FOOTBALL: Second-half takeover propels Dublin to vital victory over Bleckley County

After a back-and-forth start, Dublin seized the momentum in the second half and didn’t let go to win a key region matchup, 42-19, and knock Bleckley County out of a crowded region 2-High A title race Friday at the Shamrock Bowl. 

The Royals won the coin toss, received the opening kickoff and started at their own 46-yard line. Bleckley could have set the tone on the very first play from scrimmage, as quarterback Brody Fleming threw a pass downfield toward a wide open receiver, but the ball was dropped. 

That play was followed by a few short runs, a completed pass, then a Dublin pass interference penalty to set up the ball inside the 10-yard line. 

Bostic, who played tough for the Irish defense all night, came up with a big play to force an incomplete pass, and the Royals were held to just a field goal with 9:06 left in the first quarter. 

Bleckley County added another score to stretch the lead to 10 on their second possession after the Irish went three and out. Fleming and the offense started with 6:49 left in the first quarter, and ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jason McNulty.

But the home team stirred up a few plays, and broke an explosive 66-yard run by Knight as time expired in the first quarter to pull back within three. Dublin trailed 10-7.

The Irish took their first lead on just a third possession of the game. The drive was highlighted by a big pass from Jeff Davis to Will Wallace, and finished on a 3-yard plunge into the end zone by Jaydon McRae. Urick Andrews’ point-after was good to give Dublin a 14-10 lead with less than two minutes to play in the half.

The Royals hit the scoreboard one more time with 22 ticks before the half as Jonah Kelley connected on a second field goal, but  the Irish remained up by one, 14-13.

Dublin opened up the ground attack on its opening possession of the second half with runs by
Dontavius Cannon and Knight to set up a touchdown run by McRae that extended the lead with 9:43 left to play.

In the third quarter alone, it was a show of great defense. 

Quantavis Lovett showed great skill as he picked off Fleming on the Royals’ next possession.  

Three plays, and three positive gains, by Cannon and Vicente Bond set up Dublin’s fourth score of the contest, and a second touchdown of the third quarter, which came in the air from Davis to JaKarian Jones.

Bostic would add two more touchdown runs, with Bleckley scoring just once more in between Dublin’s final two in the fourth. 

Offensively, Knight finished the night with nearly 130 yards on the ground, followed by Bostic with 95 yards on nine carries. 

With the win, Dubin improves to 6-2 (6-1 region) on the year with two games left to play. This Thursday night, the Irish will be on the road in Macon against Central.