In a championship battle of defenses, Toombs County had a little more and slowed down Northeast to take the state title
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
ATLANTA – The chances, they were there for Northeast.
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A big stop on fourth down midway through the third quarter set the second-half tone for the Raiders.
Good was followed by not-so-good.
Northeast came up big on defense for most of the second half, but Toombs County’s unit came up a little bigger en route to a 38-18 win Tuesday over the Raiders in the GHSA Class A/Division I championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“We gotta regroup and do it all over again,” Northeast head coach Jeremy Wiggins said. “Get ready to make another run.”
Toombs County won the battle of first-timers at the championship game, despite being held scoreless in the second half until just under six minutes remained.
The Raiders cut into a 12-point halftime lead with a nice drive to open the third quarter, going 77 yards on 10 plays with quarterback Reginald Glover taking it in from the 6.
The third straight unsuccessful PAT followed, and the Bulldog lead was 24-18 with 8:27 left in the third.
Jakwon Woodford got a big push on a fourth-down pile to stop the Bulldogs on fourth and 1, but Northeast went three and out.
Northeast gave the ball back after a three and out forced a punt that the Raiders fumbled right back, on their own 27. But senior stalwart Santana Balkcom read the coverage and picked off the pass in triple coverage, returning it to the 24.
Glover’s heave sailed and was intercepted three plays later. But Northeast’s defense again responded.
Yet on the punt, officials flagged Northeast for an illegal block below the waist, and returned the ball to Toombs County.
“They said he blocked him below the waist,” Wiggins said of the explanation that came after a long conference. “That’s it.”
The trend continued with linebacker Tailen Sampson hammering quarterback TJ Stanley on an option and forcing a fumble, recovered by Elijah Jordan.
The Bulldogs’ defense answered the Raiders’ defensive answer, aided by yet another false start penalty, and stopped Woodford for a loss of two on fourth and 3 at the Toombs County 49 with 9:30 left in the game.
And the whoosh was the sound of the air flying out of Northeast’s sails.
Toombs County finally took advantage, eating up a little more than four minutes on an eight-play, 49-yard drive, keyed by Stanley’s 12-yard keeper on fourth and 2.
Justin Powell went in from a yard out, and the lead grew to a basically insurmountable 31-18 with 5:21 left.
“We gotta capitalize on the turnovers and opportunities,” Wiggins said. “That’s something we’ll look at.
The Raiders naturally opened the next drive with a false start, but got a break on the next play with a Toombs County hold. Toombs County gave up five yards to Glover, and then forced Northeast’s sixth punt – another short one - of the game.
The icing came for the Bulldogs four plays five plays later when Stanley scooted 28 yards through an exhausted Northeast defense to score with 1:04 left.
The season and careers of a historic Northeast senior class lasted four more plays.
“The missed opportunities,” Wiggins said of his biggest frustration. “It was loud, and we couldn’t make the checks we wanted to check. There are some things we’ve got to work on in the offseason. We missed those opportunities.”
Woodford agreed communication was an issue.
“They were loud,” Woodford said. “I felt like we maybe could’ve prepared more, better. We missed a practice we were going to be inside the facility.
‘That hindered us on the offensive side of the ball. We really couldn’t understand the coach … Communication wasn’t the best.”
The large throng from Macon stayed until the end – after all, it’s been 49 years since the city watched a team play this late – in appreciation for the effort.
“It wasn’t the outcome we wanted,” Wiggins said. “But we appreciate the ride, and (fans) coming up here and supporting the guys. That’s what it’s all about, getting behind them with the support.
Toombs County outgained Northeast 387-273 on eight more plays, and had eight more first downs, and five minutes more time of possession.
Woodford’s finale was a decent one against a defense loading up to stop him. He managed 109 yards on 19 carries, 83 below his average but against the best defense the Raiders faced all year.
“They played some man to man cover, and we couldn’t get the running lanes we normally did,” Wiggins said. “We knew we were going to have to pass and run, get a crease, make a couple guys miss. But they do a good job on defense.
“We had some stuff that was working. We tried to come back to it, but they made adjustments. They played their gaps real good.”
Northeast managed a few decent gains to outrush Toombs County 181-170, but the difference in passing wasn’t a surprise.
Georgia State-bound Stanley was 14 of 23 for 217 yards and two touchdowns, adding a team-high 83 yards and a score on 16 carries.
Mercer signee Mike Polke caught five of those for 103 yards.
The Bulldogs’ defense held Northeast to fewer yards overall than Woodford has gained in the last two games, cracking 300 yards against Fannin County and Fitzgerald.
Glover was under pressure for most of his 20 attempts, completing nine for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Woodford caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Glover on Northeast’s first possession, and Toombs County answered a few minutes later, adding another pass in the second quarter for a 14-6 lead.
Isaiah Stubbs got Glover’s short pass for a score to make it 14-12, but the Bulldogs’ Polke took the kickoff back 92 yards for a touchdown.
Northeast - led by Tailen Sampson's game-high 17 tackles, a third of which were teeth-rattlers - held Toombs County to a field goal on the final play of the half after the drive started on Mercer’s 47 with 54 seconds left, a slight win for the Bears.
The second half was one of chances that Raiders couldn’t take advantage of.
“They did nothing wrong,” Wiggins said. “Leave it all out on the field.”
And left the school, the east side, and Macon with memories, Tuesday aside.
“There’s no other place we wanna be at,” Woodford said. “Think about Macon, Georgia, think about the east side, everybody’s family.”
Indeed, Balkcom said.
“The team that we have, we all grew up together,” he said, as Woodford smiled and nodded. “We’ve been together since elementary school. It’s just a big thing. For us to make it, it’s a big thing.”
