Jefferson Makes a Statement

They were just four words but they took on more meaning as Jefferson Coach Hank Johnson repeated them over and over.

“This is very special,” Johnson said, near tears and his voice breaking. “This is very special.”

Jefferson’s 14-7 victory Friday over Dorsey was important in several ways. First and foremost, it gave the Democrats (6-3, 3-1) a clear shot at second place in the Coliseum League.

With a victory over Locke in its regular-season finale Thursday, Jefferson will have a strong case to be included in the City Section championship playoffs.

Additionally, the Democrats proved they could beat one of the City’s finest programs. Dorsey (6-3, 2-2) isn’t a favorite to win it all this year, but it has three major division titles.

“Without a doubt, this is special,” Johnson said. “I feel Dorsey is one of the premier programs in America. I’ve always respected [Coach] Paul Knox and the classy program that he runs.

“To beat them . . .”

Johnson fell silent but his beaming smile spoke volumes. A week ago, the Democrats watched helplessly as undefeated Crenshaw ruined their upset bid with a touchdown in the final minute.

Jefferson was erratic offensively Friday but persevered and scored the decisive points when quarterback John Brown found a hole in Dorsey’s pursuing defense and went up the right sideline for a 20-yard touchdown run with 3:25 remaining.

Brown’s two-point conversion pass to Travonne Jackson was the final touch.

“If he isn’t the best player in the City, I don’t know who is,” Johnson said of Brown. “He runs, he passes, he kicks off, he plays defense. And the kid’s only [5 feet 7].”

Knox thought his team was gaining control of the game. The Dons led, 7-6, and controlled the clock for most of the third quarter.

“We thought we had him,” Knox said of Brown. “He made a great play.”

The Dons squandered too many opportunities. In the third quarter, a 15-play drive that took 8:28 ended with quarterback Stanley Hollis being stopped one yard short on fourth and four at the Jefferson 21.

Still clinging to its precarious lead in the final quarter, Dorsey drove into Jefferson territory again but Hollis threw an interception that Gary White returned 25 yards to midfield. The Democrats put together one of their few sustained drives and Brown finished it with his weaving run on third and 10.

“My coach always tells me to keep on moving,” said Brown, who ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns. “Always keep my feet moving.”

Dorsey took a 7-0 lead on a one-yard run by Rasby Sinclair in the second quarter. That was all Jefferson would allow, and the Democrats’ hopes were boosted with a 71-yard run by Jason Brown to the Dorsey one-yard line early in the third quarter. John Brown scored on the next play but Lusio Reyes missed the point-after kick.

“Their defense did a great job,” Knox said. “They deserved to win today.”

The Democrats showed they could be a dangerous opponent in the playoffs.

“We’ve always wanted to play in the upper-division playoffs,” Johnson said. “We’d rather be the 16th seed playing against the No. 1 seed rather than be the No. 1 seed in the Invitational playoffs.”

Meanwhile, Dorsey finds itself in a must-win situation next week at Manual Arts if it wants to be part of the City’s top 16.

“We’re on the bubble,” Knox said. “We knew that. It’ll just come down to what the [playoff seeding] committee thinks.”