FAYETTE — Jefferson County High School has gotten into a habit of shooting itself in the foot the last couple of games.

Now the Tigers (4-3, 1-2) are looking to take their hands off the trigger and put the safety back on when they host Hazlehurst High School at 7 p.m. Friday.

Jefferson County head coach James Herrington said his team has been able to move the ball well, but drives have been stalling out in the red zone in recent weeks.

That was the case last week in Jefferson County’s 28-14 loss to Tylertown, Herrington said.

“Basically, we hurt ourselves. We scored first and went into the half tied 14-14,” Herrington said.

“In the second half, we played pretty decent football, and had scoring opportunities from the 1- and 3-yard lines but didn’t score. We also had a touchdown called back on a penalty. We have to clean those up and take advantage.”

This is a problem that has been plaguing the Tigers for two weeks, Herrington said.

“We’ve been playing pretty good ball, we just have to take away turnovers and penalties,” he said.

“It’s frustrating when you have opportunities to win, but because you make mistakes, you don’t (win). What it boils down to is getting these guys prepared. When we’re not able to win, it’s about something I overlook, so we’re definitely working on getting those things fixed.”

Even though an offense is sometimes easier to defend with a shorter field, Herrington said drive and determination are the ultimate factors in a team scoring or not scoring in the red zone.

“It gets difficult when you don’t have the space, but inside the 20 it just comes down to drive and getting it done,” Herrington said.

“It has a lot more to do with pride and wanting to do it than how much room you have. Football is a game of inches, and if it’s a game of inches, you don’t need a lot of room.”

When looking at Hazlehurst (6-2, 2-1), Herrington said team speed is what stands out the most to him.

“They’re extremely fast. They’re not very big but they’re lean. On defense, they get to the ball well, one through 11,” he said.

Hazlehurst runs the Wing T offense, and Herrington said they utilize several players in that offense, including all-purpose athlete Gabriel Gray.

“They use him everywhere, from quarterback to split end and even at running back. He’s also a kick returner and punt returner. He’s extremely dangerous,” Herrington.

Maintain position and attacking key reads is the best way to defend the Wing T, Herrington said.

“You just have to stay calm, and you can’t worry about reading backs,” he said.

“If everyone stays in position, you’re normally OK. You get in trouble when you start moving.”