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Updated for Jasper County, Lamar County, Macon County, and Covenant. Thanks to ACE, Dublin, and John Milledge for game information, and Central Fellowship for partial information, on Friday night.

Dear coaches and teams: PLEASE UPDATE YOUR MAXPREPS ROSTERS, so kids can accurately be credited for doing good things. Ditto schedules, results, and stats.

Teams: Please email game information – stats (offense and defense), names, big plays, etc. – to centralgasports@gmail.com by 10:30 a.m. Saturday for addition in Central Georgia’s only roundup.

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

GHSA

Houston County 56, Sumter County 12

The Bears cracked the 50-point mark for the sixth time under second-year head coach Jeremy Edwards. Oddly, Sumter County led 6-0 after a fumble recovery. Antagonized, the Bears scored five straight touchdowns, with Antwann Hill, Recordo Tarver, and Ryan Taleb getting into the action, joined in the second quarter by Ricky Johnson and Kale Woodburn.
Veterans 42, Richmond Academy 6

The Warhawks played in their home away from home – Perry – like they were at home, with their biggest win by margin in program history, topping a few 35-point wins. They didn’t score until the final 90 seconds of the first quarter, then quickly added a pick-6 from Kayleb Jackson for a 14-0 lead after one. They doubled it in the second quarter on a 20-yard pass from Jake Maxwell to Preston Bird and Nicavious Furlow’s 5-yard run late in the half. The visitors prevented Veterans’ first shutout since early in the 2020 season (35-0 over West Laurens) with a touchdown in the final minutes of the third quarter.

Lee County 26, Warner Robins 19

Warner Robins led 3-0, then 9-7 early in the second quarter. The Demons went up 16-7 on Chase Reese’s TD pass to Cam Flowers, and held hat at halftime. The Trojans answered late in the third quarter with a long drive to pull within two, and got a second field goal for a 19-14 lead early in the fourth. Ousmane Kromah scored on two runs to put Lee County on top. Lee County won 26-10 last year, avenging Warner Robins’ 56-30 win in 2021.

Baldwin 34, Peach County 13

The visitors had been on the losing end of five of the last six meetings, with three of the losses by 30, 35, and 20. But Baldwin started getting some revenge early with a 20-0 lead in the debut of Peach County head coach Marquis Westbrook. Micah Welch countered a Peach County score with an 89-yard kickoff return for a score and to regain control. The Trojans suffered their second loss of 20 points or more at home in the last two years (35-7 last year to 6A Northside), the last loss of such a margin coming 48-28 to Perry in 2007.

Westside 56, Central 0

For the second year in a row, the 4A Seminoles put more than 50 points on a Class AA Bibb County public school opponent, recording their first shutout since thumping Southwest 21-0 to open the 2018 season. It was the debut of Central head coach Jarrett Laws, and he watched the Chargers get blanked for the second straight game, last season ending with a 41-0 loss to top-ranked and eventual AA state champ Fitzgerald. The game was called before it was completed because of multiple fights in the stands throughout the night.

Upson-Lee 21, Union Grove 20

In a game where the punters wanted to hide, Upson-Lee survived a late long drive and 35-yard field attempt to with less than 10 seconds left to knock off a 5A team on the road, and avenge last year’s 17-6 loss. It is the Knights’ fourth win in the last five games against a higher-classification team.

Bleckley County 10, Dodge County 7, OT

The teams had played 47 times, and had never gone to overtime. This was also the lowest-scoring game in the series since Dodge County’s 7-6 win in 1993, two years after Bleckley County’s 9-7 win. But Ford Childers, despite a slightly bobbled snap and hold, drilled a 31-yard field goal for the win.

ACE Charter 53, Crawford County 0

The Gryphons cracked the 50-point mark for the fifth time in 12 games under head coach Keith Hatcher. A year ago, ACE won this matchup 70-53. The Gryphons ran for 220 yards and passed for 200, holding the Eagles to 169 yards in total offense. Aaron Davis racked up 109 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, while Kaleb Scarbary was 12 of 17 for 180 yards and four touchdowns. James Patterson and Brice Whitley turned in a pair of pick-6s.

Hancock Central 30 Glenn Hills 22

Dublin 64, Wilkinson County 0

The Irish racked up their biggest win since, well, not long ago. They hammered East Laurens 71-0 late last season. Dublin’s defense held Wilkinson County – which lost its head coach less than a month ago to the principal’s job at East Laurens – to minus-9 yards total offense on 33 plays. The offense ran only 27 plays and gained 251 yards, led by 80 on the ground by Xavier Bostic. Dublin scored on a 37-yard punt return by Eligh Hartwell and 10-yard fumble return by Kameron Hampton. Four different players scored on the ground, and two of Micah O’Neal’s three completions went for touchdowns.

East Laurens 35, Washington-Wilkes 34

After a brutal 1-9 season that started with a 28-7 loss to Washington-Wilkes, the Falcons got 2023 off to a great start with a major comeback, trailing 27-14 in the first half and 34-21 late in the third quarter. The Falcons scored three minutes into the fourth quarter, and won it with another rushing touchdown in the final two minutes.

Lamar County 47, Wilcox County 12

The Trojans were in a battle in the first half, and half of the third quarter, but they scored three times in the final six minutes of the third quarter to take control 27-12. Kaden Carter scored on runs of 11 and 24 yards, Jordan Glover caught a 52-yard scoring pass from Ty Head and ran in a 34-yard punt return, while Head added TD runs of 34 and 6 yards. Lamar County outgained Wilcox County 328-223, led by Head and Markiviyon Dugger with 65 yards each rushing

Jasper County 20, Walnut Grove 18

The Class A Purple Hurricanes stunned the Class 4A host, a team that won 30-0 to open last season en route to a 9-3 season. Jasper County racked up arguably its biggest non-region win in more than a decade, marching out to a 20-0 first half lead and holding on for their first season-opening win since beating Class AAA Monroe Area 46-40 in three overtimes in 2011. Chevy Sands ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns, while Jalen Stewart added 85 yards on the ground. Kaidon Whidby added a score and interception, Tyler Banks keying the defensive effort with four sacks and six tackles.

Portal 26, Hawkinsville 0
Wheeler County 41, GMC Prep 7
Macon County 28, Whitefield Academy 0

The Bulldogs were in control by halftime with a 21-0 lead. Brian Harris completed 11 of 13 for 178 yards and three scores with one pick, six players catching a pass, while Tyler Felder had 96 yards on 14 carries.

Schley County 61, Tattnall 20
Southland 16, Taylor County 8

GIAA

Central Fellowship 44, Rock Springs 0

The defending GIAA AA champs cruised, getting two touchdowns from Christian Spielman, rushing TDs from Juston Walls, Knox Walls, and Levi Pierce, and TD pass from Tanyon Stella to Trevor Hill.

John Milledge 43, Brentwood 3

The 51st straight win for the Trojans took a little while to turn into a normal game, a 21-point first quarter followed by a lone touchdown in the second. Brentwood and new head coach – and former assistant – Adam Lord broke the shutout with as third-quarter 34-yard field goal, avoiding the first goose egg since losing 38-0 in 2017, the third straight blanking. Kolt McMichael ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, getting 154 yards through the air. David Todd added an 18-yard punt return. Javian Butts ran for 88 yards and had another 71 receiving.

Strong Rock 27, Mount de Sales 6
Piedmont 13, Trinity Christian 0

Westfield 26, Deerfield-Windsor 23, OT

The hosts trailed 20-7 at halftime of the debut of head coach Chad Campbell and staff, tied it on a 67-yard TD pass – Westfield’s roster on MaxPreps is inaccurate, and doesn’t have the numbers and names of the quarterback and receiver - down the home sideline, with 7:42 left in the fourth quarter only to miss the PAT kick. D-W was forced into a 31-yard field goal on its first possession, and the Hornets won it on a QB sneak over the top from inside the 1.

Covenant 40, New Creation Christian 6

The Rams ran for 206 yards and held the visitors to 128, getting two touchdowns from Dekonda Fowler, Covenant roaring out to a 34-0 halftime lead in the first game under new head coach Matt Murphy.