HS Football: Houston County holds off Perry aGAIN, Northside stops Peach County, shutouts for Veterans, ACE, surprises from Jasper County, Upson-Lee
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
đ Any update will be around 11 a.m. Saturday, based on new information contributions from teams over night. Thanks to Northside for a box score, and Jasper County and ACE for information.
đ Dear coaches and teams: PLEASE UPDATE YOUR MAXPREPS ROSTERS, so kids can accurately be credited for doing good things. Ditto schedules, results, and stats.
đ Teams: Please email game information â stats (offense and defense), names, big plays, etc. â to centralgasports@gmail.com by 10:30 a.m. Saturday for addition in Central Georgiaâs only roundup.
GHSA Class 6A
Northside 28, Peach County 17
The 6A Eagles avoided a letdown after a nice win last week, against a team off a thorough home loss a day earlier. The Trojans landed the first hit, on D.J. Hudsonâs 28-yard scoring pass to Dylan Johnson barely two minutes into the game. They made it stand the rest of the quarter until Malik Spaulding returned an interception 14 yard for a touchdown 90 seconds into the second quarter. The Eagles continued to strengthen their grip on the game with a 76-yard scoring pass from Damien Dee to Keron Milton a little more than two minutes later. Dee and Milton connected again at the 3:09 mark for a 14-yarder and a 21-7 lead. Peach County added a safety early in the fourth, but the Eagles sealed with Dee-to-Milton from 7 yards out with 3:59 left. Dee completed 7 of 10 for 130 yards and three scores, Milton catching four fr 115 yards.
Veterans 35, Griffin 0
The Warharks got their first shutout since beating West Laurens by the same score early in the 2020 season, which they followed with a 30-6 win over Jones County, for a two-game stretch of allowing only six points.
Class 5A
Jones County 44, Dacula 19
The Greyhounds did a little better than last yearâs 35-14 road win. Jud Anderson completed 10 of 15 passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns with one interception, adding two rushing touchdowns. Jaylen Dekle ran for 110 yards and a score on 10 carries, while Zion Ragins caught four passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, Jaivon Solomon with five catches for 50 yards and a score..
Class 4A
Houston County 42, Perry 35
The neighbors didnât top last yearâs exhausting classic, but they sure came mighty close. This time, Houston County had the early lead, 21-7 halftime, but the Bears couldnât pull away from the homestanding Panthers, and it was tight the entire second half. Perryâs only lead came courtesy of a missed PAT, the Panthers tying it on a kickoff return of nearly 70 yards with 2:32 left, right after the Bears went up on Antwann Hillâs 23-yard pass to Ricky Johnson on fourth down. Perryâs Karl Keller was good on the PAT for the lead. The Bears started on their 30, and moved, with Hill finding Johnson and Josh Henry along the way, Hill connecting with Johnson on a screen for an 18-yard score with 43 seconds left. Hill then hit Recordo Tarver for the conversion. The Bearsâ defense ended the game on a sack on fourth and long, the ball snapped from Houston Countyâs 39.
Baldwin 33, Putnam County 13
Baldwin avoided a rerun of last yearâs road loss at home by taking a 13-0 halftime lead, pulling away in spite of issues with penalties with a spurt of two touchdowns in the third quarter. The Braves took advantage of their size on a cramp-filled night, Jaylen King returning a fumble for a score. Standout running back Micah Welch added a 44-yard second-half score.
Dodge County 20, West Laurens 10
The Class AA Indians got revenge on last yearâs 14-12 loss, breaking a 7-all tie late in the second quarter. West Laurens kicked a field goal in the third, only for Dodge County to answer with a 35-yard Duke Johnson touchdown in the final minutes of the quarter. The visitorsâ defense then kept the lead intact for first-year head coach Thomas Smith.
Westside over Southwest 38-25
Southwest led 20-7 in the first quarter, but Westside came back to avoid its third loss to the Patriots against 10 wins.
Class 3A
Spalding 28, Mary Persons 20
Spalding turned a 14-7 second quarter deficit into a 21-14 halftime lead, and added to the margin with a rushing touchdown about four minutes into the third quarter. Mary Persons couldnât answer until a rushing touchdown in the final four minutes of the game, suffering only its second loss in the series, against 10 wins.
Class AA
ACE 48, GMC 0
The Gryphons racked up their second straight shutout against a former region rival in Class A, holding the Bulldogs to 81 yards in total offense. Aaron Davis ran 11 times for107 yards and two scores while Brice Whitley caught three passes for 79 yards and a score. Kaleb Scarbary passed for two touchdowns for the Gryphons, who now have four shutouts in less than two seasons. After the teams had some turnover issues early, ACE settled down and led 27-0 at halftime.
Hawkinsville at Rutland, Saturday, 6 p.m., Ed DeFore
Class A
Macon County 22, Clinch County 19
Taylor County 31, Crawford County 0
After a humbling loss to the GIAAâs Southland, the Vikings stormed back for their second shutout since last yearâs 49-0 region win over Central-Talbotton. In five of their last six wins, dating back to 2021, the Vikings have scored at least 30 points.
Harlem 48, Hancock Central 14
Jasper County 42, Pike County 6
Suspense was eliminated early by the Class A/I Purple Hurricanes, who rolled out to a 28-0 halftime lead, a point total they failed to reach in all but two games last year. Austin Young completed 6 of 8 for 147 yards and a touchdown, and Jalen Stewart recorded his second straight 100-yard game, with 109 on 10 carries and a score. Kaidon Whidby forced a fumble on defense and ran in two touchdowns on offense. Jasper County passed for 148 yards and ran for 285 yards in recording its first win of at least 30 points since dumping Social Circle 50-20 to end the 2019 season.
Portal 44, Twiggs County 0
Upson-Lee 38, No. 9/I Lamar County 7
The Class AAA Knights were patient before making a statement against a team that had won five straight against higher-classification teams, including last yearâs 21-20 survival at Upson-Lee. The Knights scored nine seconds into the second quarter, then a minute later, adding another score in the final seconds for a 24-0 lead, passing their point total in six games last year en route to their first win over a ranked team of any class since 2007. Lamar County avoided being Upson-Leeâs first shutout victim since last September with a score at the 3:29 mark of the fourth quarter.
Swainsboro 46, Washington County 6
There wasnât much difference a year made, Swainsboro all but matching last yearâs 42-0 romp. The Tigers are now one win from evening the series at 20-20.
No. 6/I Bleckley County 34, Wilcox County 20
The Royals went up 21-7 after one, and kept the foot on the gas, getting a touchdown run and pass three minutes apart in the first quarter and adding a 28-yard TD pass late in the first half. Bleckley County is 2-0 for the third straight season.
GIAA
Class AAA
Brentwood 28, Mount de Sales 13
The visitors took the lead midway through the first quarter and kept the 7-0 lead at halftime, adding to it three minutes into the third quarter on a 41-yard touchdown pass. A 25-yards scoring pass with 5:21 left in the third all but sealed it.
St. Anne Pacelli 50, Tattnall 35
The defending GIAA AAA champs led 14-7 after one and opened up a two-score lead a minute into the second quarter en route to a 34-14 advantage at halftime.
Stratford 35, Westfield 13
Cope Smith started the Eagles going with a 12-yard run four minutes into the game, the Eagles adding a touchdown pass with 1:55 left in the first quarter and another Smith run late in the second for a 21-7 halftime lead. Westfield trailed 20-7 last week against Deerfield-Windsor and came back for an overtime win at home, but Stratford didnât let the Hornets entertain similar thoughts, Smith going in from 44 yards less than two minutes into the third.
Canton (Miss.) at John Milledge, Saturday, 6 p.m., at Brookstone
Parklane (Miss.) at FPD, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Class AA
Gatewood 35, Trinity Christian 0
The Gators put up their biggest shutout since a 45-0 thumping of Robert Toombs to open the 2020 playoffs en route to the state title. They opened that season with a 35-0 win over Edmund Burke.
Terrell 20, Piedmont 9
CFCA 20, Southwest Georgia 18