Off week comes at good time for Greyhounds

Jones County football head coach Justin Rogers thinks quarterback Bradley Hunnicutt will play Sept. 9 when the Greyhounds open GHSA Region 4-5A play against Locust Grove.

But in case Hunnicutt isn’t ready, after suffering a high ankle sprain in the season opener, Rogers isn’t worried.

Not after the performance backup quarterback Teldrick Ross had in the Greyhounds’ 43-21 win over Washington County on Friday. The junior threw for 194 yards and ran for 106 more as the Greyhounds got their first win of the season.

“He accounted for 300 yards of offense. We’ll take that,” Rogers said with a laugh. “It’s the first time he has known he’s going to be the starter going into a week, and he had the game plan catered to him. That was important. We focused on things he does well. Every other time he’s played, it’s been because Bradley got hurt, and we’re all yelling, ‘Teldrick’ to get him in there.

“He played really well, but I think him knowing he was going to be the starter and being able to work on the things he does well was big for him and helped him play so well. He got to prepare as the starter, and that was important.”

Hunnicutt was injured in the Greyhounds’ loss to Lee County in the Corky Kell Classic to start the season Aug. 18 at Mercer’s Five Star Stadium. Rogers said Hunnicutt should begin to get some work in drills Wednesday as he tries to get back on the field.

If not, Ross will be there to step in, and that’s exactly why Rogers liked the early off week when he saw his team’s schedule.

“I was fired up about the schedule back when I first saw it and knew it was set up that way,” Rogers said. “I wanted it like this so I could play my preseason and then have the off week to see what we need to work on and make sure we have everybody healthy for those games in the region.”

The game with Locust Grove is the first of eight straight in region play for the Greyhounds in their new region. The past four seasons, they played in Region 2-5A with Northside, Houston County, Warner Robins and several Augusta teams.

“We haven’t played a game yet that really means anything as far as getting us to our goals,” Rogers said. “That all begins with region play. That’s what we’re focusing on.”

This story was originally published August 30, 2016 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Off week comes at good time for Greyhounds."