Saturday Afternoon QB: When you make major changes in a week, and it's *poof* in 4 plays and you still win; a look at Friday night
When Teldrick Ross went out in the third quarter of Jones County’s first-round playoff game against Griffin last week, the first job was to win the game. And even before that was complete, Jones County head coach Justin Rogers started thinking ahead to life without his quarterback.
The Greyhounds would, in a week, go from a team that passed a little to a team that passed a lot. But that wasn’t as big a change for them as it would’ve been for most teams, because the Greyhounds had been a pass-heavy team for Rogers’ first three seasons.
Part of the plan for the second round was running back Drake Bolus in the ‘wildcat’ more, and he had the ability to throw.
That part of the plan died on the fourth play Friday night when Bolus suffered a shin and ankle injury.
“There was a ton of plays that were gone, man, that we had planned on running that we really liked,” Rogers said. “It is what it is. It’s like life. Things happen.”
No problem.
Sophomore quarterback Hunter Costlow stepped up, running back Semaj Ingram stepped up, and, well, the Greyhounds in general stepped up. Wayne County had hoped for the same, with quarterback Garrett Overholt – a huge playmaker – sidelined with a hand injury.
“We both flipped our identities is what we did,” Rogers said. “Going into this game, we were a running team that threw a little bit, and they were a throwing team that ran a little bit.”
Wayne County led 7-6 fairly early, and the teams traded jabs the rest of the first half. Action picked up in the second half, moreso for Jones County. Wayne County cut the margin to a touchdown inside the final minute and recovered the onside kick with less than three minutes left.
“I’m like, ‘Oh my God, are you kidding me?,’” Rogers said. “But the defense played lights out, four and out right there after the onside kick.”
Rogers estimated that Costlow passed for more than 300 yards, and that between called pass plays and run-pass options, the Greyhounds tried more than 30 passes, passing more than they ran.
“All day over 30,” Rogers said. “A bunch of RPOs. It’d be close to 30 (attempts) just on pass calls. He played a great game. He played awesome.”
And like a veteran.
“He managed the game,” Rogers said. “I thought he was aggressive when he had opportunities to be aggressive. That’s what I liked about it, is he didn’t play timid.”
Rogers said the Greyhounds’ receivers had a clutch night.
“The wideouts really elevated their game,” he said. “There was a bunch of ‘em that stepped up and caught some big balls.”
Wayne County No. 2 QB Shamar Taylor, who has filled in for quarterback Garrett Overholt during earlier injury issues, couldn’t quite match Costlow, although he did pass for three touchdowns. But moreso, the Yellow Jackets couldn’t match the Greyhounds elsewhere.
So the Greyhounds may be prepared for absolutely anything when they visit Carver-Atlanta in the quarterfinal round. Rogers said Saturday morning that Bolus will likely be available, albeit not at 100 percent, for the 11-1 Panthers, who beat Flowery Branch 33-19 to advance.
Jones County will be ready, regardless.
“It was fun to watch a lot of kids that had been role players all year just doing their role and providing their niche to the team and did it with a grateful attitude and grateful heart.
“Last night, when they needed to step up and they needed to be more of a playmaker, they were willing to accept that new role, and respond and did awesome.”
Around Central Georgia’s games
Big ‘ns
Warner Robins 26, Eagle’s Landing 23, OT
Shawn Jones, the Region 4-5A coach of the year, said it was really a game of inches, and he was right. Warner Robins blocks a field goal. Eagle’s Landing drops one sure touchdown pass that would have put the visitors up 14-3 late in the second quarter, another possible TD pass – at least a long gain that changes the time frame of the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles couldn’t corral – or even nudge out of bounds - Jaeven West on a 93-yard kickoff return that killed their late first half momentum. The fourth-quarter drop came with about two minutes left and would have put Eagle’s Landing on the Demons’ side of the field at a minimum, if they hadn’t scored on the play. They still amazingly ran 12 more plays, converting three fourth downs along the way, before kicking the tying field goal as time expired. A killer for the Golden Eagles was a stunning delay of game when they had third and 2 at the 7 in overtime, turning that into a third and 7 at the 12. The Demons survived interceptions and penalties, an overall lack of some sharpness against a team that often matched that and almost pulled it off.
Macon County 41, Pelham 28
Pelham didn’t play like a team that was, on computer paper, a 30-point underdog, taking a 21-7 first-half lead over the defending Class A public champs. A three-touchdown third quarter put the Bulldogs back on top and they did a little better than holding serve in the fourth quarter. Aukeeveous McLendon ran 19 times for 188 yards while QB Jadarrius Hicks went for 172 on 19. The surprise: The Bulldogs were only 4 of 14 for 59 yards in the passing game, season lows in both areas.
Surprise
Tucker 28, Northside 7
This was an upset only as far as the Maxwell Ratings go. In reality, Tucker was a legit favorite in large part because of a solid advantage on offense. Northside scored the fewest points since, well, the last time the Eagles played Tucker, a 22-7 loss a year ago in the semifinals. This was less of a surprise, considering that Northside team failed to hit the 30-point mark in only five of 14 games and this Northside team had passed 30 points only once. A 4-for-10 night for 40 yards passing was a predictable culprit against, as noted here Friday, a Tucker defense that is a little better than last year. The Tigers survived 10 penalties by not turning the ball over, and Northside’s defense kept the Eagles alive until Tucker’s 27-yard touchdown with 9:43 left in the game.
Liberty County 21, Westside 0
Westside has gone up against some salty defenses the past few years, like Northside, Peach County, and more than once. The pure shocker here is that it was Liberty County to shut out Westside for the first time since 2010 when Baldwin – ranked in the top 6 at the time en route to a 10-2 season - won 35-0 at Ed DeFore. The Panthers’ lone shutout this season was 48-0 over one-win Brantley County, and last previous shutout was early in 2015 against Class AA McIntosh County Academy.
Brooks County 35, Dodge County 17
A bad punt snap led to good field position and Brooks County’s first touchdown, and the Indians spent the rest of the game trying to get going. The Trojans scored and added the conversion en route to a 15-0 lead after one, thanks in part to a missed Dodge County field goal that was soon followed by a 75-yard touchdown pass. The Trojans led 21-7 at halftime, and a fake punt helped the Indians get back to within 21-14. Brooks County scored shortly after that and added another two-point conversion, while Dodge County returned the margin to 12 with a field goal early in the fourth, but the Indians couldn’t do anything else. . It’s the second time in three seasons that the Indians finished the regular season undefeated and lost in the second round at home, Elbert County doing the deed 23-8 in 2015.
The computer said …
Northside by 1, lost by 21; Westside by 1, lost by 21.
No surprise
Mary Persons 39, Baldwin 14
At halftime, the difference was a safety, and Baldwin took the lead inside the first minute of the third quarter. It was downhill from then on for the Braves, who proceeded to be outscored 30-0 in the second half as the Bulldogs reeled off big-play TD after big-play TD. And they added a safety. Mary Persons has now won two playoff games by 27 and 25 points. The first two wins last year were by an average of 25 points.
Peach County 34, Pierce County 14
Pierce County being competitive wasn’t all that much of a surprise, but the game may not have been quite as close as 20 points. Trevon Woolfolk ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns, and Antonio Gilbert was 18 of 28 for 240 yards and no interceptions. The Trojans’ defense held Pierce County to 36 yards rushing and 62 yards passing.
Thomasville 44, Dublin 22
For most of the first half, Dublin was right there. The Irish scored twice in less than three minutes to turn a 14-0 deficit into a 14-all tie early in the second quarter. They trailed their undefeated hosts – who had won by an average of 42.2-15.8 through 11 games – 24-14 at halftime. And Dublin then held Thomasville to two field goals midway through the third quarter, but the Bulldogs began exerting some control and put it away with a touchdown in the final seconds of the third quarter. The Bulldogs know they were in a game that might’ve been closer than 22 points. Dublin averaged nine yards a play, rushing for 388 yards –with Corteveyas Mitchell getting 127 and Tyler Strickland 121 yards - but the hosts were more balanced with 218 rushing and 224 passing yards.
Stratford 36, Fellowship Christian 22
The Eagles got smacked early, the visitors taking a 7-0 lead before Stratford tied it with 5:23 left in the first. Stratford converted a fumble into a touchdown with 69 seconds left in the half, and they wasted little time scoring in the second half, Deondre Duehart’s touchdown putting the Eagles up 20-7. Trey Giles seemed to seal it with a pick 6 a few minutes later, and a field goal made it 30-14. Fellowship Christian scored, and the Eagles finally clinched it with Jonathan Siegel’s touchdown at the 8:37 mark of the fourth quarter.
Athens Academy 56, FPD 7
Who won wasn’t a surprise, but the margin was. Athens Academy came out on a mission, and FPD couldn’t counter, watching the hosts turn three turnovers into three first-quarter touchdowns. Opponents may note the Spartans’ fake punt with 13 seconds left in the first half and a 35-0 lead. FPD’s Dalton Cox was picked off four times, a shocker for a quarterback with eight interceptions on 307 attempts going into the game.
Clinch County 48, Dooly County 35
Dooly County has been tough the second half of the season, and was tough on the road, leading 6-3 after one. But the Bobcats started losing their juice – a one-handed touchdown catch on a ‘go’ route by Jeremiah Johnson got Clinch County going - and trailed 24-6 and then 31-14. The margin grew to 24, and the Bobcats scored with two minutes left to make it a two-score game.
The computer said …
Jones County by 7, won by 5; Thomasville over Dublin by 28, won by 22; Stratford by 15, won by 14; Clinch County over Dooly County by 17, won by 13;
Better than, less than
Woodward 42, West Laurens 31
Woodward marched out to a 28-10 first-half lead as quarterback Mike Wright led the way. The lead was 35-17 with about nine minutes left in the game and the Raiders kept battling, scoring their final touchdown with less than 90 seconds left.
The computer said …
Warner Robins by 17, won by 3 in OT; Mary Persons by 15, won by 25; Woodward over West Laurens by 1, won by 11; Peach County by 38, won by 20; Brooks County over Dodge County by 5, won by 18; Athens Academy over FPD by 26, won by 49; Macon County by 30, won by 13.