rough and tumble affair on a cold night in Jefferson. Monk Tolbert scored the first two Dragon touchdowns on 5 and 4-yard runs. Bobby Potter drove in from the one for their final score late in the fourth quarter.

November 8 in Jefferson - Tucker - 7 - 27

The Tigers from Tucker won the Region 4-B West title with a 27 - 7 win over the Dragons in Memorial Stadium. After Tucker roared to a 13 - 0 lead the Dragons were able to cut the lead to 13 - 7 early in the third quarter on a Monk Tolbert 5-yard touchdown and subsequent extra-point run. It would be all the scoring for the Dragons. Tucker pushed across two more tallies in the fourth to secure the win. Tucker would go on to beat Rabun County 12 - 0 in the Region final before falling to Trion 39 - 13 in the state semi-finals. Trion would go on the defeat Quitman 21 - 18 for the State title.

November 15 in Clarkston - Clarkston - 13 - 14

The Jefferson Dragons closed out their season on another wet, rainy night in Clarkston. The Angoras jumped out to a 14 - 0 halftime lead. Despite two Monk Tolbert short touchdown runs, and over 100 yards rushing by Gary Duke, the Jefferson team lost their second game of the season on a failed extra point. This 14 - 13 loss closed out a 6 - 4 season. With their speedy backs and experienced line returning for 1958, it looked good for the Dragon football program.

The Jefferson B-Team had six games scheduled for the season; Team members were;

Douglas Tatum, Larry Brooks, Brian Duke, Ralph Kinsey, James Wood, Darrell Curruth, Jerry Sailors, Richard Adams, Donald McEver, Weyman Mitchell, Billy Ray, Jimmy Sexton, Larry Gilbert, Jimmy Underwood, Harold Pettyjohn, Douglas Garrison and Harry Edwards.