By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

GHSA

Class 6A

Houston County 26, Tift County 14
          The Bears had a whole lot more trouble than expected with the two-win Blue Devils. It was scoreless after one and the Bears led 10-0 at halftime on a Benji Malcom field goal and TD pass from Antwann Hill to Reordo Tarver in the final minute of the second quarter. Tift County scored two minutes into the third quarter, and the tough defense held Houston County to another Malcolm field goal after fumbling around the 20. The Bears got a little breathing room on Christian Stokes short run about four minutes into the fourth quarter, but it was temporary, the Blue Devils answering within a few minutes to make it 19-14. Ryan Taleb’s 18-yard score with about four minutes left all but sealed for the Bears, who clinched third in Region 1 with the win.

Northside 29, Veterans 0
          Both teams were playing for their postseason lives, but the Eagles shows more postseason potential with their first shutout since 42-0 over Tift County last year and third in the series with the Warhawks. Northside scored a touchdown in each quarter. Da’veon Latimore  got the Eagles going with a 1-yarder inside the final minute of the first,  Keron Milton adding the conversion. Duke Harris went in from 25 yards out midway through the second quarter, and Latimore sealed it with a 2-yard score late in the third, Harris with some icing from the 4 with about four minutes left in the game. Northside (4-5/2-2) takes fourth place, while Veterans (2-7/0-4) is in last place in the six-team region after being shut out for the second time this season.

Class 5A
Warner Robins 43, Jones County 28
          The Demons’ best game of the year came at the best time, to win the Region 2 championship outright, putting the second-most points of the season on the Greyhounds while scoring a season high. It was a snippy night, feelings strong considering that Demons quarterback Judd Anderson played two games for Jones County to start the season and then transferred over a weekend to Warner Robins, which is where Jones County head coach Mike Chastain coached before heading to Gray.

          Jones County had a night lacking sharpness and discipline, and lost a fumble early, Cam Flowers converting it into a 27-yard TD less than two minutes into the game. Shortly after, Warner Robins drove more than 90 yards for a score, a pass to Flowers. The Greyhounds answered, though, with an 81-yard TD pass from Devin Edmonds to Zion Ragins with 5:19 left in the first. Alberto Medina kicked a 24-yard field goal, and the Demons led 17-7 after one. Jones County scored on the first play of the second quarter, on a 6-yard pass from Edmonds to Stewart. Warner Robins went a long way in a short time, workhorse Rasean Dinkins finishing it with a 1-yard plunge about three minutes into the third. Dinkins then converted Jeremiah Cray’s interception into a 12-yard score, and the Demons took a 30-14 lead into halftime. The figurative knockout punch came with 10:10 left in the third on Anderson’s 53-yard TD pass to Flowers for a 37-14 lead. Warner Robins got it back on downs near midfield and turned that into a Terry Wright’s 8-yard score two minutes later. Jones County battled back with a Jamarion Parker 4-yard run at the 4:37 mark of the third. The fourth quarter was scoreless until Edmonds hit Ragins for 5-yard score inside the final minute.
          The Greyhounds got a solid night from Edmonds, who completed 27 of 40 for 345 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT, Ragins catching 9 for 143 yards and 2 TDs. Jones County managed around 100 yards rushing. The teams were pretty even in total offense, but Warner Robins was balanced, with 213 rushing yards and 233 through the air, Anderson completing 23 of 35 and Dinkins running for 162. The 6-3 Demons finish the regular season with Locust Grove, the 6-3 Greyhounds at Union Grove. Both teams are home to open the playoffs.

Class 4A
Howard 35, West Laurens 21
          Still alive in the hunt for a postseason spot, Howard took care of business to improve to 5-4 and 2-3. But to get in, the Huskies need to beat Westside and get help from Griffin against Baldwin. Howard and Baldwin are tied, but the Braves eked out a 20-19 win last month to get the tiebreaker. Howard marched out to a 21-7 first-quarter lead on two touchdown passes and one on the ground, Shannon Adkins putting the Raiders (2-7/0-4) on the board inside the final minute of the first. It stayed 21-7 until the fourth when the teams traded two touchdowns.

Spalding 31, Perry 22
          A defensive game for one half to decide the Region 2 championship got offensive in the second half and made for a thriller. Down by five, the Panthers  (7-2/4-1) impressively moved the ball by air and by ground, Ahmad Gordon’s physical 14-yard score putting the Panthers back up, quarterback Cullen McDaniel’s heady scramble to the right on the conversion making it 22-19 with 1:51 left. Quarterback Curt Clark, who inspired nightmares all night, scrambled for six seconds on first down and heaved a 50-yard pass to a wide open receiver, putting the Jags (10-0/6-0) on Perry’s 29.  Clark then delivered an epic run,  scooting around the backfield for five seconds before finding room through scores of Perry defenders for a crushing run to the 4. Dwight Terrell then spun through and bounced off Perry defenders for the score with 1:15 left, finishing a 79-yard drive that look a half-minute. A bad snapped doomed the PAT, leaving the door open for a game-tying field goal. Perry started on its 34 with 1:09 left and struggled. On fourth and 3 from the 41, the Jags added a added a gut-punch 45-yard pick-6.
          Spalding scored in the first two minutes of the game, and the teams slugged it out after that, the Jaguars being held on fourth down a few times. The Panthers started moving on Ahmad Gordon’s legs. Rodarious Lewis was open on a drag route and Cullen McDaniel rolled right and connected for an 8-yard short TD and Perry’s first lead at the 5:12 mark of the third quarter. Gordon added a 7-yard score with 11:19 left in the game for a 14-6 lead. After a delay a minute later to tend to an injured Spalding player who was carted off,  QB Curt Clark, brutal all night against the Panthers, moved the Jags and set up a 6-yard run, but the conversion again failed, 9:40 to go. The Jags picked off a pass and set up at Perry’s 47, regaining the lead on Clark’s tackle-breaking 24-yard run at the 6:11 mark. Perry followed with what it thought was a title-winning drive.

Westside 26, Baldwin 22
          The visiting Seminoles led 20-8 at halftime, and held off the Braves in a big game between teams battling for third. Westside (7-2/3-2) get third, having beaten Baldwin, which is 2-3. Baldwin (5-4/2-3) needs a win over Griffin to get fourth. If the Braves lose, they need Westside to beat Howard to continue playing. Having wasted chances most of the game, Baldwin finally took a lead, 22-20 on Sadur Salahuddin’s score with 5:08 left. But Westside’s Jessie Bell went in from the 5 with 52 seconds left to regain the lead, the Braves unable to conjure up any last-minute heroics. A Westside fumble during the drive was nullified by a pass interference call, and a solid tackle for loss was wiped about by another flag. Baldwin was without standout running back Micah Welch (toe).

Class 3A
Mary Persons 15, Upson-Lee 0
          Mary Persons was getting 32.5 points a game, Upson-Lee 32.8. Naturally, defense decided the Region 2 championship in Thomaston. Both teams brought the D, but Mary Persons had a little more offense to go with fewer mistakes to win its first title since 2018. A 50-yard pass play set up Duke Watson’s 5-yard score three minutes into the game for all, it turned out, the Bulldogs would need. The Bulldogs then blocked a field goal, and the Knights forced a three-and-out. Defensive stands continued, Upson-Lee hurt by penalties and then surviving – this time, temporarily – a high punt snap and getting the kick off. But the Bulldogs took advantage and got an 18-yarder from Watson with 45 seconds left in the half. The Bulldogs had a 147-79 advantage in yardage. After converting a fourth down, the Knights gave it up on downs, and a few minutes later paid for another high punt snap with a safety, trailing 15-0. The Knights couldn’t take advantage of positive plays, and the Bulldogs managed their third – and most unlikely – shutout of the season.

Peach County 46, Pike County 10
          The Trojans sealed third place in Region 2 with its biggest win of the season.

Class AA
Berrien 28, Dodge County 0
Laney 27, Putnam County 6
Northeast 49, Jordan 0
Washington County 61, Josey 0
Rutland 41, Kendrick 14
Southwest 52, ACE 51, 2 OT, Thursday
Spencer 43, Central 0, Thursday

Class A/Division I
Bleckley County 21, Swainsboro 20
          The Royals pulled off the upset with tremendous clutch play at the end. Bleckley County (8-2/4-0) faced fourth and 2 from the 6, only for Swainsboro (8-1/2-1) to get a penalty calling a timeout it didn’t have. QB Kam Everett then scored the go-ahead touchdown on a sweep, putting the Royals up 21-20 with 19 seconds left. The Tigers reached midfield only for the Royals’ D to come up with yet another play, a game-sealing sack to give Bleckley County its second region title in three seasons and in program history.

Dublin 63, East Laurens 0
          The Irish (7-2/2-1) went into cruise control early, blasting out to a 49-0 halftime lead on three touchdown runs from Kameron Hampton (24, 25, 18 yards), a 57-yarder from Micah O’Neal and 58-yarder from Willie Batts as well as a 24-yarder from Xavier Bostin. O’Neal also connected with De’Mari Foster for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Dublin ran for 443 yards and passed for 101, getting 544 yards on 37 plays and holding East Laurens (2-7/0-3) to 92 on 47. Batts went for 164 yards on six carries, and O’Neal was perfect on six passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dublin visits Swainsboro for outright second place.

Lamar County 43, Crawford County 0
          The Trojans wasted little time in starting the romp, although it took awhile to get going. Kenya Barnes scored from 11 yards out with 9:12 left in the first, but Lamar County (7-2/2-0) didn’t score again until the final seconds of the quarter, on Barnes’ 3-yard run. But the Trojans put it away two more scores in the second quarter, Qua Hughley’s 4-yard run and Jordan Glover’s 13-yarder for a 29-0 halftime lead. Caleb Lester went 65 yards and Ty Head 2 in the third quarter for the region co-leaders, who host Heard County for the title. Lamar County outgained Crawford County 305-81, Hughley going for 112 yards on 15 carries.

Prince Avenue 56, Jasper County 13

Class A/Division II
Wilkinson County 14, Hancock Central 6
Wilcox County 34, Hawkinsville 7
Johnson County 41, Twiggs County 41-0, no final reported as of 6 a.m.
Macon County 42, Taylor County 14
          The Vikings battled and were within 21-14 at halftime, but the Bulldogs controlled the second half 21-14. Macon County (7-2/4-2) moved into a tie with Taylor County (6-3/4-2) for third in Region 6, giving the Bulldogs the tiebreaker over the Vikings. With Marion County’s loss to Schley County, Macon County and Taylor County qualified for the playoffs.

GIAA
Class AAA
John Milledge 49, Mount de Sales 17
          Things went about as expected for the Trojans in their 59th straight win, John Milledge (9-0/3-0) taking a 42-3 halftime lead on three Javian Butts touchdown runs – of 1, 1, and 66 – as well as one from Javian Butts and a 40-yard TD pass from Kolt McMichael to Jalan Butts. The Cavs were sent backwards for minus-22 yars rushing, but did manage 253 passing yards. Javian Butts ran for 170 yards and McMichael passed for 122. Mount de Sales (0-9/0-4) scored the fourth-most points of the season against JMA, which hosts Tattnall next week.

FPD 29, Tattnall 26
          The showdown between neighbors was as action-packed as expected. FPD quarterback Jakhari Williams, still not 100 percent after a leg injury, went in from 21 yards out with 14 seconds left to give the Vikings (5-3-1/2-1) their third win in the last four tries against Tattnall (4-5/2-1). The game was a tradeoff of touchdowns all night. Antone Johnson put Tattnall up 90 seconds into the game with a 49-yard run, and that was answered less than three minutes later by Hayden Aulds’ 40-yarder. Johnson scored the second of three touchdowns two minutes into the second quarter on a 3-yard run, but the conversion failed. Eight minutes later, Williams put FPD in the lead – thanks to Lucas Buckner’s kick) with an 18-yard score. But it was Tattnall on top at halftime, thanks to Caden Faulk’s 2-yard pass with eight seconds left, the Trojans up 20-14. Aulds’ 9-yarder with 6:05 in the third put the Vikings back up, for about a quarter’s worth of action. Johnson went 79 yards for another Tattnall lead, setting up a harrowing final six minutes for both teams. Johnson went off in a big way with 269 yards on 19 carries and three scores for the Trojans, who ran for 323 yards on 39 carries and passed for 62 on three completions. Aulds ran 20 times for 124 yards and caught one 56-yarder. Williams managed 20 yards on eight carries – bumped by a loss of 21 on one play – but was 13 of 24 for 186 yards.

Class AA
Gatewood 33, Piedmont 12

Central Fellowship 55, Harvester Christian 12
          Head coach Jake Walls got his 50th career win with the romp over Class A Harvester Christian. The Lancers scored a season high, their first game over 50 points this season

Brentwood 33, Trinity Christian 13