Roundup: John Milledge sets record; Perry, Peach County shut down, stunned at home, Houston County comes back, Dooly County gets the upset in OT; and more
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Information is from media, MaxPreps, social media, and information sent by teams (Brentwood, Dublin, Lamar County, Northside, Tattnall, Westfield).
Coaches/teams: please send game information/stats to centralgasports@gmail.com by 2 a.m., or by 10:30 a.m. Saturday to be included in Central Georgia’s only complete roundup.
Class 6A
Houston County 41, North Atlanta 31
The Bears went from leading 14-0 to trailing 21-14 and then 24-21 and 31-21, North Atlanta scoring late in the third quarter. The Bears, aided by a facemask, moved and cut into the deficit on Antwann Hill Jr.’s little jump pass to Arthur Brown, making it 31-28 early in the fourth (there were clock issues). They grabbed full momentum seconds later when a hard snap sailed past quarterback Trey Lennon, on the 31, and the ball squirted into the end zone and was covered by Houston County’s Nick Jordan – who had a first-half pick-6 - for the score and, after the missed PAT, a 34-31 lead. Ryan Taleb, who opened the scoring with a 78-yarder, then sealed it with a 19-yard score with about four minutes left in the game.
Next: Houston County at Gainesville, R8/1, beat South Paulding 42-21
Marist 32, Northside 13
The visitors were a blocked PAT from being tied at halftime, but Marist made it irrelevant with a touchdown less than three minutes into the third quarter and all but sealed it about nine minutes later with a 22-6 lead on a night of offensive struggles for Northside. The Eagles, who scored on DJ Hudson’s 4-yard pass to Brandon Wilson midway through the first quarter, managed 94 fewer yards (296-202) on 16 more snaps. Northside (7-5) outpassed Marist 143-69, but the hosts outran the Eagles 227-59, running it 45 times. Northside had nine flags for 95 yards to three for 35 for Marist. The War Eagles (10-2) defense had a night, with eight sacks for 39 yards in losses. Hudson was 16 of 31 for 143 yards and a touchdown and interception, Duke McClinton snagging seven passes for 70 yards. Da’veon Latimore led the ground game with 48 yards on seven attempts. Three Marist rushers had between 63 and 84 yards. Ricardo Jones and Jamari Shines had interceptions for Northside, which was unable to capitalize.
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Ratings picks, Central Georgia state rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s Central Georgia football games?
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Northeast’s Woodford is No. 1 in the state, and legit (with video); surprises/upsets, Loughdmouthings (brackets, John Milledge, state QBs, Falcons, more)
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week: Northeast duo
Last week
* Scouting Reports: Saturday’s GHSA games
* Roundup: Bleckley County with big road win, Woodford leads Northeast, Houston County wins OT thriller, Wilkinson County tops Macon County, and more
* Scouting Reports: Friday’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Ratings picks, Central Georgia state rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s Central Georgia football games?
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Only one lock in the College Football Playoff; upsets, surprises, Loughdmouthings (Central Georgia GHSA bracket watching, Falcons, more), Central Georgia polls
* GIAA playoffs
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
*Central Georgia’s GHSA first-round playoff pairings
Two weeks ago
* Roundup: Coverage of John Milledge-Tattnall, FPD-Stratford, Jones County, Northside, Dublin, Baldwin, Westfield, and Brentwood, with plenty more
* The latest GHSA playoff scenarios for Central Georgia
* Notebook: John Milledge ignores streak; Hardy finally has a team; Greg Moore celebration; playoff picture update
* Scouting Reports: all GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Ratings picks, Central Georgia state rankings
* Who’s going to win this week’s Central Georgia high school football games
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Harsin’s costume should have had a big smile; Loughdmouthings (Falcons, high schools, Deion Sanders, Northside, Dublin, Warner Robins, Bo Nix, CFP rankings), CGA polls”
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week: Howard, ACE, Northeast
Class 5A
Warner Robins 38, Northside-Columbus 7
The defending 5A champs were on control early en route to their sixth straight quarterfinal. Elijah Antonio got the Demons (8-4) going with a short TD run in the first quarter, Malcolm Brown following with another short one almost four minutes later. Warner Robins dealt a near knockout punch when Isiah Canion dumped it to tight end Vic Burley - lined up at fullback - and the Clemson-bound standout defensive end took it 30 yards for TD with 33 seconds left in the half. Canion - filling in for starter Chase Reese, who was hurt in last week’s win – hit 5 open down the left hash for an easy 64-yard touchdown less than a minute into the third quarter for a 28-0 lead. Daniel Barber booted a 26-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, and after Burley recovered a fumble inside the Northside 5, Warner Robins drove and got a 37-yard score from Trey Gunnings late in the third to cap the scoring. Northside (10-2) broke the shutout inside the final four minutes.
Next: Warner Robins at Creekside, R5/1, beat Dalton 61-0
Class 4A
Wayne County 14, Perry 7
The Yellow Jackets turned in a stellar defensive performance in pulling off the upset at Herb St. John, holding Perry to its lowest point total since Marist’s 36-7 win in the 2020 quarterfinals on the Panthers’ home field. The Panthers were in position to tie the game late, taking over at their 40 with 4:05 left. An interception was nullified by defensive holding, and the Panthers moved. Perry had first down at the Wayne County 17 with 2:44 left, and converted a fourth and 1 at the 8. The teams traded timeouts on the same play twice – and had first and goal at the 5 with 1:07 left. Perry lost two on third down when Demetrious Carter and Armar Gordon Jr. bumped into each other after the snap. On fourth down with 22.9 seconds left, after a Wayne County timeout, Gordon stepped up in a collapsing pocket and threw off-balance to a diving Donovan Funch, but the pass was too low, sealing the loss. Perry held clock-eating Wayne County on fourth down after six-minute drive in the first quarter. But the Panthers were unable to take advantage of anything all night, and had only three first-half possessions.
Wayne County scored first on an 8-yard run on fourth down two minutes into the second quarter after the Panthers had the runner behind the line but let him go with a poor tackle. It stayed that way until the Yellow Jackets got another 8-yard run aided by some poor fundamentals, at the 2:52 mark of the third. The Panthers broke the shutout early in the fourth on Gordon’s 11-yard pass to Donovan Funch with 11:12 left. An interception stopped Wayne County’s next possession only for a bobbled snap on fourth down at the Yellow Jackets’ 14 with 8:38 left to stop the Panthers.
Class 3A
Savannah Christian 23, Peach County 7
Making the move up from Class A Private was big, but the Raiders (11-1) felt at home in Fort Valley. It was tied at 7 at halftime, Peach County’s lone score coming with 9:54 left in the second quarter on Colter Ginn’s laser to 4 for an 8-yard TD. The Raiders answered right back and tied it with 5:31 to go until half. Jamari McIvory – a Class A Private state 400 champ last year – took the second-half kickoff back 92 yards for the lead. Savannah Christian added a short TD run for a 20-7 lead at the 5:38 mark of the third quarter. The Raiders added a field goal midway through the fourth, and an interception in the final three minutes sealed it. Peach County (8-4) was held to one touchdown in each loss this season.
Class AA
Appling County 35, Northeast 13
Northeast battled Appling County to a scoreless tie after one, the Pirates going up early in the second quarter only for Nick Woodford to tie at 7 late in the first half. After a defensive stand inside the 5, Woodford went 86 yards to set up Reginald Glover’s short pass to Kavon Concaiuro with 4:39 left in the game, the missed conversion leaving the Raiders down 28-13. The hosts ended the Raiders’ hopes with a touchdown at the 1:45 mark of the fourth quarter.
Fitzgerald 28, Putnam County 20
The defending state champs led 28-13 at halftime, Putnam County getting a fourth-quarter touchdown
Class A/Division I
Bleckley County 27, Lamar County 23
The visiting Royals (10-2) scored first and missed the PAT, then sweated out whether it would matter. They trailed 7-6, then went up 21-7 on scores from Jahvon Butler and a TD pass from Eli Mullis to Nazario Johnson before Lamar County got a 32-yard field goal from Josh Moore to end the half, Lamar County down 21-10. Antonio Altman’s 4-yard run pulled Lamar County (10-2) within 21-17 in the third quarter. The Royals (10-3) extended the lead with a 24-yard touchdown, and missed that PAT. It took awhile for the Trojans to answer, getting a 28-yard pass from Ty Head to CJ Allen in the final 90 seconds, Lamar County failing on the two-point conversion. Allen’s final game as a Trojan was a full one, the standout running back/linebacker rushing for 192 yards on 25 carries, but he was kept out of the end zone on the ground, and sharing team tackle honors with seven with JahNizae Few and Terry Welch. Bleckley County outgained Lamar County 336-331 on 13 fewer snaps, the Trojans managing only two pass completions for 50 yards to 10 completions for 121 yards and a score for the Royals.
Next: Bleckley County at St. Francis, R6/1, beat Trion 34-20
Metter 18, Dublin 0
There was too much familiarity for Dublin in the second meeting with Metter, which won 12-0 on Sept. 16 over the Irish. The Tigers scored a touchdown in the second, third, and fourth quarters, on runs of 6, 10, and 19 yards. In the first meeting, Metter outgained Dublin 274-124, and held a 338-154 advantage in the rematch. The Tigers went from 1-for-2 passing to 2-for-3, while the Irish followed a 4-for-4 game with 1-for-9 in the return game. Metter survived 12 penalties for 94 yards by going 7 for 10 on third down. Demari Foster had 97 yards on 15 carries for Dublin, Metter’s Reco Coney going for 133 yards on 17.
Class A/Division II
Lincoln County 42, Wilkinson County 8
The Red Devils stormed out to a 28-0 first quarter lead and expanded it to 42-0 at halftime, the Warriors breaking the shutout in the third quarter.
Dooly County 14, Charlton County 13, OT
There was no scoring in the defensive battle until the third quarter, and it was tied after Dooly County’s score early in the fourth. In overtime, Dooly County got a 14-yard pass from 1 to Jalen Hall, 95 making the PAT. Charlton County, lost five on first down, got five back on second, and scored on an acrobatic catch on third down. But the PAT was short and wide right, giving Dooly County the upset, despite being outgained 175-146.
Next: Dooly County at Lincoln County, R8/1, beat Wilkinson County 42-8
GIAA
Postseason seedings listed
Class AAAA
Stratford 42, George Walton 7
The hosts eliminated suspense pretty quick marching out to a 21-0 halftime lead. Shaun Wilmore got it going with a 60-yard blast 19 seconds into the game. Keondre Glover went in from 37 yards for a two-score lead late in the first quarter. Glover followed Wilmore’s interception with another score with less than eight minutes left in the half. Glover took it 35 yards for another touchdown four minutes into the third quarter, Stratford adding a touchdown pass and a scoop and score in the third quarter.
Next: Tattnall at Stratford
Tattnall 56, Westfield 21
The battle of big plays – three of the first four touchdowns went for 25 yards or more – settled down a little and into a Tattnall (7-4) groove, the Trojans racking up 473 yards in total offense and getting touchdowns from four players on offense as well as a special teams score after a blocked punt. QB Donovan Duncan had a huge night, going 14 of 21 for 296 yards and three touchdowns, seven passes for 177 yards and a score going to Brayden Smith. Demario Wimore and Antone Johnson ran for 85 and 84 yards and two scores each, two of Johnson’s three catches going for touchdowns. Duncan hit Johnson for a 33-yard score less than two minutes into the game, and Wilmore ran in from 25 yards five minutes later. Johnson followed Hunter Kirkley’s 11-yard score to make it 14-7 with a 55-yard a half-minute later, all in the first quarter.
Kirkley had scores of 16 and 8 yards to keep Westfield (5-6) within a score, but Johnson’s 6-yarder with 1:12 left put the Trojans up 35-21 at halftime. They added third-quarter rushing and receiving scores from Johnson, a Duncan-to-Smith connection, and a 39-yard return of a blocked punt by Johnson, whose five TDs tied Josh Loosier for most points scored in a game (30 vs. Augusta Christian in 2000. Smith set the single-game mark with 177 receiving yards (DeAndre Smelter, 159 vs. FPD in 2008), to go with 68 kickoff-return yards. Tattnall’s defense held Kirkley to 88 yards passing (10 of 19) and 135 yards – x below his average – and three touchdowns. Kirkley’s passing and rushing yards accounted for 82.3 percent of the Hornets’ yards.
Next: Tattnall at Stratford
Brookstone 38, FPD 30
Greg Moore’s final game as FPD’s head coach was like most games in his last season, action-packed and unpredictable, and with a frustrating loss. The Vikings led 7-3 and 14-10 and 21-17, only for Brookstone (8-3) to take a 31-21 lead through three. A field goal cut the margin, and FPD took advantage of a bad punt snap for a short rushing score only for the PAT to be blocked, keeping the Vikings down a point. Brookstone scored, and FPD (2-9) had two possessions late – once after turning it over – but couldn’t muster up another score.
Class AAA
John Milledge 42, Heritage 7
The Trojans, as expected, cruised to their state-record 48th win, passing Buford. John Milledge cracked the 40-point mark for the ninth time this season en route to its fifth straight semifinal trip. Heritage actually led after John Milledge turned it over on downs, with a long TD pass. QB Briggs Eady went 55 yards right after that to tie it, and then put the Trojans up for good a few minutes later with a short pass to Javian Butts, who went in from 33 yards a possession later.
A Baylen Zielinski interception set up another score in the second half, and the rout was on.
Next: John Milledge vs. Valdwood, beat Terrell 15-8
Class AA
Central Fellowship 48, Piedmont 6
Next: Central Fellowship vs. Gatewood, beat Augusta Prep 38-27
Brentwood 24, Edmund Burke 10
Edmund Burke’s 7-0 lead lasted less than three minutes, Bryce Williford hitting Drew Carter for a 26-yard score. The War Eagles added a 33-yard field goal late in the half to take the lead for good. Williford went in from a yard out midway through the third quarter, EB countering with a field goal. Zach Denton’s 60-yard run at the 3:02 mark of the fourth quarter sealed it for the 8-3 War Eagles. Denton finished with 114 yards on 14 carries, Wells Muller adding 104 on 17. Williford was 8 of 11 for 128 yards and a score. Brentwood’s defense held Edmund Burke to 16 passing yards and 24 on the ground.
Next: Brentwood vs. Briarwood, beat SW Georgia 39-13
Gatewood 38, Augusta Prep 27
Next: Gatewood at Central Fellowship, beat Piedmont 48-6
Class A
Robert Toombs 41, Fullington 23