Central Georgia's high school football roundup, info on more than 20 GHSA & GISA games
Have breakfast with Central Georgia’s only complete roundup, awaiting you and the sun. Any update will be around noon Saturday, based on information contributions from teams.
Teams: send info to centralgasports@gmail.com by 10:30 a.m. Saturday for the noon final update
Dear coaches and teams: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPDATE YOUR MAXPREPS ROSTERS, so kids can accurately be credited for doing good things. Ditto schedules, results, and stats.
Class 6A
Northside (3-4) 43, Luella (4A/5-2) 9
Homecoming went as homecomings are supposed to, the Eagles storming out to a 36-9 halftime lead. Northside entered the game having scored 75 points in four games, and the win broke a three game losing streak.
Class 5A
Jones County (3-3/3-0) 51, Locust Grove (3-3/1-2) 8
The Greyhounds were up 35-0 at halftime en route to their third straight win. And those wins have been by 62-22, 34-6 and 51-8. It’s the second game this season Jones County has cracked 50 points.
Wayne County (3-4) 10, No. 10 Veterans (4-3) 7
The Warhawks offense continued to slump, being held below 10 points for the third straight game. The 13 points in three games is the fewest since 10 in three games in 2014, a 3-8 season. The game-winning field goal came with less than five minutes left.
Class 4A
Baldwin (3-0/3-0) 19, West Laurens (3-3/2-1) 13
The Braves couldn’t give it away, even with four turnovers. West Laurens led 13-12 with 11:07 left in the fourth after settling for a field goal. That was an omen. A Raiders’ punt hit a Brave and the visitors recovered. West Laurens lost yardage, and then missed a field goal. Baldwin made the visitors pay, Derrick Lewis connecting with an open Javon Bullard for a 39-yard touchdown pass - after a big pass play from Lewis to Kirt Hightower – on fourth and eight with 3. And Baldwin finally hit a conversion kick with 3:46 left. The Braves then bowed up on defense, aided greatly by a botched snap on fourth and 1 that sent the Raiders backward, sealing the win.
Spalding 17, Rutland 12, Thursday
Tift County (7A/2-3) 29, Perry (2-4) 7
Perry’s running game was stuffed, and the passing game was sacked, to the point of negative yardage. A Tift County defensive lineman scored on an interception. A 71-yard pass play, after some Blue Devil miscues, set up Tift’s first score three minutes into the game. Lane Rucker hit Daequan Wright for a score to cut it to 12-7, and Perry held Tift to a field goal after a huge kickoff return, but a pick-6 followed at the 2:12 mark of the second quarter, and Tift blew a scoring chance as Perry blocked a last-play field goal for a 22-7 game at halftime.
Westside (2-3/1-1) 28, Howard (2-3/0-2) 6
Howard was held below 10 points for the second straight week – which hasn’t happened in the regular season since the rough 1-9 2016 season – and Westside kept its offensive momentum going – 28 or more points in three straight games after 14 in the first two – in a much-needed region win after Spalding topped Rutland.
Class 3A
Central (5-1/4-0) 34, Upson-Lee (4-3/2-2) 27
The Knights marched out to a 20-7 lead, despite some special teams issues, one of which – called for 12 men on the field on a Central punt - led to Central’s touchdown – Jalik Thomas to Zaylin Webb - on the final play of the half to cut it to 20-14. Thomas did major damage, completing 12 of 20 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns - surviving three interceptions, including a first-quarter pick-6 - and running 24 times for 170 yards. Maurice Elder was good for 105 yards and two scores on 13 carries. Webb caught five for 93, including the 24-yarder that put Central up for good in the fourth quarter. Adam Lamar and Walter Hawthorne led a defense that gave up only 193 yards and 12 first downs.
Mary Persons (3-4/1-3) 41, Pike County (0-5/0-4) 9
The Bulldogs made sure early on they weren’t going to be the Pirates’ first victim, Logan Hickman throwing a 59-yard touchdown pass inside the first half-minute of the game. It was 12-3 after one, and then 19-3 on the first play of the second quarter, a 72-yard screen pass for a score en route to a 26-3 halftime lead.
No. 4 Peach County (5-1/4-0) 14, No. 2 Crisp County (5-1/2-1) 13
A full-blown defensive throwdown between top-5 teams and state title candidates was a scoreless battle – loaded with mistakes and big plays and plenty of emotion, and thus some penalties – until Chris McMillan ran 32 yards for a Peach County score with 4:01 left in the third. The Trojans went up two scores on Christian Martin’s short pass to McMillan for a score three minutes into the fourth, the play set up by a gadget pass play from Martin, who lined up at wideout.
Crisp County got on the board with 5:31 left on a 25-yard run, and later held on defense and got within scoring range within two long plays. A TD pass was dropped, and then the Cougars scored on fourth and goal at the 9, with 1:15 left in the game. The conversion play, a pass, was unsettled from the start and went incomplete. Peach County recovered the onside kick, and, both teams had long ago used their timeouts, the Trojans ran out the clock.
Class AA
Bleckley County (6-1/3-0) 30, Lamar County (3-4/1-2) 0
The Royals didn’t let the Trojans get into it on homecoming, leading 16-0 at halftime on a TD pass from Dominic Sasser to Jacob Johnson, a TD run from Chuckie Stephens, and field goal from James Jordan.
Dodge County (2-3/1-1) 58, Jasper County/Monticello (2-5/1-2) 0
The Indians teased the Hurricanes, leading only 8-0 after one. Then? Kaboom. Dodge County went off for 43 points in the second quarter, and ended up with their most points since 70-27 over Dooly County in 2017 and unofficially the biggest margin in program history. It was also the Indians’ first shutout since 2016.
East Laurens (3-2) 40, Baconton Charter (1-A/Public/1-4) 6
The Falcons had it by halftime, leading 37-6. The 37 points in a half was the most since a 54-6 win over Wheeler County last year. East Laurens last won three games in 2015, and hasn’t had a winning season since 2012.
Northeast 40, Southwest 12, Thursday
Putnam County 55, Glenn Hills 6, Thursday
Class A
Dooly County (1-2/1-2) 13, Hawkinsville (2-5/1-4) 12
The Bobcats had been outscored 76-7 in their first two games of the year, but rebounded well against the Red Devils, who had lost two games by 12 points before a 56-0 hammering by Dublin, which came eight days after the Irish popped Dooly County 50-0.
No. 5 Dublin (5-1/4-0) 35, No. 10 Wilcox County (5-2/4-1) 28
The Patriots took the lead barely three minutes into the game, and it was on. Dublin went up 21-6 on a Markelle Mitchell pass to Gabriel Guyton, a 65-yard run from J.T. Wright, and 48-yard interception return from Quay Ashley. The Patriots answered, and the Irish led 21-14 at halftime. Wilcox County countered Wright’s 43-yard run, and then countered another Mitchell-to-Guyton hookup. The Patriots cut it to seven with 1:34 left in the third, and neither team scored in the fourth. Wilcox County had four more first downs, 42 more yards rushing, on 10 more snaps. But Dublin made the hosts pay for three turnovers and 11 penalties. Wright went wild for 192 yards on 15 carries, while Abe Stowe had 132 on 12 for the Patriots. Guyton was big with four punts for 45.5 yards per.
FPD (3-3, 1-0) 24, Tattnall (3-4/1-1) 7
The Vikings took some control fairly early, with a TD run from Matthew Hurt and then a 35-yard TD pass from Parker Ingram to Jordan Jones to end the first quarter, adding a second-quarter field goal. Walker Andress sealed it with a 30-yard interception return with 3:47 left in the third.
GMC (4-3/2-1) 49, Crawford County (0-7/0-3) 17
GMC is 4-3 for the first time since 2012, a 4-6 season, after their second 30-point win over a GHSA program this year. The Bulldogs last won three straight to open the 2018 season, only to lose the next seven. Yasir Saleem went off for 290 yards and five touchdownson 30 carries, while Tyler Saunders' three completions went for 137 yards and two scores. MJ Ingram caught three passes for 117 yards and two scores.
Glascock County (3-5) 42, John Hancock (GAPPS) 0
Hancock Central (3-0/2-0) at ACE (2-4/1-1), ppd.
No. 6 Macon County (5-1/4-0) 28, Schley County (3-3/1-3) 7
The Bulldogs are 5-1 for the first time since 2004, as part of a 10-team Region 4-AA under Bobby Hughes. And Macon County was last 4-0 in region play in 2017. The Bulldogs were 4-2 and 3-0 at this point in the 2016 state championship year.
Mount de Sales (3-3, 1-0) 17, Stratford (3-2, 0-1) 14
It was tied after three, and the Eagles and Cavs slugged out the fourth quarter. Then John Wagner was good on a 27-yard field goal with 2:23 left, and Mount de Sales made it stand to beat Stratford for the third straight time, which hasn’t happened since the 1990s. How close was it? Both teams had 251 yards in total offense, only two yards difference in passing offense and two yards difference in rushing offense. Both were 2 for 6 passing, both had three penalties, both were 3-for-8 on third downs. Akhori Jones ran 20 times for 138 yards and Fernando Washington 13 for 84 for MdS, while Nate Slappey led Stratford with 96 yards on 14 carries.
Taylor County (5-1/4-1) 47, Central-Talbotton (0-6/0-4) 0
The Vikings had no trouble getting over last week’s loss to Macon County, leading 21-0 after one and 35-0 at halftime. Taylor County was 5-1 (and 2-1) at this point in 2017.
GISA/GAPPS
Gatewood (5-1) 16, Southland (0-6) 7
Southland didn’t battle like a winless team, making the Gators work hard. Gatewood led 10-7 after three, and then sealed it with a long drive and score with 3:23 left.
Westfield (4-0-1) 20, Briarwood (2-3-1) 20
Oh, the value of the PAT. Briarwood led 14-0, and made both, and then Westfield scored – Gavin Vinings from a yard – and converted. The next two touchdowns? Nope. Briarwood missed for a 20-7 lead, and Westfield missed to make it 20-13. The Hornets tied it with 6:34 left in the third, and Sam Johnson’s kick was good, and it was tied the rest of the way. Because in part that it wasn’t a region game – or even same classification game- the tie stuck. Briarwood outgained Westfield by 14 yards on nine more plays, the Hornets with a 229-120 rushing advantage. Westfield had two more turnovers, and five more penalties. Vining had 84 yards on 13 carries, Porter Faulk 62 on 10.
Bulloch (3-1) at Trinity Christian (0-4)
Thomas Jefferson (5-1) at Piedmont (4-1)