Sprayberry moves to top of region standings after 'hard fought' win over River Ridge

Sprayberry quarterback Jaden Duckett #4 hands the ball off to running back Rayshawn Simpkins #10

The 2024 Georgia High School Association football regular season is heading into its final few weeks and teams are either separating themselves from the pack or in the case of the Sprayberry Yellow Jackets, leaping frogging in the region standings, as the Yellow Jackets did after their 30-27 win over River Ridge on Friday night.

“It’s a big win. Excited for my kids, excited for our football program, our coaches, our school, community,” Sprayberry head coach, Brett Vavra said Friday night after what the former Sprayberry player described as “hard fought win,” and “every bit of the game,” the Yellow Jackets expected as they held off River Ridge.

“We knew it was going to be a dog fight for four quarters, they’re a really good football team,” Vavra said as he credited the Knights for their efforts in Friday’s contest in which Sprayberry led most of the night, trailing just once at the start of the game when River Ridge took a 3-0 lead as they capped their opening drive with a field goal.

Trailing just once the entire night, the Yellow Jackets would respond to the River Ridge score on the ensuing possession as senior wide receiver and defensive back, Mark Manfred would take a Jaden Duckett pass 80 yards to the end zone on the first play of the Sprayberry drive. “He played his tail off tonight,” Vavra said of the Missouri commit, who had to key catches on the Yellow Jackets final scoring drive of the game that would give them a 30-20 lead with two minutes remaining in the game.

“That was a big play in the game right there. To convert that third and long, get us down there, keep the drive alive and eat more time off the clock,” Vavra said as he recounted the scoring drive he described as “huge”. With two games remaining, Sprayberry will now turn their attention to Lassiter after their bye week, and can move closer to claiming the region championship.

“We have a lot of work to do but I feel good about our football team right now,” Vavra said.