Champions’ revenge; GJHS avenges only loss in CVC title game, defeat previously unbeaten Jackets

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Courier Sports 

GORDONSVILLE — The Gordonsville Junior High Tigers football team and the Jim Satterfield Middle School Yellow Jackets clashed in a meeting of Cumberland Valley Conference heavyweights last Saturday night at Red Boiling Springs High.

The Tigers (8-1) and the previously unbeaten Yellow Jackets (9-0) had one last collision in the 2023 season — this time for the CVC championship. 

The two units met on September 5 in Gordonsville when the Yellow Jackets claimed a 16-8 victory.

Big Blue avenged their lone loss of the season and captured the CVC championship hardware in a defensive slugfest against Satterfield Middle, 14-8.

“We have been focused on getting back to this point since the regular season meeting,” said Gordonsville Junior High head football coach Adam Shaw. “Hats off to coach B.J. West and those  guys at Trousdale County, they are a very good football team and they are very fundamental and well coached.”

Shaw continued, “The loss at home in the regular season stung us and stayed with us through the back half of the year. We set a goal to get back to this championship game but we broke it into steps. The kids never looked too far into the future and every day was an important day. I can not say enough about the maturity our guys showed down the stretch — to just take it a step at a time. We got to this opportunity and played our guts out.”

Shaw also discussed the pivotal role played in the team’s success by the coaching staff.

“I have got to mention the hard work both coach (Stephen) Jackson and coach (Jonathan) Peoples have put into this as well — just breaking down film and putting game plans together. They went far and beyond to get us to this point as well.”

The game was knotted 8-8 with 1:49 left in regulation when Gordonsville quarterback Cruz Frye raced six yards into the endzone — sending a large contingent of Big Blue faithful into celebration. Frye’s two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful as the score remained 14-8. 

The final Gordonsville drive was setup by a Tigers’ defensive stand deep in their own territory — denying the Jackets on fourth down with 1:29 left in the third quarter. 

The Big Blue defense sealed the victory with relentless pressure on the Jackets final drive — resulting in a sack and three incompletions. 

Gordonsville ended the game in victory formation sealing the one possession victory. 

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