By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

🏈 Any update will be around 11 a.m. Saturday, based on new information contributions from teams over night. Thanks to FPD for sending in a box score.

🏈 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.

centralgasports@gmail.com

Lee County 45, Warner Robins 28
          The Trojans and Demons were tied at 7, Lee County taking the lead for good on a field goal four minutes into the second quarter, adding a touchdown early in the third quarter. The Demons couldn’t get closer than two touchdowns the rest of the way.

Northside 38, Eagle's Landing 18
          The hosts led from the start, and finally started pulling away early in the third quarter on Jayden Wright’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Briston Blasingame for a 31-12 lead. Northside extended the lead on Markel Johnson’s short pick-6 with three minutes left in the third. The Eagles had a 207-184 total offense advantage, led by James Turner’s 105 rushing yards on 26 carries, with two touchdowns. Jayden Wright went 11 for 19 for 86 yards, a score and two picks.

Jones County 41, Veterans 26
          Mike Chastain became Jones County’s winningest coach with the win, improving to to 46-18 at the start of his sixth season, passing Justin Rogers, who went 45-15 in five seasons. A 94-yard kickoff return by Jaivon Solomon put Jones County up 20-13 midway through the second quarter, and the Greyhounds kept going for a 34-20 halftime lead.

Peach County 40, Northeast 21
          Playing just down the road from home, Peach County needed a little time to get going before dealing a knockout punch fairly early. Two touchdowns by DJ Hudson put Peach County up 13-0 midway through the first quarter. The defense kept Northeast in check, including a fourth-down stop, and Hudson found brother Zion for a 52-yard TD pass with three seconds left in the first for a 20-0 lead that grew to 33-0 with nearly six minutes left. Peach County was up 40-7.

Upson-Lee 28, Union Grove 14
          The Knights needed only 17 seconds to take the lead, thanks to Union Grove muffing the opening kickoff. But Union Grove answered four minutes later to tie it only for the Knights to score twice in fairly short order for a 21-7 lead at the half. Malachi Character’s 12-yard score put the Knights in control at 21-8 in the third quarter.

Atkinson County 35, GMC Prep 16

Dublin 41, Swainsboro 21
          Swainsboro had no answer for Xavier Bostic or Micah O’Neal. Bostic rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns, adding a game-sealing pick in the fourth quarter. O’neal ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns, throwing for 59 yards, including an 18-yard TD pass to Sirius Tobridge to end the first half, giving Dublin a 22-7 lead. The Irish won 41-20 last year.

Dougherty 44, Central 0
          The Trojans put it away very early, getting a long touchdown pass on the second play and a long run shortly after for a 14-0 lead. Dougherty led 30-0 at halftime, leading to a running clock.

🏈 Teams: Please provide game-night information by 2 a.m. to centralgasports@gmail.com, with stats, scoring plays, milestones, top defenders, key plays, etc. Also, supervise information submitted on game nights to MaxPreps.

🏈 Dear coaches and teams: PLEASE make sure MaxPreps rosters and results are accurate, so kids can accurately be credited for doing good things. Ditto schedules, results, and stats.

East Laurens 13, Johnson County 8
          The first game for new Falcons head coach Jesse Hicks proved memorable, East Laurens breaking a 10-game losing streak to the Falcons, all at the hands of Johnson County head coach Don Norton. Johnson County is off of two straight region titles. Hicks, released from Baldwin early in 2024, is the first East Laurens head coach in the last four new Falcons head coaches to win  his opener.

Greene County 28, Putnam County 20

Hawkinsville 23, Marion County 21

Saturday’s Scouting Reports
Friday’s Roundup: John Milledge surprised, FPD surprises, Chastain up top at Jones County, big debuts
Friday’s Scouting Reports
Who’s going to win this week’s games?
Maxwell/GHSFD predictions
Maxwell computer rankings (all area GHSA/GIAA teams), composite rankings

Hancock Central 66, Glenn Hills 0

Jeff Davis 22, Washington County 6

Lamar County 24, Telfair County 8
          The homestanding Trojans trailed 8-7 in the second quarter, but only for three minutes, Kenyae Barnes’ 26-yard run returning Lamar County to the lead. It stayed 14-8 until Kaden Carter’s score four minutes into the fourth, Caleb Miller adding a 32-yard field goal with just less than four minutes left. Caleb Laster ran for 119 yards and a touchdown on 9 carries for Lamar County, Carter adding 67 and one on 12.

Macon County 26, Southwest 19
          Already a little depleted at quarterback, Southwest lost more quarterbacks yet gave Macon County a battle and led 19-14 at halftime only for the Bulldogs, who went 10-3 last year, to amp up on defense in the second half. The Bulldogs came up with a game-ending interception.

Pike County 34, Crawford County 20
          Pike County broke a 16-game losing, on the road with with the most points scored since a 48-34 loss to Jackson in mid-October of 2022.

Taylor County 21, Jasper County 7

Treutlen 40, Twiggs County 0

Wilkinson County 34, Wheeler County 21

GIAA

Bethlehem Christian 28, John Milledge 14
          From 62 straight wins to two losses in a row? It was shocking enough that John Milledge was down 14-0 at halftime, and took so long to score, but Bethlehem Christian kept the hammer down and handed the Trojans their first regular-season loss 34-17 to Gatewood in Region 4-AAA play to end the 2017 regular season. That was also the last at home for John Milledge, which hadn’t lost a season opener since falling 13-12 to Brentwood to start the 2013 season. After a scoreless third quarter, Bethlehem Christian got its third touchdown pass for a 21-0 lead, the Trojans battling back on two 1-yard runs from Kolt McMichael. But the visitors clinched it with a 63-yard TD run with less than three minutes left. BC outgained John Milledge 294-159 on the ground, McMichael passing for 206 yards.

Brookstone 26, Tattnall 15

FPD 10, ELCA 0
          The Vikings reminded people that the game has three facets, and it used two  to pull off the upset. FPD was outgained by 13 yards and three first downs, and didn’t score a touchdown on offense. But the Vikings gutted it out, getting a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter from Dominic Economopoulos, which stunningly was all FPD ended up needing. The defense that had such a superb night, though, sealed it with senior Heisman (yes) Alvarez’ 58-yard interception return for a touchdown with 4:11 left in the game. It stunned ELCA, whose last shutout was in 2023, to big-school power Blessed Trinity. Before that, it was 38-0 to powerhouse Prince Avenue Christian in the 2020 GHSA Class A Private quarterfinals. Before that, well, the Chargers won six GHSA state titles from 2012 to 2019, and hadn’t had any GISA/GIAA teams on the schedule. Major Simmons completed 8 of 12 fo r82 yards for the Vikings, who had 71 yards rushing from Simmons and Brady McHugh, but then lost 21 yards for a 56-yard run night.

Mount de Sales 40, Loganville Christian 27
          The Cavs had their highest point total since a 46-45 loss to Pinewood Christian in late September of 2022. Zion DeShazier went 16 of 21 for 173 yards and a touchdown, also rushing for 175 yards and four touchdowns. The Cavs ran for 344 yards and six touchdowns.

Stratford 27, St. Anne-Pacelli 13
          The visitors trailed 7-0 after one, but tied it up early in the second and then took the lead for good on a 50-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes left in the half. A 59-yard touchdown pass and 8-yard run in the third quarter put the Eagles in control over the 2022 4A state champ in the first game for new head coach Paul Carroll.

Westfield 55, Brookwood 6
          The Hornets were hot early, and stayed that way, leading 21-0 after a quarter and exploding for 28 in the second quarter. It was Westfield biggest scoring output since a 63-34 win at Tiftarea midway through the 2022 season. Westfield lost the shutout on the game’s final play.

Brentwood 44, Trinity Christian 21

Flint River 19, Gatewood 14

Piedmont 41, Thomas Jefferson 7

Tiftarea over CFCA 48-0

Windsor 26, Pataula Charter 12
          Pataula took a 6-0 lead only for Windsor, in its return to 11-man play, scored 18 points in the second quarter, one score on Jay Singleton’s fumble return for a touchdown.