Jackson is one of the hottest teams in 2A and pulled off what may be the biggest upset of the spring postseason when it defeating top-seeded Morgan County 2-1 in the second round.
As the 16 seed, the Red Devils were not expected to make much noise and were not even guaranteed to beat region rival Pike County in the first round. Pike County had won the previous two matchups, the first game 2-0, while the second was an extremely close game with Pike winning 3-2 in overtime. The first-round game was another close affair, with Jackson coming away with the 2-1 victory.
The second-round match saw the Red Devils come in as major underdogs, but the upset should not have been a big surprise. The two teams are region foes and split the season series, with Morgan County winning the first matchup 1-0 and the Red Devils winning the second 1-0. Their second-round matchup was just as exciting. The first half was scoreless, with neither team taking control. In the second half, the pair of Roland Lynch and Ian Rowland scored the team’s two second-half goals to pull off the upset.
However, Jackson’s most impressive performance may have come from goalkeeper Dutch Guerrero. This season, Guerrero has had an amazing run, helping the team give up no more than two goals in any game. The Red Devils’ playoff game was no different, with him allowing only one goal while making five saves, an amazing performance without which the team likely would not have come away with the win.
In the next round, the team will face off with the winner of Shaw and Ringgold. Shaw is the 9 seed and Ringgold the 8 seed. Shaw was dominant in the first round, defeating Johnson-Augusta 10-0, while Ringgold fought hard with North Murray to come away with a 2-1 victory. Both teams will pose a unique challenge for Jackson in the quarterfinals that will push the limits of the Red Devils elite defense.
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