FAYETTE — The Jefferson County Tigers began Region 7-3A play with an impressive shutout win on homecoming over the Crystal Springs Tigers Friday night.

Crystal Springs came into the game with a 4-2 overall record, but could get nothing done against an aggressive Jefferson Count defense.

“The defense played outstanding,” Tigers head coach James Herrington said. “They played assignment defense. They tackled well. They didn’t give up any long runs.”

Jefferson County scored 14 points in the second quarter to give the host Tigers the lead for good. However, Herrington said his team left too many points on the field.

“We had opportunities to score in the red zone four times. We also missed two field goals from 28 and 21 yards. We’re not as efficient in the red zone as we need to be.”

Jefferson County did run the ball quite well as it racked 222 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The defense also got in on the act when Charlie Clark had a 15-yard interception return for a touchdown.

“We saw some opportunities in the coverages they showed. The offensive line came out and played very physical up front and allowed us to run the ball the entire game,” Herrington said.

Jefferson County (3-4, 1-0) plays at Wilkinson County next Friday at 7 p.m.