Friday night's Central Ga. football roundup: Record-setting for Mary Persons, big night for some QBs & some Ds, titles=Warner Robins, Peach Co., Dublin; big Ws for Perry, Upson-Lee, among others
1 a.m. update. Thanks to Brentwood, Northside, John Milledge, for sending game info Friday night, and Northeast for partial stats. To updated by lunch Saturday.
Send any game details and good pictures to centralgasports@gmail.com.
Class 6A
Northside 41 (5-5, 2-2), Houston County 6 (2-8, 0-4)
The Eagles take third in the region, as expected, marching out to a 21-6 halftime lead and pulling away with 20 third-quarter points. The Eagles averaged nine yard a play, gaining 486 yards on 54 plays, holding Houston County to 218 on 44. Jadin Daniels was 6 for 8 for 107 yards and score while racing for 200 yards and a TD on nine carries. Zikhyree Hill had 106 on 18 and a touchdown. Jaylen Cephus ran 10 times for 47 yards, but scored three times. Wesley Steiner had 104 yards on 12 carries for the Bears, QB Max Rigby completing 10 of 18 for 99 yards. Northside was 10 of 11 on third down. Northside avoided its first losing season since 1991.
Class 5A
Warner Robins 28 (8-2, 3-1), Veterans 0 (8-2, 2-2)
Warner Robins quarterback Dylan Fromm battles Veterans defenders.
Photo: Chelton Photography (@CheltonPhotos)
The Demons are the region champs while the Warhawks are third. Warner Robins didn’t score until finishing off a 96-yard drive in the final seconds of the first half, Dylan Fromm throwing a 5-yard TD pass to Ty’larrious Carr. An interception early in the third set up a TD pass from Fromm to Marcayll Jones for a 14-0 lead at the 5:49 mark of the quarter. Jahlen Rutherford ran it in for another score barely a minute into the fourth. Warner Robins’ 18-2 regular-season record of the past two seasons is the best such stretch since 18-1-1 in 2004 – a state title year – and 2005.
Stockbridge 17, (9-1, 6-1), at Jones County 10 (8-2, 5-2)
Jones County finishes third in the region. The Greyhounds led 10-7 at halftime, missing a routine field goal in the final seconds. Jones County had a late second-and-goal and had a score called back, and a fourth-down pass in physical traffic fell incomplete. The Greyhounds came up empty on three trips inside the 10.
Class 4A
Mary Persons 60 (10-0, 5-0) Howard 14 (6-4, 3-2)
The Bulldogs win the region and the Huskies take third. It was only 21-14 after Quintan Sewell scored on a keeper, after two long passes to Javarsia Meadows, with 9:26 left in the second. A 14-yard run from Rico Harden less than three minutes later doubled up the Huskies, and the Bulldogs started pulling away a few minutes later on De’Adrek Alford’s score for a 34-14 lead. Harden’s third score made it 40-14 at the half.
The Bulldogs finished the regular season with 467 points, breaking the program mark for points of 458 set in 1994 in 13 games. Their average of 45.22 points a game is the program’s best by 10 points, topping that 1994 team that included . They won their fourth straight region title and extended their region winning streak to 21 straight behind J.T. Hartage’s three touchdown passes, making it 21 for the year and breaking his own mark. Howard, meanwhile, enters the playoffs with its second straight winning season and third in program history.
Perry 38 (6-4, 2-3), West Laurens 27 (5-5, 1-4)
Perry gets fourth in 2-4A while West Laurens’ season ends. The Panthers trailed 27-7 late in the half and converted an interception into a lead score with about four minutes left in the third. Sophomore QB Lane Rucker passed for five touchdowns – three to Malik Mullins - more than 350 yards, more than 200 to Mullins. Perry’s defense held the Raiders scoreless in the second half to lead the way to assure the Panthers’ first winning season since 2012, also a 6-4 regular season.
West Laurens had a streak of four straight playoff appearances broken, ending the year with an uncharacteristic defense slide, giving up 41.3 points a game in the final three.
Upson-Lee 50 (7-3, 4-1), Spalding 23 (3-7, 0-5)
Upson-Lee takes second in 2-4A and will host Thomson next week in the first home playoff game since 1993. Sophomore quarterback Jake Davis threw for 210 yards with four touchdowns and Malik Smith, another sophomore, ran for 193 yards. The Knights won without substantial impact from a pair of banged-up standouts, Thad Webb and Daymon Thomas.
Baldwin 31, (5-5, 4-0), Cross Creek 0 (3-6, 0-4)
The region champs recorded their second shutout of the season while gaining momentum entering the postseason.
Class 3A
Peach County 28 (8-2, 6-0), Westside 12 (7-3, 5-1)
Peach County wins the 4-3A title and Westside takes second. The Trojans scored with 2:31 left in the first quarter and three minutes into the second. An interception set up Westside’s first score with 78 seconds left in the half. They traded third-quarter touchdowns, Peach County first, and the Trojans sealed their 17th region title with three minutes left.
Jackson 42 (6-4, 4-2), Rutland 0 (0-10, 0-6)
Class AA
Bleckley County 33 (4-6, 2-4), Southwest (3-7, 1-5) 12 (Thursday)
Northeast 47, (4-6, 3-3), East Laurens 16 (1-9, 0-6)
Jacoby Hill carried eight times for 179 yards, 22.4 yards a try, and two touchdowns with Tyler Terry adding 97 yards on three carries and a touchdown. The Raiders rushed for 182 yards and passed for 182. The Raiders finished with their first non-losing region record since 2013.
Dublin 28 (9-1, 6-0), Washington County 10 (8-2, 4-2)
Dublin takes its first outright region championship since when, and Washington County is third. The Golden Hawks led 10-6, but Dublin’s defense – led by DB Rodriguez Martin’s three forced turnovers that helped hold the Golden Hawks to less than 100 second-half yards - stepped up and the offense awakened. Jermaine Cooley ran for two touchdowns and more than 200 yards. The Irish overcame coming up empty in the first half with three takeaways in Washington County territory. Cooley’s short run put the Irish up 13-10 with 7:53 left in the third, and Martin added a 30-yarder late in the third.
Lamar County 26 (4-6, 2-4), Temple 23 (1-9, 0-6)
Putnam County 13 (3-7, 2-5), Oglethorpe County 10 (0-10, 0-7)
Monticello 36 (5-5, 4-3), Social Circle 28 (4-6, 1-6)
Class A
Dooly County 63, (6-4) at Brookstone 36 (6-4)
The No. 15 Bobcats will improve their seed a little in A Public.
Crawford County 33 (3-7), Central Talbotton 14 (0-10)
Hawkinsville 24 (4-6), Greenville 22 (3-7)
Manchester 34 (6-4), Macon County 13 (5-5)
Taylor County 42 (5-5), Pacelli 7 (4-6)
The No. 23 Vikings probably assured themselves of a spot in the A Public playoffs.
Stratford 17 (5-5), Aquinas 14 (8-2)
No. 23 Stratford all but solidified sneaking into the playoffs with the upset of No. 9 Aquinas. The Eagles took the lead on Christian Palmer’s 20-yard run late in the first quarter and added to it on his 3-yard run late in the second quarter. Aquinas got on the board in the final minute of the half. Six seconds into the fourth, James Michael Reeves drilled the 43-yard field goal that would end up being the difference. Aquinas scored just less than four minutes later, and Stratford’s defense came up big down the stretch.
Walker 19 (1-9), GMC 14 (3-7)
Greene County 35 (8-2), Tattnall 10 (6-4)
No. 21 Tattnall will now sweat out other results to see if the Trojans make the postseason. Greene County took a 14-3 halftime lead, and it was 21-10 after three.
Mount de Sales 38, (9-1) Hancock Central 18 (6-4)
The No. 10 Cavs stay in the hunt for a first-round bye while the Bulldogs will slip from No. 16, but will remain in the playoffs. MdS stormed out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead on Ethan Aler’s 30-yard field goal, a 5-yard run from Dexter Williams and 12-yarder from Josiah Cotton. Hancock Central battled from 17-0 with two Jaylon Hatcher touchdown passes, 30-yards to Keveon Robbins with 8:11 left and 25 yards to Jamarcus Morris with 50 seconds left. But the Cavs regained the momentum in a big way with a 21-yard scoring pass from Williams to Steele Bruce with 16 seconds left. Second-half touchdowns from Williams and Micah Hattaway sealed it, Hancock Central adding a Hatcher run with 1:08 left. Williams was 7 of 13 for 115 yards and a touchdown, adding 71 rushing yards to 130 on 18 carries from Cotton. Hatcher was 13 of 22 for 184 yards and two scores for Hancock Central, which was held to 66 rushing yards.
Lincoln County 54 (4-6), Twiggs County 0 (0-10)
Warren County 36 (5-5), Wilkinson County 0 (1-9)
FPD 28, (3-7), Washington-Wilkes 12 (3-7)
The Vikings led 7-6 at halftime and pulled away.
GISA
Westfield 57 (4-6, 3-2), Pinewood 16 (2-8, 0-4)
Westfield clinched a playoff spot with the win.
Brentwood 45 (5-5), Thomas Jefferson 13
Brentwood rushed for 359 yards and scored on all three first-half possession en route to the rout, putting it away with a 17-0 third quarter. Jay Musselwhite scored twice on 14 carries with 16 yards, Schley Moore adding two touchdown and 71 yards. Chase Everett ran for 107 yards on six carries with a touchdown on the ground. Eight War Eagles carried at least twice. Thomas Jefferson managed 192 yards rushing, but was only 1 for 3 passing.
John Milledge 48, (10-0, 3-0), Augusta Prep 7 (1-8, 1-2)
The Trojans cruised to their fourth win of at least 30 points this season to go 10-0 for the second time in three years and third time in head coach J.T. Wall’s eight seasons. The Trojans were balanced, with 198 yards rushing and 147 passing. Amaad Foston, and Jacob Prestwood each scored twice, Foston finishing with 137 yards on the ground. Brandon Bellflower passed for 140 yards and a touchdown. The John Milledge defense was hungry, holding Augusta Prep to minus-24 yards rushing.
Trinity Christian 23 (6-4, 2-2), at Bethlehem Christian 16 (2-8)
Brentwood 45 (5-5), Thomas Jefferson 13
Gatewood 41 (7-2, 2-0), Piedmont 7 (3-5-1, 0-1)
Gatewood won the region title.