Saturday's Central Georgia Daily News 'n Notes: Peach Co. tops Northside; Scoreboard; Braves Report, Falcons Report, United
Saturday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
Peach County holds off Northside
It looked like it might get stunningly out of hand early, Peach County putting up 21 first-quarter points at McConnell-Talbert Stadium.
Why, in the past five seasons, the Eagles had given up 21 points or more in complete games only six times, and all to ranked 5A or 6A teams.
Northside’s defense stiffened after that quarter, but so did Peach County’s, keeping the Eagles at bay for a 21-13 win in non-region action between rivals who last year dazzled a capacity crowd at Mercer’s Five Star Stadium with a 27-24 Peach County win.
The Trojans got two rushing touchdowns from Tijah Woolfolk covering 89 yards, and 15-yard interception return for a touchdown by Clemson commit Sergio Allen. They came from the 9:21 mark of the first quarter to the final play of the quarter. The Eagles got a 24-yard field goal from Adam Lemond with 2:38 left.
And so commenced a slugfest for pretty much the rest of the way. Northside got a 27-yarder from Lemond with 2:04 to go in the third to pull within 21-6.
The Eagles finally got within a score when quarterback Mason Ford went in from a yard out three minutes into the fourth quarter.
An interception by Justin Smith appeared to clinch things, but Northside force a punt and got one more chance. The Eagles got a short gain on first down, but three incompletions followed, and that was it.
Some numbers were odd. Northside ran 26 more plays, but Peach County had 13 more yards (286-273). They combined for all of 153 yards passing, Ford struggling through a 9-for-21 night with two interceptions.
The Trojans averaged 7.7 yards a rush to 4.5 for the Eagles, who had seven more first downs.
Woolfolk covered 98 yards on only five carries, Noah Whittington 81 on 14. Zikhyree Hill’s 85 yards on 15 rushes led Northside.
The Eagles, ranked third and fourth in 6A, have another task, visiting Jones County – ranked seventh and eighth in 5A - on Friday while the Trojans, No. 2 and 1 in 3A, will gear up for a highly anticipated grudge match when 6A’s top team and defending champ Lee County comes to Fort Valley.
Scoreboard
Saturday
High School
Softball
Howard 12, FPD 1
FPD led after one, but Howard took over with four in the second and put it away with eight in the fifth. Karli Buchanan and Elle Doolittle had two hits each for Howard, Megan Sharpe leading with three RBI, two coming from Kayla Roberts and Beth Dorough.
Volleyball
Bayside Academy 2, Houston County 1
Harris County 2, Warner Robins 0
Veterans 2, Harris County 1
College
MSOC: Middle Georgia State 4, St. Andrews 1
Braves Report
The Braves put six up in the first and rolled from there, on the arm and bat of Dallas Keuchel for an 11-5 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Keuchel went six efficient innings, and added a two-run single.
The offense cruised with Ronald Acuna taking the day, Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson batting 1-2 and teaming for three hits, two runs and two RBI.
Josh Donaldson, Rafael Ortega, and Billy Hamilton had two hits each, Ortega and Hamilton each scoring twice.
Keuchel gave up nine hits in six innings with two runs, three strikeouts, and no walks.
Next: Sunday, vs. Chicago White Sox, 5:10 p.m., FSSO; Monday, vs. Toronto, 1:20 p.m., FSSE; Tuesday, vs. Toronto, vs. 7:20 p.m., FSSE
Falcons Report
Around/About Georgia
United knocked off by Philadelphia