LAKE ASBURY - Two scores from quarterback Kennedy Jeffress; one a Billy Sims-like twisted move and go score from 18 yards out, and a 40-yard bomb to wideout Rylee Smith were enough highlights for the Lake Asbury Junior High flag football team to take a 31-6 Northeast Florida Athletic Conference championship win over Green Cove Springs Junior High on Wednesday at Lake Asbury Junior High School.
For Lake Asbury coach James Black, the title was the fifth in seven years for the Tigers with Black also coaching the Middleburg High School flag football team.
Jeffress combined on numerous plays for big gains with Smith and Emmalyn Leedy for Lake Asbury with slot back Nathalia Garcia adding over the middle pass patterns to loosen up the Cougar's defense.
Leedy and Smith also had an interception for the Tiger defense.
In the second quarter, up 13-0, after a just-missed end zone interception from defensive back Makayla Clark, Jeffress engineered a long scoring drive highlighted by a Garcia catch and run play for a first down, Lake Asbury cruised past midfield with 5:34 to halftime.
After a sack by the Green Cove defense by Olivia Williams and a five-yard penalty against Lake Asbury, Clark blasted 16 yards off the right side to near the Cougar 20-yard line. Jeffress rambled to the three on a scramble on the next play before Clark pushed the score to 19-0.
Green Cove coach Benjamin Swann tried a hook and ladder pass play and halfback option to try and move the ball, but the Lake Asbury defense stiffened as halftime approached.
Green Cove quarterback Scarlett Hodges scrambled to the Lake Asbury 20-yard line with 28 seconds to threaten the Lake Asbury shutout, but Smith intercepted on the next play to thwart the drive.
Jeffress quickly turned the interception to paydirt with a sweeping right to a 25-0 halftime lead.
Green Cove got to the Lake Asbury 15-yard line on their first drive in the third quarter with a hook and ladder to Williams getting to the Tiger 10-yard line with Hodges spinning to the six-yard line.
On a pass into the end zone to Ella Weflen, Jeffress knocked the ball away to save the drive with 4:32 left in the third.
Smith would outstretch Wefley and Kristian Holman on defense for a pass play to move the ball near midfield as Lake Asbury looked to add to their lead.
On a pass play past the Green Cove bench, Smith snagged a 10-yard out pattern then hit the jets in Bullet Bob Hayes fashion to score for Lake Asbury and put the game at 31-0 just before the end of the third quarter.
"They were playing uptight really close and that opened up that play to work," said Lake Asbury offensive coach Cary Dicks, former Clay High principal and noted football aficionado.
Green Cove scored in the fourth with a touchdown pass to Olivia Kirk with 4:30 left in the game.
Lake Asbury finishes with two losses; 11-2, with Green Cove finished at 9-5.