BROOKLET - At halftime of Southeast Bulloch’s homecoming matchup with Windsor Forest, the only drama left in the stadium was who would be crowned Homecoming Queen for 2025 as the Yellow Jackets completely dominated the Knights, leading by 42 points at halftime en route to a 50-15 victory.
Colby Smith ran for 118 yards, including a 70 yard score on the second play of the game that put him over 2,000 yards for his high school career. He tallied those rushing yards on just three carries.
Smith’s score was one of five first quarter touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets as Southeast Bulloch removed all doubt about the outcome.
“Our first team guys, they really did a great job of coming out and playing to our level and our standard,” SEB Head Coach Jared Zito said following the game. “They played fast, they executed well. Defensively we talked in space. I’m really pleased with that.”
Colton Zito capped off the second drive of the night for SEB with a seven-yard score that was set up by a 38 yard run from Smith. Thomas Edge’s second PAT of the night put SEB ahead 14-0.
A pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff bounced at the Knights’ 23 yard line and the Yellow Jackets were able to swarm to the ball and recover it. On the next play, Aaden Peterson’s run around the right side saw him race down the sideline to the end zone, extending the SEB lead to 20-0 with the Yellow Jackets scoring three touchdowns at the point when Windsor Forest had run only three plays on offense.
Receiver Tyrone McGee got into the scoring action on the Yellow Jackets’ fourth possession of the night as he hauled in a perfect touch pass from Zito. McGee was able to run under it and outrun the defense to the endzone.
The Yellow Jackets’ special teams would come up big on the following kickoff, pinning the Knights back on their own six yard line. The SEB defense would sack Knights’ quarterback JR Rowland in the endzone for a safety to extend the lead to 29-0.
Southeast Bulloch wasn’t done yet in the quarter as DJ Brooks got in on the scoring fun with a three-yard run that was set up by Peterson’s 65-yard return down inside the Knights’ 10-yard line.
Zito would add a second touchdown pass midway through the second quarter, finding Eli Reed for a 15-yard score to extend the lead to 43-0.
Peterson added his second score of the night with a three-yard run late in the half to make it 50-0 at that point. Peterson ended the night with 55 yards and two touchdowns on three carries.
The Knights finally found the end zone in the final minute of the first half but it was far too little too late.
“Homecoming, especially at Southeast Bulloch, means a lot more because this place has a lot of people that played here and their parents played here and their grandparents played here,” Zito said. “So this is a really special type of homecoming.”
“I told (the team) tonight, you’re playing for all those people that were here at Southeast Bulloch, whether they played football or not,” he said.
As the drama of the game was all but over at that point, the crowd waited anxiously as the nominees for the Homecoming Queen nominees were announced. Kristiana Tisby would take the crown.
The first half saw the Yellow Jackets’ offense amass 341 total yards while the SEB defense held the Knights to just 56 yards after two quarters of action.
In addition to Smith and Peterson, Jayden Murphy added 56 yards on five carries.
The second half saw a running clock as the Yellow Jackets had a 42 point lead and allowed the SEB coaching staff to get some second and third string players into the game and while they weren’t able to put points on the board, they were able to move the ball. Defensively, they gave up the game’s final points in the final minute of the game.
Zito said he thought his team played fast, which he liked to see, and they didn’t turn the ball over.
The win moves SEB to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in region play. They now embark on a three game road trip in which they’ll face three region opponents before returning home.
“That’s the beauty and the beast part,” Zito said. “We play three at home and then go and play three on the road. We’ve got to learn how to play on the road again. We’re going to Liberty County and I think that’s going to be a tough game. Then we go to Groves and then we go to Jenkins before we get an off week and finish up with two at home.”
“Liberty County is going to be a little different than these last two opponents. I think they’re a better football team, a little better coached and maybe have better athletes, so it gets a little serious for us next week.”
