WOODVILLE — The well-oiled machine that is the Jefferson County Tigers purred like a kitten as they rolled over Wilkinson County 41-6.

Wilkinson County was doomed from the start when quarterback Javarius Jenkins fumbled the opening snap on their own 19.

Three plays later, Jefferson County running back Jermaine Clark punched in on a 5-yard run.

“We shot ourselves in the foot from the start,” Wilkinson County head coach John Moore said.

Wilkinson County didn’t gain a positive yard in the first quarter due to a vicious Tiger defense.

“We have worked hard all season and our effort has been great,” Jefferson County head coach James Herrington said.

The Wildcats put their best drive of the first half together after an incident broke out between the opposing teams on the sideline, but the drive stalled on the 6-yard line.

“We should have scored a few times,” Moore said. “But this is the way it’s gone all year.”

Back up quarterback for the Tigers, Jeffery Collins, ended the first half by throwing a 17-yard pass to Henry Nichols to give the Tigers a 27-0 lead.

The second half didn’t fair much better for the Wildcats.

The Tigers marched down the field and scored on Collins’ second touchdown pass of the night to Nichols.

Wilkinson County again put together a long drive that ran out of gas and gave the ball back to Jefferson County on a failed fourth down conversion.

After holding the Tigers on a fourth down attempt, they got two big passes from Jenkins. One went for 25 yards and the other a 35-yard pass to wide receiver Curtis McFarland to put the Wildcats on the 1.

The Tigers forced a fumble a recovered it on the 11 to end Wilkinson County’s hopes of scoring.

But the Wildcats were not about to give up. The Tigers were stringing together another drive when Collins threw an ill advised pass that was picked off by Delvin Fosselman and returned 35 yards for a touchdown and the only score the Wildcats would get.

“You have to take your hats off to these guys,” Moore said. “They hung in there to the end.”

Jefferson County tacked on another six points with four minutes left on a 41-yard scramble by Collins.

“This team works extra hard,” Herrington said. “I’ve told them all year long that when you work hard, good things happen. It paid off this season.”

The Tigers finish second in Region 7-3A will host their first playoff game in school history next Friday night.