Rockmart has a lot to look forward to as they head into another region contest this Friday night. An upcoming trip northward to face a Gordon County foe will provide Jacket Nation another opportunity to enjoy a region win, and set the tone ahead of a bye week heading into the rest of the 6-AAA schedule for 2021.

However, don’t expect the Jackets to have an easy road ahead in this week’s game as they face a Sonoraville Phoenix squad who is 2-0 on their season so far has shut out both of their opponents in Week 1 and Week 3 of the season.

With a four-way tie in the first place spot between the Jackets, LaFayette, Adairsville, and Ringgold in 6-AAA, the Jackets have a chance to cement their spot as the top team in the region as the Phoenix play their first game.

Here’s an overview of what the Jackets face heading into Friday night:

Rockmart looks to continue their improvement

The Rockmart Yellow Jackets at 2-1 looks much better than when they opened the year against the Rome Wolves. The 23-7 loss on their home turf was a repeat of a 2020 matchup at Barron Stadium that propelled the Jackets onward to another great year.

So far, the season looks like it might be a repeat of 2020: a region title, another opportunity to go to the state title game after cementing a spot in the playoffs, should the road ahead for them not turn too bumpy along the way. Rockmart’s win over Villa Rica by seven was a start, but their Homecoming and region-opening victory over Coahulla Creek set the standard Head Coach Biff Parson has made the rallying cry of his squads since he took over the program.

Rockmart has a variety of threats they can bring to bear against the Phoenix and attempt to keep them rising from the ashes.

JD Davis continues to be a moble threat under center for the Jackets, showing off what he can do when he put up a touchdown against the Colts last Friday night in homecoming. He also passed for a touchdown to Jakari Clark for seven on the night.

Mason Phillips also showed himself to be a threat for the Jackets on both side of the ball, and has the opportunity to develop into a star on Friday nights if allowed more playing time. Phillips had a touchdown throw of his own against Coahulla Creek in the second quarter in what was a near-shutout versus the Colts.

Brent Washington, Nahzir Turner, Jojo Haynes and Lanear McCrary all remain available as immediate threats in the backfield for gaining yardage downfield.

If that doesn’t do the trick, then maybe Dennis Sims will carry the day again for the Jackets. In two games, he’s put up two big punt returns for touchdowns on the young season already against Villa Rica and Coahulla Creek.

The Jackets can rely on several teammates to shut down the Sonoraville offense, including Terrion Webb, Phillips, Jake Bailey, Tyshawn Johnson and Deidric Gibson.

Of note, the Jackets have outscored opponents 77-51 in their three outings so far this year.

Sonoraville’s story

Sonoraville’s season so far went well for the Phoenix, opening their year 21-0 on August 20 over Model, then after a week off took on Fannin County for a 32-0 win over the Rebels.

The Phoenix’s last meeting with the Rebels saw a slow start for Sonoraville, only up 6-0 at halftime before they added 12 more in the third quarter and then piled on with another two touchdowns in the fourth to wrap up their shutout win.

Sophomore quarterback Jaxon Pate is a threat the Jackets are going to have to look out for in this Friday night contest on the road. He went 14 of 22 in passing attempts against Fannin, netting 192 yards in the air and two touchdowns on the game. A combination of five running backs put up 208 yards for the Phoenix on the night as well, and did so to six receivers in a squad featuring mainly juniors this year.

The defense is also something that the Jackets will have to face up against on Friday and could be a real threat. Fifteen players for Sonoraville combined for 64 tackles on the night to keep Fannin County off the board completely.

Against Model, Sonoraville’s defense shut out the Blue Devils in their opener with 55 total tackles, 34 of those solo affairs.

Rockmart’s offense will have to stop several key guys on the Phoenix defense: Jeremiah Payne, Jebb Knight, and Wyatt Springfield.

The trio is also active when Sonoraville has the ball as well, with Springfield a junior running back, Knight a fullback, and Payne an offensive guard.

Nicholas Beddington is also a name to watch on Friday for the Jackets, who has an interception, 61 receiving yards, and four tackles in two games so far this year.

Sonoraville has thus far to play a region contest as they sit at 2-0, and sit at the bottom of the standings at the moment. Don’t expect them to stay there with the way they’ve played so far this year.

Game Notes

The Jackets and Phoenix have only met three times in the two programs histories, with Sonoraville leading 2-1.

Here’s highlights from last year’s game:

When Bin Turner coached Rockmart in 2014 and 2015, Rockmart played a home and away series (40-26 loss in 2014, and 32-14 loss in 2015) and took a loss both years. The Jackets got their first win in 2020 in the 68-7 meeting at the Rock when they returned to region play in 6-AAA.

Rockmart’s win this week would tie the series between the two games. The Jackets will move to 2-0 in region play if they win as well on Friday night.