Jefferson Dragons Football ~ 1954

Coach Billy Beale resigned to accept a coaching position with Gainesville. His replacement was Coach Fred McManus. He would serve as assistant football coach, head basketball coach of the boys and girls and head baseball coach.

Coach Beale would later become the Head football coach at Evans, Southwest Macon and Aquinas. His teams won 47 games and lost 75 with 5 ties during his coaching career. 

The 1954 Jefferson Dragon Football team and results;

RE - Woodrow Stewart, RT - Webster Samples, RG - Charlie Freeman, C - Bucky Johnson, LG - Dan Hutchins, LT - Gilmer Glenn, LE - James Black, QB - Wayne Wages, RHB - Ed Stancil, LHB - Donald Marlow, FB - Benny Tompkins

September 10 in Winder - Winder-Barrow

In Winder the Bulldogs lost for the fifth straight time to small town Jefferson. Wages hit Stewart for 11-yards and the first score. Stancil ran for the point-after-touchdown. The second Dragon score was by Marlow on a 2-yard run. Jefferson came away with a hard-fought 13 - 7 win.

September 17 in Jefferson - Lawrenceville

Against Lawrenceville, Donald Marlow wasted no time in putting the home team up 6 - 0. On the third play from scrimmage he burst 46-yards for a Dragon score. He scored the second Touchdown on a 6-yard run in the second quarter. Wayne Wages ran in from the 3-yard line mid-way of the fourth quarter to put the final 20 - 0 score on the scoreboard.

September 24 in Jefferson - Commerce

The largest crowd in Jefferson history crammed into Memorial Field to watch what they believed would be the first Dragon win ever over the Tigers. When Jefferson ran to a 13 - 0 lead on a 1-yard plunge by Tompkins and a 22-yard touchdown pass from Wages to Stewart it looked like this might the night for history to occur. Commerce caught fire in the second quarter. A 54-yard pass to Willard Epps and a 95-yard run by Richard Crocker scored two quick touchdowns for the Tigers. The second half was scoreless although Jefferson threatened on at least two occasions. Jefferson made 24 first downs to 14 for Commerce, but could not cash in on their second half scoring opportunities. The 13 - 13 tie was a major disappointment for the Dragon team and their fans.

October 1 in Jefferson - Tallulah Falls

The Dragons rushed for 357 yards and added 74 passing for 434 yards of offense in the game. Stancil gained 107 yards to lead the rushing attack and scored two touchdowns. Wages hit 6 of 9 passes and threw to Stewart for a score. Marlow, Tompkins and Black all rushed for Dragon scores in the 40 - 20 Dragon win.

October 8 in Jefferson - South Habersham

Billy Ricks recovered a fumble on the South Habersham one-yard line mid-way of the fourth quarter. Earlier, the Bobcats had recovered a Dragon fumble on the three but were unable to score in four rushes into the line. Don Marlow drove for the score and crashed in for the conversion point. Jefferson won a tough defensive game 7- 0 over a good football team. The Dragon defense held their opponents to 13 yards rushing and 68 yards passing. Coach Davis praised Billy Ricks and James Black on defense.

October 15 in Clayton - Rabun County

The Dragons jumped on the wildcats early and often as they won 35 - 0 to remain in the sub-region drivers seat. The Dragons rushed for 416 yards. Black had 77 yards rushing in his first extended duty at the running back position. Wages passed for 142 yards. Stancil scored two touchdowns, Black one and a 30- yard pass to Stewart netted another score.

October 22 in Crawford - Oglethorpe County

The Oglethorpe County game was not supposed to be that hard a game for the red-hot Dragons. The Oglethorpe team led at half-time 6 - 0 before Stancil broke loose for a 55-yard gallop to the Indian 15-yard line. Two rushes by Stancil and Marlow carried to the 3-yard line where Wages passed to Marlow for the score. Wages sneaked in from the one for the second Dragon score early in the fourth quarter with Jefferson leading by 7 - 6 to put the clinching touchdown on the board. Marlow scored both conversions on outside runs. The 14 - 6 win kept the Dragons in first place in the Sub-region. Benny Tompkins was out of the game with a muscle injury.

October 29 in Lavonia - Lavonia

The Dragons fell behind 13 - 6 at halftime. The Dragon Tally was on a 54-yard pass from Wages to Stewart. Benny Tompkins closed out Jefferson drives with touchdowns of 6 and 4 yards as the Dragon fought back for the big 19 - 13 win.

November 5 in Eastanollee - Stephens County

The Dragons came into the game without a great deal of motivation in that this was not a regional game. Wages and Stewart had a good game with a 25-yard touchdown reception and four other catches. Billy Ricks scored his first varsity touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Wages to cut the score to 14 - 7 early in the second quarter. The final score of Stephens County 27 - Jefferson 13 told it all. The Dragons were no longer undefeated.

November 12 in Jefferson - North Habersham

It was win and go on ~ lose and go home for the Dragons as North Habersham came to town. When Wages passed to Stewart for 25 yards and a quick Dragon lead, it didn’t faze the Habersham team from their goal of knocking Jefferson out of the sub-region title. Wages passed to Tompkins on a 15-yard screen for the second Dragon touchdown. The Dragons still trailed by 14 - 12 with time running out. Habersham drove to the Dragon 15-yard line. It appeared the game would be lost at this point. Webster Samples and Monk Tolbert stopped the fine Habersham back Tim Burke on fourth down at the 10-yard line enabling Jefferson to take over possession with four minutes remaining in the game. Short passes and off-tackle slants moved the ball to the Habersham 33 with less than two minutes left in the game. A third-down pass to Stewart, who made a spectacular diving catch at the 15-yard line moved the Dragons into scoring position. Marlow cut outside to the 11-yard line with less than one minute left in the game. After a Dragon time-out, Wages dropped back and hit Gus Johnson at the six on a slant pass. Johnson was hit at the four, but literally knocked the defender into the end zone for the Dragon tally. Jefferson won the 19-14 game and the right to meet Thomson for the overall region title.

November 19 in Thomson - Thomson

In a downpour in Thomson, the Dragons could never get anything going as they took it on the chin to the tune of 39 - 7. Tompkins scored the only Jefferson touchdown in the second quarter on a 4-yard run. Marlow ran for the conversion.

The Dragons had concluded a very good 8 - 2 - 1 season. The football future looked bright for the Jefferson program.

Award winners in football were; Woodrow Stewart - Most Valuable Player, Dan Hutchins - Best Defensive Player, and Webster Samples Best Blocker.

The Dragon B-Team had a season record of 3 wins and 3 defeats.

Members of the B-Team were: Ends - Thomas Anglin, Al Venable, Dennis Simmons and James Wood . . . Tackles, Kenneth Samples, Franklin Wilkes, Jeff Yarborough, Johnny Thomas and Billy wood . . . Guards - Ed Powell, Albert Logan, Tyrone Taylor, Bobby Veal and Ronald Woodall . . . QB - Daniel Gasaway . . . LHB - Buddy Tolbert, Lamar Purcell and Bobby Pethel . . . RHB - John Kesler, Brain Duke and Larry Wood . . . FB - Larry Bullock and Dickie Fleeman.