GIAA Playoffs

Class AAAA

Bethlehem Christian 21, Tattnall 14 (For more, click here)
            Bethlehem Christian (11-0) was first to get on the board with 4;39 left in the first half, adding another touchdown inside the final minute. Tattnall (7-3) got on the board midway through the third quarter when Antone Johnson took the shotgun snap and went untouched through a big hole on the right side for a 58-yard score with 6:19 left in the third. The hosts added to the lead two minutes into the fourth after missing a field goal and getting an interception right after that. Tattnall answered with a 30-yard TD pass from Caden Faulk to Ty Hunnicutt with 7:04 left in the game, pulling Tattnall within 21-14. The Trojans got it back with a little more than four minutes left, converted a fourth and 12, but a pass to the end zone on fourth and 11 from the 29 inside the final half-minute was incomplete.

FPD 28, Strong Rock 13 (For more, click here)
            The Vikings (10-1) took a 14-0 first-quarter lead on an 8-yard run from Major Simmons and 11-yarder from Bennett Lake, and  both teams stagnated until FPD made it 21-0 on its first possession of the third quarter on Simmons’ 6-yard keeper. Strong Rock (6-5), which ran 12 more plays in the first half, finally managed a 44-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter and a 6-yard run midway through the fourth to pull within 21-13. The Vikings sealed it on a wet and humid night on Simmons’ 33-yard run with 2:12 left. The Vikings outgained the Patriots 262-200 on 19 fewer plays. Simmons ran 22 times for 156 yards, but was held to a 4-for-10 passing night.

Brookstone 33, Stratford 28
            The Cougars (7-3) and Eagles (7-4) went at it hard, tied at 7 and 14 until Brookstone took a 21-14  lead on a short rushing touchdown with about four minutes left in the half, adding a safety right after that  and then a 2-yard rushing score in the final 3 minutes for a 30-14 halftime lead. The Eagles finally got back in the end zone at the 5:13 mark of the third quarter on Tyler Stephens’ rush. Brookstone’s field goal late in the fourth was answered quickly on a 65-yard pass from Connor Fitzpatrick to George Dunn to get within 33-28, but Brookstone recovered the onside kick and was able to run out the clock.

Class 3A

Tiftarea 35, John Milledge 21 (For more, click here)
            John Milledge’s season ended in its first playoff game for the first time since 2011, head coach J.T. Wall’s first since, when it fell 42-14 to Westfield in Class AAA. John Milledge (2-9) took a lead on Asa Wall’s 11-yard run 90 seconds into the game, Tiftarea (10-1) tying it with a 22-yard run. The hosts went on top in the second quarter with a 14-yard pass, taking a 14-7 halftime lead. The Trojans tied it on Wall’s 10-yard score, sandwiching Kolt McMichael’s 23-yard pass to David Todd – on the final play of the third quarter - around a short Tiftarea run, putting the Trojans into the upset mode and a 21-21 tie entering the fourth quarter. But Tiftarea powered 66-yards on four plays early in the fourth to get an 11-yard score from J.R. Walker. The Trojans reached the Tiftarea 23 forced and recovered a fumble inside the 15. JMA got it back on a punt, but was stopped on fourth down with  just more than four minutes left. Tiftarea got a 22-yard run from Walker with 1:37 left to seal it. The Panthers ran for 283 yards and passed for 104, to 157 and 97 for the Trojans. McMichael completed 8 of 19 for 157, and Cole Vining ran for 69 yards. Walker had 222 yards on the ground for Tiftarea.

🏈 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 John Milledge and Jasper County for 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, coming Friday
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Tuesday’s Roundup
* Central Georgia rankings
* First spin of Central Georgia’s coaching carousel: Northside’s Bailey
* 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

Last week
* 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

Two weeks ago
* Roundup, Houston County battles TCC; Perry bows up again; Northeast, Woodford pop Dodge County; Baldwin O sharp; Mary Persons stuns No. 1; FPD wins region in OT thriller
* 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’s rankings
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
* Monday Morning QB: A really good - not epic - win in Austin, with silliness; weekly CFB playoff sermon; Loughdmouthings: Dumb Ho orn (this week) fans, really good HS slate, Falcons are fine, but …
* The schedule

Westfield 15, Terrell 6
            Terrell (6-5) got off to a good start, driving right down the field for a -0 lead only to have the PAT blocked. Westfield (9-2) passed its way downfield, scoring on a 17-yard pass from Brayden Gay to Jackson St. Clair. Defenses then took over for most of the game, Westfield driving and missing a field goal. The teams traded short drives and turnovers until the Hornets blocked a punt and recovered inside the 5, Brock Johnson going in from the 1 and Westfield adding the conversion with more than half of the fourth quarter left. The Hornets defense, though, kept the Eagles at bay to advance to their first semifinal since 2021.

Class AA

Southwest Georgia 44, Central Fellowship 7

Gatewood 34, Trinity Christian 23
            Jeff Ratliff will remember career win No. 100 easily, coming in the playoffs and after the Gators (5-5) were down 23-6 at halftime, scoring two touchdowns in each of the final quarters. Ratliff is now 100-49.

Brentwood 49, Rock Springs 14
            The War Eagles took control early with two first-quarter touchdowns, and then outscoring Rock Springs 21-7 in the second quarter, getting scores from Zach Denton, Jones Sheppard, Tristan Robinson, and a Baylor Cobb pass to Jackson Bragg for a 28-7 halftime lead.

GHSA

Class A/Division I

Southwest 20, East Laurens 7
            The Patriots enhanced their at-large playoff chances behind a quality night from quarterback Steven Robinson, marching out to a 20-0 lead and keeping the Falcons in check after a second-quarter touchdown.

Jasper County 63, Utopian Academy 0
            The Purple Hurricanes racked up 302 yards on just 24 carries, led by Jalen Stewart’s 129 yards and three touchdowns, Jamarkus Thomas adding a rushing and passing touchdown. The defense forced six turnovers, picking off six passes, Kamarion Owens with a pick-6. Jasper County (7-3) last scored 50 in a 50-20 win over Social Circle in 2019. The Purple Hurricanes matched Friday’s total in a 63-28 win over Twiggs County in 1996.

Jefferson County 18, Central 0
            The battle to avoid a winless season went to the hosts.

Class A/Division II

Crawford County 35, Central-Talbotton 7
            The Eagles finish 5-5, their best record since going 5-4 in 2016 and 8-2 in 2015.

Glascock County 50, GMC Prep 14

Johnson County 21, Twiggs County 0