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GIAA Playoffs
Class AAAA
FPD 34, Bethlehem Christian 0 (For more, click here)
The Vikings were up 14-0 before taking an offensive snap, thanks to Benjamin McElreath taking the opening kickoff back 96 yards and then Brady Lincoln recovered a very shanked punt in the end zone on Bethlehem Christian’s first possession, which went backwards by 26 yards on three plays. The Vikings finished off a shaky possession with Major Simmons connecting with Breck Griffin for a 29-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left in the first quarter. The Knights’ last shutout came at an equally painful time, 62-0 to St. Anne-Pacelli in the 2022 quarterfinals. It was FPD’s biggest blanking since a 42-0 win over Mount Pisgah Christian in September of 2023, and largest playoff win since 49-7 over Heritage-Newnan in 2020, a year after a 31-0 second-round win over Mount Vernon, both while the Vikings were in the GHSA. The 2023 state champs will take on Bulloch next Saturday in defense of that title.

Class 3A

Deerfield-Windsor 27, Westfield 24
The Hornets couldn’t avenge a heartbreaking loss to the Knights back in August, losing a bigger heartbreaker on a bigger stage. Deerfield-Windsor won 33-29 on Aug. 30, and took the lead at 20-17 after a third-quarter touchdown pass. Westfield’s offense struggled to muster anything until Michael Easom’s interception finished off a goal-line stand with 6:02 left in the game. The Hornets patiently went 80 yards, and got a break. Brayden Gay hit Jackson St. Clair on a throwback from the 35, but he was stripped just short of the goal line, and saved by the recovery by offensive lineman Sammy McGehee in the end zone with 2:29 left in the game. Deerfield-Windsor started on its 22 with 2:18 left and marched. On second and 22 from the 22, quarterback Lance Sceals went right and then left and floated an off-balance pass to David Hutchins crossing, and he dove for the pylon and touchdown with 19 seconds left.

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Class AA

Southwest Georgia 46, Gatewood 13

Brentwood 40, Southland 20
The War Eagles put it away with 20 points in the middle quarters while shutting out the Raiders in the middle quarters. Zach Denton scored twice and Jonas Sheppard once in that middle span as Brentwood led 27-7 and steered the War Eagles to another state championship game.

GHSA

Class 5A

Houston County 69, Clarke Central 48
Clarke Central won the first half 15-14. Houston County won the second half 55-33. The Bears put up more points in the second half than in all but three games this year. Of course, they gave up the most points against an unranked team since Valdosta’s 48-6 win in 2021. The second-half barrage got going with Jordan Smith’s return of the second-half kickoff – he had one earlier called back on a penalty - for a score and 21-15 lead. An Antwann Hill-Isaiah Mitchell hookup set up a TD pass to Austin Stinson for a 27-15 lead. Josiah Hall’s fumble recovery then put the Bears in business, Mitchell passing to Hill for a score and 34-15 lead. Clarke Central was able to get only with 13 points the rest of the way, Houston County going on to survive a penalty-filled game and an off run-game night.

Class 4A

Perry 38, St. Pius X 13 (For more, click here)
The Panthers (8-3) turned in a quality defensive night in the playoff defense of their Class 4A state title. The score wasn’t far off of last year’s first-round win, 35-14 over Burke County. It was their largest playoff margin since dumping Shaw 40-6 in the 2022 first round. St. Pius X woke up the home team with an early score, but the Panthers slowed the option offense the rest of the way. They scored on their first drive of the second half to go up 24-7, and kept on cruising.

Marist 47, Warner Robins 25
Marist led from the start, marching out to a 30-6 halftime lead, the Demons scoring on Rasean Dinkins’ 1-yard run in the final three minutes of the second quarter. Warner Robins (7-4) could get within only 15 in the second half en route to its biggest playoff loss since falling 38-13 to Ware County in the 2022 5A championship game.

Jones County 51, East Forsyth 21
East Forsyth won’t soon forget Devin Edmonds and Jaivon Solomon. Edmonds completed 22 of 28 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns while Solomon caught 11 for 234 and one score to lead the underdog Greyhounds (10-1) to one of the class’s more surprising routs. Zacarri Harris added a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown as Jones County delivered the knockout with a 20-0 fourth quarter. East Forsyth did its scoring in the middle quarters, Jones County having taken a 31-7 halftime lead. East Forsyth ran for 199 yards on 38 carries, but was a rough 5 of 14 passing for 41 yards and an interception. It was Jones County’s highest point total since a 6-42 win over Eastside in the 2021 second round, and biggest playoff margin since taking out Griffin 49-14 in the 2019 quarterfinals.

Class AAA

Peach County 56, Chestatee 33
There wasn’t much suspense, the Trojans storming out to 42-20 halftime lead. D Stinson got the first score within two minutes, only for the visitors to tie it seven minutes later. DJ Hudson hooked up with Zion Hudson – open down the middle – for a 66-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead. The quarterback hit Cam Cherry with a 50-yarder 19 seconds into the second quarter, another one right after that when Chestatee fumbled the kickoff. The knockout punch came after Chestatee made it 28-14, DJ Hudson throwing deep down the right sideline to Chris Scott, who made an inside move and finished the 83-yard touchdown for a 35-14 lead with 4:10 left in the half.

Baldwin 26, West Laurens 24
The home team dug a 17-6 halftime hole, then got more organized and disciplined to pull within 24-20 after three quarters, taking an 20-17 lead on Sadur Salahuddin’s rushing score late in the third, only for West Laurens to counter right after that with Ty Cummings’ 23-yard rushing score for the lead through three. Salahuddin put the Braves on top a few minutes into the fourth on a short run. West Laurens got to the Baldwin’s 7 late on a long pass from Cason Pollock to Juvon Hill, but Baldwin came up with the defensive stand to force a third-down – after three stops inside the 1 - 17-yard field goal try in the final seconds only for Brandon Whisby to storm in off the right defensive side to block it with 12 seconds left and save the Braves’ season. Baldwin survived a 17-penalty night to advance, spoiling a huge night of around 300 rushing yards by Ty Cummings.

Upson-Lee 35, Long County 23
The Knights made it interesting, giving up 17 straight points to trail 17-15 at halftime. Jamarius McDowell recovered a fumble, and Upson-Lee retook the lead on Niko Wells’ short run. Nicholas Wells added a short run for a 28-17 lead early in the fourth. Long County answered only a few minutes later with a TD pass to get within five (after the conversion failed), and added a cushion on Wells’ 35-yard pass to Akeondre Chaney midway through the fourth quarter, Ali Foster sealing it with an interception. Wells ran for two and passed for two touchdowns, accounting for 230 yards total offense. Chaney caught 7 passes for 145 yards and two scores, plus returning the opening kickoff 70 yards for a score.

🏈 Teams: Please email game information – stats (offense and defense), names, big plays, etc. – to centralgasports@gmail.com by 10 a.m. Saturday morning to be in Central Georgia’s most comprehensive game-night coverage - the most names and stats and details - for the Saturday morning update.

Thanks to ACE, Dublin, Jasper County,and Jones County f or sending postgame information Friday night.

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CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE

This week

* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Central Georgia rankings
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
* Monday Morning QB: Kennesaw State colossal screw up; CFP sermon; Loughdmouthings-UGA’s slump, Beck’s slump, Tech’s Canes pain, ripping a backup? …
* GHSA playoffs are set: Who’s at home? What Central Georgia teams play each other? Who’s seeded where?

Last Week

* Roundup: FPD lone Macon GIAA survivor, road heartbreakers for Tattnall, Stratford; Milestone win for Gatewood’s Ratliff; Southwest stays in playoff hunt; Jasper County, Brentwood roll
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games, coming Friday
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Tuesday’s Roundup
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback Safe to hop on Falcons bandwagon; CFP sermon; Westside's Iverson & Northeast's Woodford; Northside news; Loughdmouthings-Cowboys/TV tiff, GHSA playoffs ...
* GIAA playoffs are set, GHSA picture much clearer but still has some fuzzy going on
* The schedule

Two weeks ago
* Roundup, Warner Robins wins thriller; Upson-Lee dumps No. 5; Dublin finishes perfect regular season; Spoon Risper gets milestone win; Washington County edges ACE
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia rankings
* The GHSA and GIAA football playoffs are here, and almost here. Breaking things down, it's complicated
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Georgia-Florida week? Really?; CFP sermon; area HS stat stuff; Loughdmouthings: Good games, Falcons, hotseats, HS players, new coaches/old coaches …
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Class AA

Westside 49, Spencer 35
Westside (6-5) broke a five-game playoff losing streak with its highest postseason point total since beating Lakeside-Evans 48-21 in 2009. The 49 points are the Seminoles’ second-highest total of the season, and Spencer gave up a season high. The Seminoles were hot early, leading 29-7 after one and 35-14 at halftime. Kadiphius Iverson broke the school’s single-season touchdown record with his 30th score, passing Travis Evans.

Class A/Division I

Bleckley County 41, Social Circle 16
All the close losses this season were morphed into Bleckley County’s most notable playoff win since it knocked off No. 5 Brooks County on the road to open the 2022 playoffs. The Royals were one of the final teams in the field, and led 21-7 at halftime, and kept the foot on the gas in the second half. It took the Royals (5-6) a little while to get going, Zyion Love going in from more than 20 yards in the final 90 seconds of the first quarter. Social Circle (7-4) tied it early in the second quarter, but Bleckley County getting a TD pass from Kam Everett to Kaden Perkns and then a short Everett run in the final half-minute of the second quarter after holding Social Circle on fourth down. It was an 11-point game for awhile until Love scored again, late in the third quarter, for a 34-16 lead.

Dublin 63, Gordon Central 6
Little unexpected happened as Dublin stormed out to a 49-0 halftime lead over the 31st seeded Warriors. Dublin roared for 564 rushing yards on 54 plays, led by Xavier Bostic’s 172 yards (and 4 TDs), Willie Batts adding 118 on 11 and Micah O’Neal 109 on 5 tries. Gordon Central (4-7) was held to 4 yards rushing and ran 39 plays. Bostic and Batts went over 1,000 rushing yards for the season.

Dodge County 40, Chattooga 14
A year after its worst season since 1992, the Indians (9-2) are in the second round after its fifth 40-point game of the season to break a two-game losing streak. Duke Johnson blasted through a big hole for a 55-yard score in the final 90 seconds of the first quarter to get the Indians on the board. Kain Mincey hit Johnson with a 33-yared pass early in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead. A short Johnson run then put the Indians up 20-0 at the half. Chattooga (6-5)was held to half of its 32.2-point-per-game average.

Jasper County 41, ACE Charter 31
The Purple Hurricanes’ defense kept the ACE air game very much in check while racking up 354 rushing yards on the legs of eight different runners. Jalen Stewart led the way with 148 yards on 12 carries, JT. Thomas adding 90 yards and two scores in Jasper County’s first playoff win since 1992. Ace Hatcher ran for 173 yards and a score on 25 carries, but the Gryphons were held to 44 yards passing, Jasper County picking off two passes. Jasper County sealed it with a short rushing touchdown with 1:58 left for a 17-point lead, only for Brice Whitley to return the squib kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. ACE recovered the onside kick with 1:40 left, but couldn’t muster anything.

Jeff Davis 33, Washington County 17
The Yellow Jackets (8-3) and Golden Hawks (6-5) were deep into a tight battle for three quarters, Jeff Davis leading 7-0 after one 14-10 at halftime, the game tied at 17 after three. The Yellow Jackets went up 24-17 with 9:41 left in the game, and added a safety a minute later, clinching it by returning the free kick for a touchdown with 8:29 left in the game.

Lamar County 51, Dade County 10
The hosts cracked the 50-point mark for the third time this season, and first time in the playoffs since a 58-15 first-round win over Metter in 2013. Kaden Carer’s 2-yard run and late safety and then the 50-yard free kick return from Markiviyon Dugger put Lamar County (9-2) up 17-0 after one, and it was 24-3 at halftime. The Trojans sandwiched touchdowns from Carter and JahNizae around a Dade County score for a 38-10 lead after three.

Northeast 46, Swainsboro 7 (For more, click here)
The Raiders set a program playoff record with the 46 points and the 39-point margin, Northeast (9-2) improving to a 7-12 in the postseason. Five of the wins have come under head coach Jeremy Wiggins. Northeast led 46-0 at halftime, quarterback Reginald Glover and running back Nick Woodford pretty much doing all the damage, often from long range. Swainsboro broke the shutout with less than three minutes left.

Temple 40, Putnam County 27

Toombs County 62, Southwest 8