Warner Robins and Peach County take down undefeated No. 1s in thrillers, Putnam County wins in the final second (full roundup)
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
GHSA
Class 6A
Northside 42, Douglas County 13
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The Eagles got the big-play passing game going, with Cameran Brown completing 8 of 10 for 169 yards and a touchdown as Northside stormed out to a 35-7 halftime lead. Brown racked up the yads with his legs, too, with 10 carries for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Michael McLendon added 64 yards on seven carries. D’Shawn Hooten caught one pass, a 58-yarder, Centavious Lowe catching the touchdown pass from 31 yards. Six different Eagles caught passes as Northside (9-3) cracked 35 points for the sixth time.
Next: at Hughes
Class 5A
No. 4 Warner Robins 24, No. 1 Cartersville 17
The championship-type game expected in last year’s 5A title game showed up at Cartersville, and Warner Robins’ defense came up with a stand that won’t be forgotten for a long time. Cartersville had a first and goal on the 5, and then second down at the one. And third down at the 1 after Fred Perry’s stop. And fourth down at the 2. Warner Robins was flagged for pass interference on fourth down, and it only gained the hosts a yard, no first down. On fourth down, after one Cartersville and two Warner Robins timeouts, senior linebacker Jay Carter squeezed through and upended running back Malachi Jeffries for no gain with 56 seconds left in the game.
The Demons trailed 14-7 and 17-10. They tied it on Christon Lane’s strike to a wide open Daveon Walker for a 40-yard touchdown, right after Cartersville went up by 7 on a field goal at the 9:43 mark. Perry converted a fourth down, then went in from a yard out from the wildcat for the Warner Robins lead with 6:44 left in the game. Cartersville patiently drove, only to have the door shut. Perry was a workhorse, with nearly 250 rushing yards, plenty of special teams yards as well as playing defense, and coming up with a key stop on the goal line stand. Vic Burley had a huge game on defense. Warner Robins racked up 301 rushing yards and 127 passing yards.
Next: At Jones County
Jones County 66, Eastside 42
Jones County put up 66 points, John Alan Richter passed for nearly 350 yards and Javious Bond ran for more than 200 yards, but the talk of Gray for a day or two will be kicker Evan West, who perfectly executed four straight onside kicks, and recovered three of them, and then made a touchdown-saving tackle on a kickoff return. The huge momentum plays set Jones County (10-2) in motion for a huge second-round win. Richter was 29 of 36 for 347 yards with three scores – one a 60-yarder to Zion Ragins – while Bond ran for 207 yards and four scores. West kicked off 10 times and was perfect on nine PATs. Two of Tyler Stewart’s catches went for touchdowns.
Jones County led 24-21 at halftime, but was soon down 28-24 and then up 31-28. Richter hit Stewart for a 45-yard score at the 5:45 mark of the third quarter for a 31-28 lead. A recovered onside kick led to another touchdown, and the Greyhounds rolled to their second straight playoff game of at least 50 points and second 60-point game of the season, and set a program record for playoff points, a record that lasted a week.
Next: Vs. Warner Robins
Class 4A
No. 7 Perry 42, Flowery Branch 7
For more than half of the first quarter, it looked like there’d be some suspense. Then Perry broke the scoring seal on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Armar Gordon Jr. to Daequan Wright on an inside screen, Wright weaving through most of the Flowery Branch defense and going from outside the numbers on the left to outside the right hash marks for the score at the 4:49 mark. A strip sack from Price Massey on Flowery Branch’s next possession put the Panthers at the 6. Two plays later, Wright went in from the 2, and the lead was 14-0 with 3:15 left in the first quarter. The Falcons threatened to make it a game, forcing a punt from deep in Perry territory and taking over on the Panthers’ 36. They reached the 13, and but a low snap led to a deflected and missed field goal at the 6:49 mark of the second quarter.
Perry made it hurt. Wideout Wright took the snap, rolled right and lofted it to an open Dakarai Anderson down the right sideline. Anderson shed a Falcon at the 25 for an 85-yard touchdown and 21-0 lead, and the romp was on. The Panthers dealt a major body blow when Anderson made a leaping catch for a 19-yard score with 1:18 left for a 28-0 halftime lead. Perry set a program record for points in a state playoff game.
Next: Vs. Cedartown
Class AAA
Peach County 24, No. 1 Monroe Area 21
The Trojans ended a perfect season on the road and knocked off a No. 1 for the first time since dumping 6A No. 1 Lee County 40-17 early in the 2019 season. It’s the first such postseason win since they dumped Calhoun on the road in the semifinals of the 2018 season. Peach County has reached its sixth straight quarterfinal.
Next: At Pierce County
Class AA
No. 7 Callaway 35, No. 3 Bleckley County 13
The defending state champs played like defending state champs, especially after Bleckley County got off to a nice start and 7-0 lead. And Callaway took over, leading 28-7 at halftime. The undefeated Royals couldn’t get anything going, and managed only a fourth-quarter touchdown.
No. 8 Northeast 26, No. 6 Haralson County 20
The Raiders had the lead and lost it, the hosts tying it at 20 in the fourth quarter. Northeast punched in the game-winner with less than three minutes left for the program’s first second-round win ever. Travion Solomon was 17 of 24 for 254 yards and a touchdown, while running 13 times for 72 yards and a score. The Raiders also got rushing touchdowns from Tyler Terry and D’icey Hopkins, Terry rushing for 96 yards on 16 carries. Justin Quainton caught five passes for 97 yards.
Next: At Swainsboro
No. 5 Putnam County 28, Lovett 24
Putnam County kept digging holes, and finally climbed out, from a 21-6 halftime deficit to 21-all game with 15 third-quarter points. Lovett kicked a field goal for a 24-21 lead, and the War Eagles let chances slip away, like missing a 24-yard field goal in the final minutes. Cedrion Brundge, though, powered in from a yard out with 10 seconds left to keep the War Eagles undefeated and playing.
Next: vs. Fitzgerald
Class A Public
No. 3 Macon County 42, No. 10 ECI 10
Macon County led 14-10 at halftime, but opened things up in the second half. The Bulldogs finally gave up a 100th point, now having surrendered 108 in 11 games. They have beaten ranked teams this year by 26, 16, 18, eight, and 32.
Next: At Irwin County
Class A Private
No. 9 FPD 31, Mount Vernon 0
The Vikings came up with one of their top playoff efforts in years en route to hitting the 10-win mark for the first time since the old GISA days, in 2004. It’s their first second-round win since 2012, and first postseason shutout since topping Trinity Christian 41-0 in the first round of the 2009 GISA playoffs. FPD has three shutouts, and held four more opponents to seven points.
Griffin Green ran 24 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 139-yard run attack. Quarterback Jakhari Williams added 30 yards on three carries while completing 9 of 10 passes for 125 yards and a score. Jackson Moore caught three passes for 72 yards and a touchdown, his 15-yard run less than two minutes into the game getting the Vikings going. Green went in from a yard two minutes later. Lucas Buckner’s 22-yard field goal at the 5:37 mark of the second quarter gave FPD a 17-0 halftime lead. Williams and Moore connected for a 66-yard gut-punch score less than two minutes into the second half, and Green got another touchdown with 1:40 left in the game. FPD (10-2) held Mount Vernon (7-5) to 56 rushing yards and 59 passing yards, the Mustangs ending the season as they started it, with a shutout on the road.
Next: Vs. Prince Avenue Christian
No. 8 Darlington 24, Tattnall 14
The hosts trailed 7-6 at halftime, but took the lead for good on the first possession of the second half. Tattnall was set to counter, but was stopped at the one and gave up the ball. Darlington quickly made that hurt, badly, with an 87-yard touchdown run for a 21-7 lead with 2:21 left in the third. The teams went back and forth until Darlington added a field goal with 3:26 left, the Trojans (9-2) quickly answering with a 50-yard TD pass to Antone Johnson only 27 seconds later. But Darlington (11-1) recovered the onside kick and was able to seal it.
GISA
Class AAA
No. 1 John Milledge 42, Bulloch 6
Bud Veal went off four four touchdowns – three rushing scores covering 63 yards – to lead the undefeated Trojans to their 10th win, and seventh game this year of at least 40 points. The Trojans almost had their fourth shutout of the season, but Bulloch scored late. The Trojans had a 352-66 total offense advantage, Briggs Eady completing four passes for 100 yards. Veal led the 252-yard rushing attack with 72 yards, and Marcus Prestwood caught 84 yards worth of passes. Jalan Butts and Eady scored in the first quarter on short runs, and Veal added a 24-yard scoop and score to finish the scoring.
Next: Vs. Frederica or Tiftarea
No. 3 Westfield 49, Brookwood 41
From a 14-7 halftime game to a shootout, Westfield put up 482 yards in total offense, but was outgained by 37 yards on a whopping 22 more plays. Despite 82 snaps, Brookwood couldn’t get the running game going and Westfield was a little more balanced. The Hornets’ Hunter Kirkley was 20 of 34 for 342 yards and five touchdowns, 184 yards on eight catching coming from Ryan Powers, Noah Blackmon and Porter Faulk splitting 142 yards receiving. Faulk ran 18 times for 85 yards. Down 7-0, the Hornets scored three straight times on passes from Kirkley, to Blackmon for 34 yards and Faulk for 15 and 48, the latter coming with 4:03 left in the third quarter for a 21-7 lead. Brookwood got within a touchdown for all of 16 second, Kirkley connecting with Powers for 55 yards and a score. Brookwood hung around, finally getting back within a possession with two touchdowns in shorter order, at 4:46 and 3:15 in the fourth quarter. But that was it. Brookwood’s Rodge Waldrop was 33 of 65 for 498 yards and five touchdowns with a pick, the Hornets holding the visitors to 16 rushing yards..
Next: At Pinewood Christian
Class AA
No. 1 Brentwood 49, Robert Toombs 21
The War Eagles wasted little time taking control, Thomas Denton with a pick-6 less than two minutes into the game. Robert Jackson threw to Wells Muller for an 80-yard score less than three minutes and to Denton for 12 yards two minutes after that for a 21-0 first-quarter lead. Jackson hit Will Wright for a 22-yard score and T.J. Stanley added another pick-6 for a 35-0 lead before RTCA broke through midway through the second quarter. Brentwood emptied the bench after that. Jackson was 5 of 6 for 143 yards and three scores, while Brentwood spread the rushing wealth around. Six War Eagles caught one pass, with the defense led by Zach Denton, Landon Gilbert, Bryce Williford, and Mikel Parker.
Next: vs. Gatewood
No. 4 Gatewood 33, Southwest Georgia 6
The host Gators rolled to advance to the semifinals.
Next: At Brentwood
Class A
Semifinals
Thomas Jefferson 28, John Hancock 0
Piedmont 55, Georgia Christian 0
Final: Dec. 3, 1 p.m.
8-man
Championship
Windsor 42, Westminster 14