Dublin returns to form, resumes winning ways at Washington County

Dublin’s divergence from a pattern of winning football to open the season was only a brief one, after its stumble in a week 3 loss to Baldwin. 

Friday, the Irish made a quick course-correction as they returned to their usual dominance, and centered their season back in the win column with a 33-7 victory at Washington County to reach the first rest stop on their schedule with a 3-1 record.

They got things rolling again on the ground, as seven rushers – including two different quarterbacks who showed off the wheels and made trips to the end zone – combined for 332 yards. 

The performance wasn’t without some bumps in the road, as Dublin turned the ball over twice. But its defense was able to limit the damage to a single touchdown on WACO’s lone big play. 

Half the Golden Hawks’ 138 rushing yards on the night came on that 71-yard touchdown run by Marderius Poole to briefly tie the ballgame in the first quarter. 

But it represented the only real breach in Irish confidence that was ironclad leading up to and following the two-score swing comprised of both their recent bugaboos: A fumble, followed by a WACO big play. 

Dublin, leading 7-0, had just crossed midfield with designs on a second-straight scoring drive to open the game, and had just picked up another first down as Travion Bostic took a handoff and burst outside for a 16-yard gain, only for the ball to come loose at the end of his run. 

The recovery set WACO up to spring Poole to the end zone on a counter play. The misdirection didn’t exactly get the Irish fooled, but three or four tacklers in position to catch him were caught a little flat-footed as the senior burst through a hole and pulled away. 

Christian Hunt’s point-after evened the score at 7. 

Dublin was unflapped, and returned the squib kickoff about 25 yards to start its next drive in opposing territory. 

The Irish picked up a few at a time for two first downs, then overcame a holding foul to get a third. Dontavious Cannon picked up 15 yards on a pair of plays to set up goal to go, then Ryland Yates snuck in behind his interior blockers to put them up permanently. 

WACO’s defense got Dublin off the field in some situations, but never produced much else offensively as the night progressed and the Irish lead slowly increased. 

A dual pass rush completed their first three-and-out as Blake Luecke batted a pass that was almost picked off by Domimarkeyo Walden. 

Deontae Walker got a hand on another third-down pass to end its second series, and force a second-straight punt that started Dublin on the plus side of midfield. 

In between the two series was an opening touchdown, nearly scored by Trav Bostic as he kept his feet despite an attempted trip-up and broke off a 42-yard run, though WACO’s Dontrell Griffin caught up and saved the score. 

Cannon rolled in from four on the next play to give the Irish their early lead. 

The Hawks were without a true first down until their fourth possession of the game early in the second quarter, when what would’ve been a Bostic interception (an Irish penalty offset a WACO hold earlier in the play, and forced a re-do) on an ill-fated double pass turned into the spark that got the home team some momentum. 

They moved the chains twice and entered the red zone, but stalled on a fourth down as Dublin’s Matthew Batts made a tackle just short of the first-down stick at the Hawks’ 15. 

The teams would punt away the remainder of the first half, and the Irish led by a count of 14-7, the final score they won by the last time playing here last September. 

This year’s second half wouldn’t prove to be nearly as much of a nailbiter. 

Yates, who also made his quarterbacking debut in an injury pinch during that game, got the inert offensive cylinders back firing as he pulled a series of keepers for double-digit gains on the first drive back, fired a completion to Will Wallace to set up first and goal, then ran for his second touchdown from six yards away on consecutive plays. 

The point was no-good, but Dublin’s lead was two scores for the first time, 20-7. 

Yates enlisted Jamarcus Knight as co-pilot on the next drive, one of the most eclectic of the night, of 90 yards to add on again. 

WACO took a deep shot that was intercepted over the shoulder by JaKarian Jones to set it all up. 

The first big play was a reverse carry by Knight. A second was reversed by a hold, as Yates scampered for another 35 yards that would’ve put him in triple rushing figures. The Hawks committed pass interference on an ensuing third-and-long to offer a free first down in their own territory, but forced the next series to a fourth and 2. 

Dublin put it back in the hot hands of Knight, and he carried it 27 yards to the end zone on a power play. 

Yates was stopped a little short on his attempt to recoup the lost point on a try for two, but the Irish now led 26-7. 

WACO, forced to punt on all of its remaining chances with the football, stymied Dublin’s next threat as Aiden Watts jumped a tight end out pattern and picked the ball off from his own red zone. 

But a Wallace-led drive covered 66 for the final set of points after a swift kick back, with the junior emulating his teammate as he motored in on a 39-yard keeper. 

Bostic led the Dublin backfield with 93 yards. Cannon had 78, Yates 66 and Knight 54. 

Following this week’s open date, the Irish open their region 2-AA schedule with a top-10 showdown at Bleckley County. Same for the Golden Hawks, who open up league play at defending 4-AAA runner-up Westside of Augusta on Sept. 25.