By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Editor’s note: Thanks to FPD, John Milledge, and Tattnall for sending game information Friday night to The Central Georgia Sports Report.

Useable and fairly complete (names, likely accuracy, and some detail) information was available on MaxPreps’ Scoretracker feature for Houston County, Jones County, Mary Persons, Rutland, Brentwood, and John Milledge.

Note: Scoretracker users, please note the time of major plays and all scores, and use names as much as possible. Please check accuracy of yardage listed as well.

Class 6A

Westlake 61 Houston County 51
In its last two games, Houston County has scored 117 points. And lost both. Last week’s halftime score was what en route to a 73-66 overtime loss to Central-Carrollton. This time, the Bears trailed only 19-17 at the break. The margin in the third quarter ranged mostly from 10-16 points, Houston County unable to it back under 10 points. The 7A Lions have now put up 252 points with only their second-highest total of the season, behind the 66-10 win over Wheeler.

Veterans 21, Sumter County 15
The Warhawks led 7-0 at halftime, but gave up the lead after an early third-quarter touchdown followed by a safety and then a score on the ensuing possession. Down 15-7, Veterans tied it early in the fourth quarter with a rushing score and the conversion. Davareon Lightning went nearly 50 yards, fumbling just after he went out of bounds at the 1. He took it in for the eventual game-winner on the next play, with 3:07 left in the game. But Veterans missed the PAT kick, leaving the door open for the hosts. The Warhawks defense came up with the stop and got the ball back with 56 seconds left.

Class 5A

Jones County 49 Locust Grove 14
A 7-all game turned into a 35-14 halftime lead for Jones County, which matched its total of a week ago and topped by two point the 33 points second in the second and third games. Jones County dealt the knockout punt on Laquan Pendleton’s 16-yard score in the final minutes of the third quarter. The 2-3 Greyhounds have outscored their last two opponents 84-14 and are 1-0 in region play.

Ola 35 Perry 19
The Mustangs passed for 209 yards, completing 68.8 percent, and two scores while rushing for 211 yards and two more to send Perry to its first 1-4 start since 2017, Kevin Smith’s first season as head coach.

Warner Robins 69 Union Grove 29
Early on, the Demons were in a little trouble, down 8-7 after one and then 15-14 a few minutes into the second quarter. Then the trouble disappeared with two touchdown passes in short order for a 29-15 lead that grew to 36-15 after another score through the air. Some ground point upped it to 43-22 with a punt return for a touchdown next and a 50-22 lead, with a safety coming shortly after that. It’s Warner Robins biggest scoring output since thumping 7A Camden County 77-34 on the road in the middle of the 2021 state championship season.

CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE

This week

🏈 Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
🏈 Maxwell Predictions: Coming lunchtime Friday
🏈 Who’s going to win this week’s games?
🏈 Central Georgia state composite rankings
🏈 Central Georgia rankings
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
Last week
🏈Roundup: Houston County loses wild shootout; Veterans gets road W, Warner Robins with epic L; shutouts for Jones County, Putnam County, FPD; Northeast pops Perry, cruises for Dublin, John Milledge
🏈Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
🏈Maxwell Predictions
🏈Who’s going to win this week’s games?
🏈 Central Georgia state composite/GHSFBDaily CGA rankings
🏈 Central Georgia rankings
🏈 Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Class 4A
Howard 49 Baldwin 43
A 25-point underdog according to the Maxwell Ratings, Howard exploded and then held on for its first win over a ranked team (No 9 in AJC and Georgia HS Football Daily Composite rankings) since the 4A Huskies beat No. 4/AA Lamar County 28-19 to open the 2015 season, a stretch of 14 games. Howard had scored 40 points in its first three games, and turned in its highest point total since hammering Pike County 49-0 in 2023. Two-way standout Ta’Shawn Poole scored six touchdowns for Howard, which stormed out to a 35-8 halftime lead, and then was outscored 35-14 in the second half.

Mary Persons 38 Westside 2
The Bulldogs wasted no time in taking control, getting a CJ Banks rushing touchdown and a touchdown pass from Jordan Singleton to Daniel Jungberg for a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. A pick-6 three minutes later by Deaven Davis added six, and he picked up another interception that set up a 37-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first quarter for a 24-0 lead. The 3-1 Bulldogs have won by 21, 21, and 36 points.

Peach County 63 Upson-Lee 3
Peach County hit the 63-point mark for the second time this season en route to its biggest margin of victory since 63-7 over Pike County in 2022 and passing by a point the 62-0 rout of Pike County a year earlier.

Monroe Area 21 West Laurens 13
The Raiders pulled within one on Jaden Stanley’s 51-yard run late in the third quarter, but Monroe Area a few minutes into the fourth on a pass play, and then held on – surviving a missed field goal – in the region opener for both.

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Class 3A
Lamar County 55 Central 10
The Chargers put an early scare into the Trojans by taking a 7-6 lead into the second quarter. Lamar County got going on Davis Williams’ 58-yard scoring pass to Jayden Doctor, his second TD of the night, to take the lead en route to going up 27-10 at the half, Central getting a field goal in the final seconds.

Pike County 19 Rutland 14
The visiting Hurricanes led 7-3 after Gabriel Jolly’s long rushing touchdown midway through the first quarter. The Pirates went up after a 35-yard touchdown pass an conversion for an 11-7 halftime lead. A rushing score put Rutland back on top 13-11, but Pike County’s 35-yard run made it 21-13 with about four minutes left. Rutland threatened, but gave it up on downs in the final two minutes in Pike County territory.

Callaway 57 Southwest 20
Callaway stormed out to a 36-6 halftime lead in its second game ever in Macon (34-14 over Westside in 2024).

Class AA
Dodge County 55 Dooly County 12
The Indians put up their best point total since taking out Jasper County 58-0 in 2020.

East Laurens 28 Metter 21
The Falcons avoided their first 0-4 start since 2022, while Metter is now 0-5 for the first time since 2012.

Laney 42 Putnam County 26
Laney pulled off something of a surprise, with its point total and margin in what was considered an even game.

Jasper County 53 Glenn Hills 6
The Hurricanes hit the 50-point mark for the third season in a row.

Class A
Washington-Wilkes 54 Hancock Central 8
The Bulldogs lost their third straight and gave up 50 for the second time this season.

Macon County 33 Hawkinsville 12
A tight game became another Macon County win going away, with the 21-point margin the closest Bulldog game this season. A run of nearly 60-yards by Noah Parker set up his 1-yarder for a 14-6 lead a few minutes into the third quarter. Macon County converted an interception into another score, boosted by a long pass from Montravius Gilbert to Lavoris Smith, and a 20-6 lead.

Taylor County 53 Wheeler County 19
The Vikings passed the 50-point mark for the first time in not a long time, a 54-0 win a year ago over Marion County.

GIAA

Tattnall 42 Crawford County 13
The Trojans cracked the 40-point for the second time this season – after maxing out at 13 points last year and scoring only 45 points – by pulling away in the second half. Micah Clyde ran for 62 yards and 2 scores while Angelo Bellamy completed 9 of 15 for 135 yards.

Frederica 22 FPD 13
The hosts’ defense came to play, holding FPD to 78 yards on 26 carries and 104 yards on 12-of-24 passing, while their offense ran for 134 yards and managed only 33 through the air. A few rare 15-yard penalties didn’t help the Vikings, who gave up the first points of the night on a safety with a high punt snap 52 seconds into the second quarter. Frederica ran off three second-quarter touchdowns, FPD finally scoring with 7:45 left in the game on Cash Walker’s run, and then with 2:13 left on Walker’s pass to Mason Garvin.

Edmund Burke 24 Mount de Sales 3
Edmund Burke scored to end the first half, and on its first two possessions of the second half to hand Mount de Sales its first defeat. Cavs quarterback Benjamin Burney was 9 of 10 for 125 yards in the first half, but Mount de Sales couldn’t get a run game going and convert yards into points against the more physical Spartans.

John Milledge 21 Brookstone 10
It was an odd night for the Trojans, who often get all they need in the first half. This time, a 21-point first quarter was it for John Milledge, with the fewest points scored in a win since 17-7 over Frederica almost three years ago to the day. They got what they needed on a 12-yard run from Jamel Cooper, and runs of 6 and 2 yards from Asa Wall. Brookstone got a safety in the second quarter after a JMA interception inside the 10 and a 7-yard run in the fourth. Brookstone managed only 9 rushing yards, 260 fewer than John Milledge. The visitors did complete 12 of 19 for 163 yards while the Trojan passing game struggled. Cooper put up 126 rushing yards.

Stratford 49 Westfield 14 (Click here for full story)
The Eagles got back on track in a big way with their biggest win over the Hornets since the same score in 2021, the Hornets then coached by current Stratford baseball assistant and softball head coach Rob Fitzpatrick. Aaron Jefferson put Stratford up 14-0 with two runs only for Westfield to answer on Brock Johnson’s long TD sprintg. The Eagles turned a fourth and 1 into a touchdown, and then coverted a fumble into a score and 28-7 lead.

Brentwood 42 GHSA A Lake Oconee 0
The War Eagles racked up their biggest shutout since, well, beating Lake Oconee 43-0 last year. Baylor Cobb, Tristan Robinson, and Jackson Bragg each had TD runs of less than 10 yards as Brentwood built a 21-0 halftime lead to improve to 4-2.

Gatewood 30, Riverside Prep 6
The Gators won their second straight game and hit 30 points for the second straight week.

Windsor 32 Westminster 7
The Knights continued their burly start with their fourth straight win, and third by at least 25 points. A 19-0 second half sealed it for 4-1 Windsor, now 3-0 on the road.