Jefferson Dragons Football ~ 1950

While all seemed well for the Jefferson program, there were happenings going on behind the scenes. Coach Frank Snyder had been offered the athletic director and head football job at Clayton in Rabun County in early March. He had accepted the job. This was never formally announced around Jefferson. Very few Jefferson citizens were aware of the loss of their all-sport coach.

Morris Bryan, Jr. and the Board of Education went to work. They interviewed 12 people for the opening out of over 50 applicants.

On May 18 it was announced that Mr. W.H. Yancey had been named the new school Athletic Director and All-Sport Coach.

The statement read: Mr. W. H. “Red” Yancey arrived in Jefferson this week to begin his duties as Coach and Athletic Director at Jefferson High School. Mr. Yancey was formerly head coach at Emma Sansom High School in Alabama City, Alabama. Prior to that he served as coach at Kingsport and Johnson City, Tennessee.

Coach Yancey directed the Rebels of Sansom to one of the most outstanding seasons in school history. His Basketball boys won 33 games with only 5 losses. The Rebels won the 6^th District championship.

Coach Yancey holds a degree from Jacksonville Teachers College. He owns a Masters Degree from Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn, Alabama. In college athletics, Coach Yancey earned letters in football, basketball, baseball and track. He also participated in tennis and swimming at some point in his college career.

He has directed championship teams in football, basketball and track. He is keenly interested in upgrading athletic programs and establishing an all-around physical education program.

1950 football team members

Earl Carithers, Billy Bone, Charles Barrett, Gerald Brookshire, Bobby Loggins, Dickie Copas, Marvin Hall, J.E. Tumlin, Billy Wilbanks, Ray Adams, Johnson Anderson, Roland Brooks, Hugh Blackstock, Donald Cole, Carol Dadisman, Mack Elder, Sidney Johnson, Davis Roberts, Thomas Williamson, Billy Sailors, Curtis Segars, New Berryman, Jack Curruth, Theo Elrod, Dwight Howard, Jimmy McMullan, Jerry Rainwater, Howard Smallwood, and Locke Potts.

Jefferson roster by position;

Ends - Raymond Adams, Tommy Manus, Charles Middlebrooks, Nelson Tolbert

Tackles - Charlie Barrett, Willie Craig, Carol Dadisman, Thomas Williamson, Gerald Brookshire

Guards - Bobby Loggins, Billy Crenshaw, Tommy Crenshaw, John Anderson, Franklin Shumake, Davis Roberts, Robin Self, Jimmy McMullan

Center - Dickie Copas, Lester Toney

Backs - Billy Sailors, Curtis Segars, Earl Carithers, Donald Cole, Mack Elder, Y.D. Maddox, Sidney Johnson, Jerry Rainwater, Dwight Howard, Tim Daniels, Hugh Blackstock, Roland Brooks, Locke Potts.

The Season;

September - 15 - 1950 - Friday @ Winder Barrow  - Won ~ 6 - 4

Earl Carithers gained 48 yards on 9 carries. Jefferson gave up TWO intentional safties.

Key Play: From the Winder 33-yard line, Sailors faked to Carithers, passed to Manus in the left flat, Manus lateraled to Segars, who carried the ball to the 6-yard line. Segars scored on the next play. Jefferson was on the winder 3-yard line when the game ended.

September - 22 - 1950 Friday - @ Southwest Dekalb - Tied - 20 - 20

The introduction of Curtis Segars as the Dragon’s featured running back. Segars rushed for 104 yards on 8 carries. He scored on a 74-yard pass from Sailors and on a 46-yard run.

September - 29 - 1950  - Friday - Home - North Habersham - Won - 19 - 0   

Freshman Donald Cole had his coming out with two touchdowns ~ 15 yards and 3 yards while gaining 75 yards on 5 carries averaging 15-yards per carry.

October - 6 - 1950 -  Friday - @ Rabun County - Won - 36 - 18

Jefferson traveled to Tiger to face former coach Frank Snyder. Snyder would coach at Rabun County for 15 years winning 83 games. The Dragons rushed for 448 yards with Curtis Segars scoring two touchdowns on a Segars pass to Manus, who lateraled back to Segars for a 55-yard touchdown, and an 11-yard run. Segars rushed for 173 yards. Don Cole scored two touchdowns on a 55-yard run and a dazzling 96-yard run that saw him swing wide and go untouched for the score. He rushed for 217 yards.

October - 12 - 1950 - Thursday - Home -  Royston ~  Won -  47 - 0

Don Cole and Billy Sailors excelled on this night. Sailors rushed for 116 yards with a 53-yard touchdown run on a rollout. Segars ran for 206 yards on 11 carries and scored five touchdowns and five extra points for 35 points. Touchdown runs were of 55, 48, 20, 6 and 33 yards. He also had a 46-yard run just preceding his 6-yard touchdown run. Cole exploded for 129 yards with a 90-yard touchdown run and a 25-yard touchdown run. He had two scores called back for penalties. Jefferson rushed for 483 yards.

October - 20 - 1950 -  Friday - @ Toccoa -  Won ~  31 - 12

Curtis Segars ran for 171 yards with two scores of 61 yards and 39 yards.

October - 27 - 1950  - Friday -  Home -  Stephens County ~  Won -  63 - 6

Don Cole ran for 136 yards and scored three touchdowns. He had a 65-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

November - 3 - 1950 -  Friday -  @ Morgan County -  Won - 32 - 27

In a seesaw game that saw Cole run for 105 yards and a 10-yard touchdown run while Segars was running for 201 yards with a 46 yard and a 78-yard touchdown run, the Dragons scored late to pull out a hard-fought victory over an improving Morgan County team.

November - 10 - 1950 -  Friday -  Home -  Tucker -  Won - 32 - 7

Future Jefferson basketball coach and principal Dorsey Brooks brought his Tigers into Jefferson to face the Dragons. Curtis Segars cemented his status as one of the best backs in Georgia with 254 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Segars now had scored 155 points on the season, second in the state of Georgia to Eugene Baird of Commerce, who had 161 points.

November - 17 - 1950 -  Friday -  Home -  Thomson ~  Won -  35 - 6

Curtis Segars scored 24 points on three touchdowns and three conversions while rushing for over 200 yards. He now had 179 points for the season with the playoffs starting. Baird of Commerce led him with 188 points.

November - 27 - 1950 -  Monday -  In Commerce -  Greensboro -  Lost - 13 - 20 

The playoff game with Greensboro was played at Commerce. It was brutally cold at around 10 degrees. Jefferson scored early on a 20-yard pass from Sailors to Manus. Greensboro moved out front 7-6 at halftime. Jefferson came back in the third quarter to score on a 92-yard fumble return by Segars and a brief 13-7 lead after a conversion pass to Manus. Greensboro tied the score on their next series at 13 before scoring with three minutes left in the game for the 20-13 win.

The Dragons finished with a 9 - 1 - 1 record.  Scored 333 points while surrendering  126 points.  Their opponents record in all games was 44 - 61 - 5

Coach Red Yancey's Dragons had scored 30.27 points per game while allowing  11.45 points per game.