FRIDAY NIGHT SCOREBOARD: East Laurens stuns Metter in OT; West Laurens edged by Monroe Area

East Laurens came from behind to pull off a badly-needed confidence booster on the road, and West Laurens took some good things away from a strong showing despite its tough loss to another top-10 opponent at home, in Laurens County’s only two games on the week 5 schedule with Dublin and Trinity resting up over bye weeks before their region openers next week.

Treutlen broke through a halftime stalemate to score a major victory over Montgomery County to go to 4-0, and some other matchups turned high-scoring with 50-plus point efforts that went both for and against teams in the Heart of Georgia.

Here’s a glance at how the area’s top games turned out, and the rest of the midstate results on Friday’s scoreboard. Full coverage will follow early next week, in print and online at courierheraldtoday.com/sports.

East Laurens 28, Metter 21

The Falcons scored three unanswered touchdowns to rally back from a 14-point deficit after Metter’s last early in the second half, and hung on to pick up their first win at the wire in The Jungle. After tying it up, East held on the edge of its red zone to force a missed field goal late in regulation and reach overtime, which Skyler Snead opened with a keeper for the go-ahead score. A fortunate play denied what had the makings of a touchdown to answer for the Tigers, who couldn’t secure the football on a do-or-die fourth down pass to the end zone.

Monroe Area 21, West Laurens 13

The Raider defense became a first in five this season to hold the state’s sixth-highest scoring attack under six touchdowns, and kept Monroe Area within reach right to the end by mounting a goal-to-go stand and blocking a field goal that would have stretched its lead beyond the final eight. West Laurens ran it hard early in the game, and scored first on a 7-yard touchdown run by freshman Tre’J Germany. Kaden Bloodsaw carried for an inspiring 130 yards before halftime, but the Hurricanes eventually adjusted, and wound up forcing punts or turnovers on downs on five of the Raiders’ next six chances. They’d tie the game with a Mandela Manga touchdown run in the second, then score to go up and add to the lead with next-to-impossible touchdown passes from Cooper Shumate to V.J. Sandifer and Bryce Bell. West Laurens answered the first on a 48-yard connection from Duggan Malone to Jaden Stanley, but couldn’t do anything with three remaining possessions that ended on a third fourth-down stop, a fumble and a punt.

Treutlen 21, Montgomery Co. 7

Zan Stokes reeled in two Major Morton touchdown passes and a late interception to help the Vikings emerge from this battle of unbeatens with their perfect record intact. Defenses dominated in a scoreless first half, but Treutlen set the pace with three touchdowns from there, another rushing by Peanut Tobler, against a single score via MoCo pass that evened up the count briefly late in the third.

Other midstate finals…

Johnson Co. 57, Wilcox Co. 0

Dodge Co. 55, Dooly Co. 12

Taylor Co. 53, Wheeler Co. 19

Brentwood 42, Lake Oconee Academy 0

Ola 35, Perry 19

Jones Co. 49, Locust Grove 14

Jeff Davis 36, McIntosh Co. Academy 7

Warner Robins 69, Union Grove 29

Toombs Co. 76, Beach 7

Veterans 21, Sumter Co. 15

John Milledge 21, Brookstone 10

Mary Persons 38, Westside Macon 2

Peach Co. 63, Upson-Lee 3

ECI 44, Jenkins Co. 20

Howard 49, Baldwin 43

Northeast Macon 49, Jackson 10