Round One Scores & Recaps

Posted on November 12, 2022 by blitzsportsga Leave a comment

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The first round of state took place in Friday and Saturday matchups. Here’s the recap for what went down in each of the 7 local teams’ opening playoff action.

*Checking back for Saturday’s results*

FRIDAY GAMES

#2 Rabun County 47, Dade County 7

The Wildcats won 47-7 to advance to the second round. On the surface, it looks like the same old song and dance. But Dade County took a 7-0 lead near the end of the first quarter, and Rabun retaliated by settling for a 31-yd FG by Marcus Remillard after Jarret Giles recovered a muffed punt in the red zone. In the second, Keegan Stover threw TD passes to Jaden Gibson (46-yds) and Willie Goodwyn (32-yds) to take the lead for good at 17-7. Still, several drives stalled and the Wildcats couldn’t get much going. In the second half, it was another stalled drive. Then the next posession, after a Noah Legault interception taken back to the 10-yard line, Rabun made a change and put in freshman QB Ty Truelove in the game. Truelove led 3 straight scoring drives, first hitting Gibson for a 7-yd TD. Then in the fourth (a 23-point outburst for the Cats), Truelove threw a 35-yd TD pass to Goodwyn, then a Lang Windham score that came after a Legault pick-six and safety capped the scoring at 47-7.

Trion 45, Commerce 21

It was 10-0 in favor of Trion before Commerce got on the board. That came on a 51-yd TD by Tysean Wiggins. But by the second, Trion was up 24-7 after scoring on all its drives up to that point. A Wiggins 65-yd TD cut into the lead at 24-14, which led to the half. Jaiden Daniels got in on the fun with a third quarter TD to make it a 3-point game at 24-21. Trion reeled off 21 unanswered to claim the 45-21 win, ending Commerce’s season.

Union County 28, Model 14

The Panthers traveled to Model and came away with a big 28-14 gritty win. Model scored on its opening drive, and later scored on its final drive of the first half. The Union County defense buckled down in the second half. Down 1-0 in the first, Caiden Tanner’s 10-yd TD pass to Jensen Goble tied the game. Union took the lead in the second when Tanner scored from a yard out. The Panthers added to it when Tanner found Braylen Rader for a 45-yd TD and the 21-7 lead. Model retaliated to make it a 21-14 game at the break, but the final dagger was Tanner’s fourth total TD, a 17-yd TD pass to Griff Young in the third. Neither team scored the rest of the way. The Panthers defense had 3 INTs, as Gage Barnes, Kooper Ashcraft, and Braden Plott cam up with them. Ashcraft also had a fumble recovery.

SATURDAY GAMES

#4 Stephens County 51, Wesleyan 14

Stephens County set the tone on the opening kick, as Cam Lacy took it all the way back for a TD. Wesleyan would knot the game at 7 apiece quickly after, but it was all Indians from there. A 2-yd TD run gave the Indians a the lead with 4:21 to go in the first, and a 31-yd passing TD by Ben Stowe made it 21-7 on the first play of the second.

A pick-six by the Indians defense, and a long Stowe TD pass pushed it to 35-7 midway through the second. Stephens took a commanding 48-7 lead into the break, and won 51-14.

#7 Monroe Area 35, Dawson County 13

The Tigers suffered the rare 4-over-1 upset as Darrion Manuel had 4 TD runs to lift Monroe Area to the win. Manuel scored on the opening drive, then Jeremiah Anderson hit Jeremy Anderson for a dazzling 38-yd TD and the 14-0 lead. Davis Glass opened the second with a 20-yd TD pass to Dom LeBlanc to shave into the lead. Manuel got 2 more TD runs before the break, as the Hurricanes were up 28-7. Out of the break, Dawson opened up with a score when Glass hooked up with Doug Pagel for a 20-yd score, making it a 28-13 game. In the fourth, Manuel’s 1-yd TD sealed the game.

#6 Oconee County 49, Lumpkin County 21

Oconee opened up a box in the first that had 5 CJ Jones TDs in it. That was the ball game. The #6 Warriors went 5-for-5 on their first 5 drives of the game, all in the first. 4-star LSU commit Whit Weeks did plenty of damage on defense, and the starters only played the first quarter. Still, it was 49-0 at the break before Mason Sullens, Gerald Walker, and Cooper Scott (to Carter Disanto) got late TDs to make it a respectable showing. Oconee QB Mac Ricks, Jones, and Jesan Heard did all the damage in the opening quarter.

Cass 27, #3 Jefferson 17

Jefferson fell in an absolutely shocking first round 4-over-1 upset, as unranked Cass came in and earned a 27-17 win over #3-ranked Jefferson. It was 27-7 at the half, and the Dragon TD came on a Max Aldridge pass to Talan Childress. Jefferson’s season is now complete.