MIDSTATE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Wheeler whips Telfair to take 4-A lead; Treutlen tramples H’ville; Swainsboro dismantles Dodge

Unexpected upsets, and wins by a handful of the area’s top teams to snap some region title and playoff races into clearer focus, marked a busy next-to-last week of regular-season action around the Heart of Georgia.

Wheeler Co. 42, Telfair Co. 25

Three ball-carriers reached triple digits – Jah Dinkins 273 for the team lead – as the Bulldogs manhandled their way to a massive home victory to take exclusive control (by virtue of a loss by former co-leader Hawkinsville) of first place in region 4-A. Dinkins ran for two touchdowns on his 14 carries, but was joined with multiple big plays, and big numbers in the rushing count, by Malik Madison, who ran for 129 and a TD, and John Miller, who scored twice on 131. Wheeler County had 533 yards total, with the addition of 68 yards passing on a 5-for-8 night by quarterback Kavion Williams. J.J. Woodard caught three of those passes for a total of 51. 

Treutlen 41, Hawkinsville 7

The Vikings rushed for 352 yards as a team, and kicked over another important domino in the 4-A title race, to beat Hawkinsville for only the second time ever, 65 years since the only other in 1961. Peanut Tobler was the star of the ground attack with 19 carries for 90 yards and five touchdowns, but Treutlen was led by the 135 of Jabari Taylor, who had its only other score. The Red Devils, whose Ethan Coffey completed six passes for 108 yards, were held to only 58 on the ground, with Johnathan Solomon punching in their only touchdown of the game on a seven-yard keeper to tie things up at 7 midway through the first quarter. But the Vikings re-took the lead with their first of five unanswered touchdowns, and held onto it tightly from there. Michael Boone recovered a fumble and Jalek Johnson came up with an interception for a hand in multiple Treutlen stops defensively. Major Morton completed two passes, both to Zan Stokes, for 62 yards. Tobler, who is in position to potentially break the school’s single-season rushing record held by Cartel McLendon, broke 100 in all-purpose yardage with two kickoff returns for 40. 

Swainsboro 52, Dodge Co. 13 

This was a surefire trap game, coming on the heels of emotional rivalry matchups in back-to-back weeks, that turned to a woodshed trip for the Indians as Swainsboro took full advantage of their struggles completing tackles and controlling run gaps on its way to 326 rushing yards. Kyle Johnson pounded out 240 of them, and three touchdowns, on 38 carries. Marco Danford and Daveyhon Williams also scored once each in support. A Dodge defensive bust led to the biggest of two touchdown passes for Joshua Gray, going 52 yards over the middle to a wide-open Christian Tarver, for one of his seven completions that totaled 116. Shannon Benjamin had the other touchdown reception. The teams traded two scores each in the early portion before things came apart, and Swainsboro reeled off the rest unanswered starting in the second quarter. The Tigers’ lead was only 19-13 at the break, but two more touchdowns in each of the final two quarters, then a final pick-six, gave them all 33 of the game’s remaining points. Ja’Bios Smith had five tackles, one for loss and two pass break-ups. 

Washington Co. 48, Butler 0

Daveion Holmes ran for 123 yards on nine carries, Kade Swint for 94, and multiple touchdowns each as the Golden Hawks put away any questions lingered that surrounding a 19th-consecutive state playoff berth going into their last game of the regular season. Marderius Poole added 74 yards rushing, and Aiden Watts a pick-six, to assist in completing the shutout. 

McIntosh Co. Academy 12, Montgomery Co. 0

Touchdown runs by Earnest McIntosh (18 carries for 97 yards) and Keyshawn Tyson (six for 78) gave the Buccaneers an upper hand in a tight one as some recent struggles finishing drives continued for MoCo, which has scored just 13 points in region play. The Eagles rushed for 137 yards of their 198 total, but couldn’t find a touchdown on any of Zaden Waller’s 22 carries that produced 120, or a 61-yard pass completion from Elijah McEwen to Kenya Tate. MCA rushed for 257 yards as a team. Hayden Hayes and Christian Jordan led the Montgomery County defense with double-digit tackles. 

Wilkinson Co. 12, Hancock Central 8

The Warriors pulled out a big one on the road to give their fading playoff aspirations some late life, though they’ll still need a little help in an open week 12 to move up past the cut line after a several-spot jump up to 35th in the latest Class A Post Season Rankings. 

Tift Co. 28, Veterans 17

The Warhawks were much more opportune in the second half than they were the first, driving for an early third-quarter touchdown on a run by Honest Howell, then converting an interception as Davareon Lightning punched in another to make it an 11-point game. But missed chances from earlier – as they failed to capitalize on any of three first-half turnovers, in part by giving the ball back twice – cost them a shot to gain a badly needed win as Tift County preserved the rest of its 28-3 lead after the tale of a half. Veterans will spend the regular season’s final week right on the playoff bubble, ranked 32nd in the PSRs ahead of its finale against top-4 Coffee. 

Appling Co. 11, Toombs Co. 7

The Pirates shocked the state by not only going on the road to upset AAA’s top-ranked team, but also holding Toombs to its smallest point total since 2024, on a single touchdown that resulted from a fumble inside their own 5. The Appling County defense, impressively, limited the Bulldogs to only 47 yards rushing and picked off two passes of Joseph Owens, whose 10 completions for 169 produced the balance of their offense. The Pirates got all but 14 of their 272 total yards on the ground, where Jaiden Knight carried the load on 25 attempts for 204 and their only touchdown to draw first blood early in quarter 3. Eduardo Delgado added a 35-yard field goal for some insurance in the fourth, but Knight’s two-point conversion run after the score would’ve been enough to win it, as Toombs opted to kick the point-after its score to answer later in the quarter on a run by Donterrius Mincey. The Dogs would be denied any further opportunity on positive drives that ended in another interception, and on downs. Toombs receiver Nick Carroll had five catches for 116 yards. Appling defenders combined for eight tackles for loss, and four sacks, with interceptions by Rett Thomas and Javehez Johnson. 

Peach Co. 52, Baldwin 24

The Braves held a slight 452 to 426 edge in total yardage, but were outscored significantly – a difference of 10 in the first half and 18 more in the second – by a Peach County attack that maxed out its opportunities to put points on the board, including with a second of the teams’ two reciprocal turnovers. The Trojans’ Caiden Ivory was 7-of-17 for 128 yards and a touchdown passing, and rushed for 99 and two others. Ashton Barton carried 25 times for 141 and a TD, and Deandre Stinson added a couple more scores on 58, plus a pick-six on defense. The bulk of Baldwin’s 452-yard total was passing yardage belonging to Kamden Patterson, who completed 32 out of 44 for 334 and two touchdowns, but was picked off twice. He also rushed for a touchdown on 37 of 118 more that came on the ground. Jazz Lamar recovered a fumble and Jamarkus Walker intercepted a pass for the Braves’ takeaways. 

Troup 42, Howard 14

The Tigers won big to set up a top-ranked battle Friday with fellow unbeaten Peach for the region 2-AAAA title in LaGrange. Howard’s Tashawn Poole and Milton Ivery picked off two of his passes, but Troup’s Chase Mosley was otherwise 10-of-17 for 176 yards through the air, with a passing touchdown to Davis Moncus and a rushing score on one of three carries for 58. Moncus would come up with two intended receptions for 65 yards, but also a couple throws of the Huskies’ Zavion Deshazier, who’d be picked off three times on a 12-for-25 line that rendered 180 yards and both Howard’s touchdowns, on two of Poole’s six catches numbering 167. The Tigers went on to rush for 378 and five difference-making TDs. Tristan Moss scored three of them on 19 carries for 116 yards, but was joined in triple-figures by Javarris Warner (105) and Kadarin Smith (100). 

Last week’s local coverage…

Other week 11 finals… 

Jones Co. 51, Warner Robins 14

Callaway 42, Central Macon 6

Upson-Lee 16, Westside Macon 8

ECI 36, Portal 28

Houston Co. 56, Northside 34

Jackson 45, Southwest 16

Jeff Davis 41, Berrien 20

Jefferson Co. 28, Glenn Hills 22

Mary Persons 38, Spalding 14

Northeast 47, Pike Co. 7

Perry 58, Eagle’s Landing 6

Stratford 54, Tattnall Square 13

Windsor 60, Central Fellowship 0