By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

The first half looked like a typical first game of the season, with assorted mistakes and confusion and a lack of sharpness.

But the second half, Jones County didn’t necessarily look like a team still in the first game of the season, and Northside had just enough of that look.

The Greyhounds came up with the defensive stand in the final minutes and held on for a 27-21 win over Northside in the Macon Touchdown Club Middle Georgia Kickoff Classic at Mercer’s Five Star Stadium.

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“Big game, big atmosphere, and our guys came out and a lot of crazy stuff going on,” Jones County head coach Mike Chastain said. “They came back and battled the second half and perservered through it all.”

Northside hoped to come out with a win to honor longtime assistant coach Lee Pope. His daughter Lee Anne Hise died on Aug. 12 in a car accident on Highway 247. She was an assistant not far from where the game was played, at Mercer’s Townsend School of Music at Mercer.

The Eagles also mourned former teammate Jontel Williams, a May graduate who was shot and killed in late June.

“I know they’ve had a rough week,” said Chastain, a Northside grad. “I know it’s been tough on ‘em, it’s been really tough on ‘em. I’m proud of our guys for winning the ballgame, but our hearts go out to those guys over there.”

The Eagles led 15-14 at halftime, the difference being a fancy two-point conversion on a wide-split formation. That came after Northside fumbled on its second play and Jones County converted four plays later into a 34-yard touchdown pass from new quarterback Judd Anderson to old – OK, a junior with loads of snaps – playmaker Zion Ragins.

Northside took the lead on Michael McClendon’s 2-yard run with 2:28 left in the first quarter, adding the two-point conversion, taking advantage of good field position after a Jones County punt inside its 10.

Elijah Cotton’s interception on the Greyhounds’ second play of the next possession was wasted when Northside drove deep only to get picked off in the end zone by Javious Bond, who returned it to the 12. Jones County staggered for a few plays – going backward more than forward - and suddenly emerged sharper, digging out of the hole and then moving, thanks to an 18-yard Anderson-to-Ragins hook up and a Bond 14-yarder.

Anderson then connected with Tyler Stewart down the middle for a 40-yard touchdown with 9:45 left in the half, Brendan Waters’ kick making if 14-8.

Northside coughed it up on a fumble two plays later, but Jones County turned it over on downs inside Northside’s 40. The Eagles took advantage while eating some clock, going 64 yards on 10 plays, sparked by a 25-yard run from Duke McLinton, quarterback Damien Dee taking it in from a yard out with 3:35 left in the half, the kick giving Northside a 15-14 lead.

Jones County went 81 yards on eight plays to open the third quarter with a score, on a superb one-handed catch and run for a 34-yard score with 9:31 left in the third quarter.

The kick made it 21-15.

The Eagles gambled on their next possession, facing a fourth and 9 from their 48. Punter Ashton Paredes took the snap, rolled right and threw to Ricardo Jones, who battled through traffic only to come up less than a yard short.

That gave Jones County the ball at its 48 after a possession of less than two minutes, but the Greyhounds gave it back four plays later on a fumble at the Northside 31.

The Eagles drove to the Greyhounds’ 37 only for a penalty and 7-yard loss on a sack dooming the drive.

This time, they paid for it.

A nice return by D’Shawn Hooten put Jones County near midfield. A pass from Anderson to Jacob Jackson on fourth and 4 gained 11, and the Greyhounds converted four third downs after that, the final one when Ragins sprinted to the right for a 4-yard touchdown and 27-15 lead at the 8:29 mark of the fourth quarter.

Northside survived a somewhat sluggish possession and drove. Dee was flushed hard from the pocket after almost falling, but found linebacker-turned-back JC Coney for a 16-yarder on fourth and short.

Four plays later, Dee again ran around and found a receiver, McLinton, in the end zone, on fourth and goal.

The PAT kick snap was off and the play failed, but the Eagles were within 27-21 with 4:33 left.

Suddenly, the Greyhounds went from being in a huge hurry on ever snap to just chilling, eating every second off the play clock to finish the win over Class 6A’s preseason No. 7 team.

The coach of that team wasn’t too happy.

“Can’t have those turnovers,” Northside’s Chad Alligood said. “You can’t do that. I think we played well in spots, but you’re not going to beat a good football team when you turn the ball over.

“We gotta get cleaned up.”

Northside outrushed Jones County 191-132 on 10 more rushes, while the Greyhounds were 14 of 22 for 201 yards passing to 6 of 13 for 31 yards for the Eagles. Jones County had a 333-222 advantage in total offense.

Life doesn’t get a bit easier for either team.

Jones County, No. 7 in 5A, again steps up in classification, heading north to take on 7A Dacula and head coach Casey Vogt, a former Mercer and Northside assistant.

Northside ventures west for a neighborhood battle at Class AAA Peach County.

Dacula lost to 6A St. Pius X 10-7, and Peach County rolled Class 4A Baldwin 50-20.