Upsets, nailbiters, surprises, and heartbreakers, info on nearly 20 GHSA and GISA games
Teams: send info to centralgasports@gmail.com by or 10:30 a.m. Saturday for a final noon update.
6A
Houston County 17, Coffee 10
The hosts led 7-0 at halftime, and then 10-7 before the Bears tied it. The game-winner came on Cam Stewart’s pick-6 in the fourth quarter for Houston County’s second 17-10 win this season.
Northside 28, Howard 7
The hosts were solid on both sides of the ball, giving up some passing yards but holding steady on the run while showing balance on offense, 169 yards on 25 pass attempts and 206 yards on 43 rushes. The Huskies threw for 177 yards, but managed only 65 yards on the ground, doomed in large part by three lost fumbles and an interception. Northside scored a touchdown in each quarter, losing some momentum when Howard’s Dawson Skinner connected with Duran Wilder for a 64-yard TD pass with 1:55 left in the first half. The Eagles gained some control three minutes into the third on Elijah Robinson’s 15-yard pass to Centavious Lowe, who added a 10-yard run with 2:21 left in the game. The teams combined for 27 penalties and 230 yards.
Skinner was 17 of 30 for 177 yards, Robinson 12 of 25 for 169. Jaylen Cephus had 20 rushes for 104 yards for the Eagles while Justin Luke caught five passes for 79 yards. Wilder had five catches for 81 yards for the Huskies.
5A
Veterans 30, Jones County 6
The D was all over the Greyhounds, Veterans holding Jones County to fewer points than did Grayson and North Gwinnett. Jones County broke the shutout midway through the fourth quarter. The Warhawks held the Greyhounds to their first single-digit point total in a regular-season game since a 38-9 loss to Woodland-Stockbridge on Sept. 16, 2016. Sixth-ranked Veterans is 3-0 for the third straight year
4A
Central 12, Westside 7
The record in this series is now 18-1, Central getting its first win against the Seminoles.
Luella 21, Rutland 6
The Lions led 14-6 and halftime and sealed it with a third-quarter touchdown. A fumble recovery returned about 60 yards for a touchdown got Luella going, and it added a short TD run late in the first. Rutland’s Jessie Phelps Jr. scored from 64 yards out in the final minute of the half.
3A
Harris County 14, Upson-Lee 13
A missed PAT doomed the Knights, who had their chances. They led 7-0 on Jake Davis’ pass to Anthony Bloodser only to give up the tying score on the final play of the half. Harris County took the lead in the third, and Upson-Lee scored a few minutes into the fourth quarter, but missed the PAT kick.
Mary Persons 50, Greene County 0
The Bulldogs had as little trouble as expected, marching out to a 23-0 first-quarter lead, on a 47-yard Logan Hickman pass, 63-yard run from Jaboree Goodson, a 46-yarder from Hickman to Seth Davis, and then a late safety. It was 30-0 at halftime, the Bulldogs on the way to their biggest shutout win since 59-0 over Richmond Academy in the first round of the 2018 playoffs.
Peach County 54, Griffin 14
Rebuilding perhaps, but the Trojans made a statement against a quality 5A program. Unofficially, it was Peach County’s biggest margin of victory over a higher-class team in program history, dating back to 1970.
AA
Bleckley County 44, South Atlanta 6
The clock was running in the fourth quarter, impressive considering South Atlanta took a 6-0 lead about four minutes into the game and watch the Royals reel off 44 straight, starting a few minutes later with Chuckie Stephens’ 5-yard run. The Royals added a first-quarter safety, and put it away with 14 second-quarter points, on Jahvon Butler’s scores from 1 and 26 yards.
East Laurens 33, Bryan County 0
The Falcons were shut out last week, and returned the favor this week, for the first time since beating Southeast Bulloch 30-0 at the end of the 2011 regular season.
Jackson 23, Lamar County 22, OT
Jackson’s gamble paid off when the Red Devils got the 2-point conversion for the win. A 9-yard run tied it, and the conversion was good. Lamar County scored on CJ Allen’s 2-yard run and Josh Moore’s kick. Lamar County led 12-7 at halftime and added a 19-yard Moore field goal early in the fourth. Jackson tied it with a run and conversion a little more than six minutes later, forcing OT, Lamar County’s first since beating Morgan County 38-35 in 2011..
Northeast 34, Therrell 20
The Raiders haven’t had much success in openers in awhile, and scored their most points since a 40-19 win over Twiggs County in 2013.
Putnam County 49, Jasper County/Monticello 0
A major difference from week one, going from a 5-2 win in OT to the largest margin of victory in this 60-game series since Monticello won 53-0 in 1956. It was Putnam County’s largest point total in the series since a 49-7 win in 2012.
Thomson 28, Washington County 14
The Golden Hawks are 0-2 for the first time since 2017, a 4-7 season in Sandersville, although that 0-3 start was against two ranked bigger programs and Baldwin. Washington County led 14-0, but gave up 28 straight.
A
FPD 22, Brookstone 7
The Vikings never trailed in avenging last year’s 23-21 loss at home, and are now 2-0 for the first time since 2016.
Hawkinsville 33, Baconton Charter 6
The Red Devils multiplied their scoring by 11 times in a week, their best total since, well, ending last season with a pair of 33-point games, splitting those two. It was Hawkinsville biggest margin of victory since thumping Pacelli 41-0 in the 2017 finale.
Johnson County 14, Wilkinson County 6
Lee County 66, Crawford County 0
Tattnall 48, ACE 0
A 69-yard pass – a 69-yard pass – from Cade Bloodworth to Justin Walton got the Trojans going in ACE’s first on-campus home game. ACE got inside the 5, but a field goal attempt was blocked and returned the distance by Tyler Duggan. Bloodworth and Walton hoked up again with 13 second left in the half for a 20-0 lead at the break. They didn’t score in the third until the 1:59 mark on Demario Wilmore’s 5-yard run. He added a 60-yard and 40-yard interception return for scores only a few minutes apart. New head coach John Garrett Abernathy is 2-0.
GISA
Brentwood 33, Briarwood 14
Brentwood avoided its first 0-2 start since 2017 with its third straight win over Briarwood, the three by 35, 18, and 19 points.
Gatewood 54, Trinity Christian 6
The Gators turned a close first-quarter game into a blowout with 27 points in the second quarter, including a 24-yard Jayson Burner field goal. That went with a safety, and rushing touchdowns from Bryce Johnson, Luke Haley, and Justin Jameson.
GAPPS
Windsor 62, Holy Spirit Prep 8