FRIDAY NIGHT SCOREBOARD: Dublin prevails over Perry, wild one evades East Laurens in OT

Some statement wins, a few shockers and several shortfalls were scattered over the scoreboard at the conclusion of the Heart of Georgia’s week 2 high school football action. Here’s a glance at how some of the area’s top games turned out Thursday and Friday nights. Full coverage will follow next week.

Dublin 41, Perry 20

The door was a stubborn one to close, but the Irish jammed it shut with two fourth down stops, and close to a 90-yard drive to score their final touchdown as quarterback Ryland Yates completed a hat trick with his short run in the last minute of the fourth quarter. Dublin was caught a bit flat-footed out of the gate as Perry sprinted to a quick touchdown, then converted a fumbled exchange into a 22-yard Carson Camp field goal. But the Irish got things going with a three-play scoring drive of 80, with Yates following a 50-yard Jamarcus Knight run with a 22-yard scamper to reach the end zone for the first time. The Panthers’ Camp connected again from close to 40 just after an hourlong lightning delay, but Dublin wasted no time tying it up on Trav Bostic’s 20-yard run, and took control from there. Knight swept in to give the Irish a 19-13 lead that held to halftime, thanks to the first of two more Perry turnovers on downs. In the third, Bostic broke an 80-yarder and Yates capped off a 95-yard march to stretch the lead to three scores, before the Panthers’ only second-half answer on a deep connection from Jhamard Cobb to J.D. Arnette. They recovered an onside kick and fumble to stay in it down 14 with ample time still to play, but dropped touchdown passes (one partially broken up by JaKarian Jones) spoiled the last-chance threats.

Southeast Bulloch 26, East Laurens 20 (OT)

Turnovers gave and took away, but were far more costly than they were beneficial for the Falcons on a self-destructive night in Brooklet. Despite scoring one of three touchdowns via scoop (to atone for an interception only a few plays before), they’d surrender possession four other times, including on a fumble to open overtime, just two plays before Southeast Bulloch’s Jordan Dawson rushed for a game-winning touchdown. A couple of earlier fumbles led directly to points, as the Jackets recovered a bad snap in the end zone for an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter, and converted another to a field goal for a 17-14 lead in the third. Skyler Snead ran for a touchdown to give East a 20-17 advantage in the fourth, but a failed two-point attempt kept the door ajar for a game-tying Southeast field goal late in regulation.

Edmund Burke 42, Trinity 0

The Spartans busted a series of big plays to break open a game that was scoreless for the first 14 minutes, and very quickly run away with it on six unanswered touchdowns confined to the second and third quarters. Noah Hickman ran and threw for one each of the four scored before the half and Sam Hickman rushed for three of the four others. Some turnovers and fourth-down stops halted multiple drives into plus territory by the Trinity offense, which had top running back Will-J Harris go down with an injury late in the first half.

Montgomery Co. 15, Wheeler Co. 14

An early-first quarter safety was what ultimately tipped the scales in the Eagles’ favor after the two sides traded a couple touchdowns each, MoCo with the last to take the final lead late in the fourth quarter.

Johnson Co. 35, Warren Co. 0 (Thursday)

Jeremiah Scott went off again, with three scores rushing and a fourth receiving to take his two-game touchdown total up to eight. He started things off with a 28-yard run to finish off the Trojans’ opening possession, juked out a defender on his way in via 15-yard bubble screen from Chance Wombles in the second quarter (following Jacaden Webb’s TD carry late in the first) and rounded the corner to put a third on the board, and JoCo up 28-0, before halftime. A string of drops cost the Trojans another scoring chance on downs before intermission, but they’d tack on another to start the second half after Jeremiah Taylor flipped the field on a 60-or-so yard return of the third quarter kick. They handed it to everybody but Scott on the first three snaps of the series with goal to go, but gave it back to the junior to punch it in from a yard away on fourth down. Webb intercepted a pass, and JoCo forced a fumble at the goal line to maintain the shutout. 

Swainsboro 28, ECI 21 (Thursday)

Ja’Bios Smith rushed for a touchdown to put the Tigers up 28-14 in the second half. An ECI touchdown pass narrowed the gap, before the Bulldogs forced a punt to get the ball back. But Jayvion Sherrod’s interception in the last few minutes sealed a first career win for new Swainsboro head coach Dwight Smith.

Other area finals…

Dodge Co. 30, Lamar Co. 13

Toombs Co. 44, Vidalia 6

Bleckley Co. 34, Cook 19

Jeff Davis 42, Clinch Co. 7

Toombs Co. 44, Vidalia 6

ACE Charter 23, Washington Co. 20

Mays 23, Northside 9

Warner Robins 21, Northeast Macon 20

Peach Co. 42, Jones Co. 19

Central Macon 42, Jordan 0

Westside Macon 40, Rutland 23

Toombs Co. 44, Vidalia 6

Baldwin 35, Hephzibah 26

FPD 21, Westfield 13

Crisp Co. 50, Dooly Co. 0

Bulloch 48, Tattnall Square 14

John Milledge 49, Piedmont 7

Rabun Co. 27, Metter 23

Mitchell Co. 30, Hawkinsville 26

Veterans 35, Trinity-Sharpsburg 31

GMC 49, Crawford Co. 12

Twiggs Co. 34, Central-Talbotton 12

Greene Co. 24, Wilkinson Co. 18