Saturday's Daily News 'n Notes: Scoreboard; Russell Henley; Mercer and UGA football; CFB highlights; Braves; and more

October 11, 2020 Central Georgia Sports Report

Saturday’s Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.

Scoreboard

High School

Softball

Brentwood 10, Westwood 0; Brentwood 8, Westwood 1

The War Eagles advance to the GISA AA semifinals.

John Milledge 11, Southland 1; John Milledge 15, Southland 3

Windsor 9, Crisp 1; Windsor 8, Crisp 2

Volleyball

College

Peach State College Football

Jacksonville State 34, Mercer 28

Mercer led for most of the first half, but gave up two touchdowns barely a minute apart for a 27-14 halftime deficit.

The Bears got within six twice, including in the final minute, but the Gamecocks held on in the fall opener for Mercer, the hosts improving to 1-1.

Tyray Devesin became the restarted program’s first 2,000-yard career rusher, and Deondre Johnson returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a score and added a third-quarter touchdown reception.

JSU outgained Mercer by 10 yards on the same number of plays, the Bear defense recording 43 yards in losses to the JSU offense.

The Gamecocks won the Ohio Valley Conference title five straight years, the run ending in 2018.

Mercer travels to Army on Oct. 24, then hosts Abilene Christian on Oct. 31. Southern Conference play is expected to take place in the spring.

Box score

Defensive lineman Kashawn Baker of Crawford County had four tackles fpr the Bears.

Mary Persons grad Caleb Etheridge got the start at center for Mercer, as did snapper Zach Lassiter of Bleckley County.

Quarterback Dylan Fromm of Warner Robins, back/receiver Brandon Mays of Wilkinson County and Landon Miller of Rutland played but recorded no stats.

Defensive linemen Christian Mahogany of Hawkinsville didn’t play.

Tight end Leeshoen Jarrett of Houston County and defensive end Markeyce Troutman of Taylor County didn’t play for JSU.

Georgia 44, Tennessee 21

Another sluggish start had the home folks a little nervous, Georgia down 21-17 at halftime and not looking good.

But Stetson Bennett got the offense going a bit, and the Bulldogs got two field goals and a 21-yard TD pass from Bennett to Peach County’s Kearis Jackson in the third quarter to take control.

Jackson continues to be huge for Georgia. The redshirt sophomore caught four passes for 91 yards, including his first college touchdown.

Georgia’s defense was dominant in the second half, the effort capped by a strip-sack and fumble return for a touchdown by Monty Rice.

Box score

Mary Persons alum Malik Herring started and was credited with a tackle, Upson-Lee’s Travon Walker with none. Houston County’s Trey Hill started on the line.

Offensive lineman Dawson Stephens of Veterans did not play for Tennessee.

Too much D in second half for UT

Bennett was, well, normal

Kirby talks

Notebook

Not complicated to Pruitt

Kearis Jackson talks

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Around/About Central Georgia

Henley in contention at Shriners

Maconite Russell Henley has had three good rounds at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas.

He’s nowhere near alone.

Henley is 13 under after three rounds, which is only good enough for a tie for 31st, a group that includes Webb Simpson, Charles Howell III, Stewart Cink, and Byrson DeChambeau.

The Stratford alum has been consistent, with rounds of 67, 67, and 66.

Martin Laird and Patrick Cantlay are tied at 193, 20 under.

The cut line was 7 under, lowest in Tour history.

Henley had four birdies on Saturday, a bogey countered by an eagle. Friday, he had five birdies and a bogey, and four birdies on Thursday.

He tees off at 1:10 p.m. Sunday.

Around/About Georgia

A year to remember for Freeman

Pitching’s not all about the heat

Jackets have some highlight-reel action

Can Atlanta’s D be the difference?

Panthers worried about dangerous Falcons

Falcons notes