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Savannah, SEB face off in region matchup
SEB

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7:20 p.m.
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Savannah (1-4, 0-2) at
Southeast Bulloch (2-2, 0-1)

7:30 p.m., Today
Fred Shaver Field

    BROOKLET — The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets will look to get back on the winning track tonight as they host Savannah High School in a Region 1-AAA showdown at Fred Shaver field.
    The Yellow Jackets (2-2, 0-1) are coming off back-to-back losses and need a win to avoid falling too far behind in region play.
    “There’s no doubt we want to be 4-0 and right now we’re not,” said SEB Head Coach Pat Collins. “It stings when you have a couple of games that, when you go back and look at, we could have won.”
    This week the Yellow Jackets welcome the Blue Jackets (1-4, 0-2) to Brooklet. Savannah has averaged only 11.6 points per game offensively while surrendering 29.4 points per game on defense.
    Despite those numbers, Collins said the Blue Jackets have some very talented players on both sides of the ball.
    Offensively, Savannah is led by running back Trey Dillard who is averaging nearly 77 rushing yards per game and has scored two touchdowns. Quarterback Jovante Spivey is averaging 99 passing yards and has four rushing touchdowns on the season.
    Dillard and Spivey are also among the leading tacklers on defense for Savannah, with 66 and 47 tackles respectively.
    “We’re expecting a good, hard-nosed football team,” Collins said.
    He continues to stress the importance of preventing the big play on defense as a key to victory for SEB, saying the Yellow Jackets have proven capable of making teams have to march down the field methodically rather than breaking a long run or pass.
    Last week saw SEB running backs Antonio McMillian, Corey McCollum and Tyler Epps each break the 100-yard mark, but untimely penalties and turnovers cost the Yellow Jackets in their 28-14 loss to Johnson High School.
    The miscues are something Collins said he doesn’t see in practice and it has been unfortunate they happen in pivotal moments of the game.
    “We have to clean up what we have control of, which is the penalties and the turnovers (on offense,” Collins said. “We just have to really concentrate on what we’re doing in practice,” he said. “We have to focus on snap counts and not having our hands extended on offense. We’re going to continue to teach the game properly.”
    Despite the consecutive losses, Collins said he’s seen improvement from his squad as the year’s progressed.
    Earlier this week, the coaching staff showed the offense and defense statistical evidence showing they’ve improved as the season has gone along, saying it was their job as coaches and leaders to stay the course and remain focused on the team’s goals.
    “Everything we’re doing, we’re heading in the right direction,” Collins said.
    Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Fred Shaver field. For those who can’t make it, the game will be streamed live on the Statesboro Herald website at www.statesboroherald.com beginning at 7:20 p.m.