Comeback win opens new era at Montgomery County, and more area football results from week 1

A 3-for-3 showing by Tri-County teams, including a signature first win for Montgomery County’s new head coach, stood out along with impressive 50-plus point nights by a couple of the area’s top contenders in AAA and AAAA from the action during the Heart of Georgia’s first full weekend of high school football. Here’s a glance at how others around the Midstate fared last Friday and Saturday…

Montgomery Co. 22, Telfair Co. 15

A fourth-and-long completion from Rilynn Dees to Zaden Waller, followed by another fourth-down conversion on consecutive pass interference fouls, got the Eagles down the field on the 56-yard scoring drive that produced their final lead, then a fourth-down stop sealed out a road win in the debut of new head coach Gabe Gay. Elijah McEwen, who rushed for 180 yards on 11 carries, scored from a short distance to help MoCo regain the lead, after its earlier advantage of 14-0 was overcome on back-to-back Telfair County touchdowns (and a two-point conversion) separated by a fumble on the kickoff return in between. McEwen completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Kenya Tate, and Kam Henderson broke free from 86 yards for the Eagles’ early touchdowns. 

Treutlen 36, Bryan Co. 7

Peanut Tobler, Peyton Miller, Jabari Taylor and Zion Brown all rushed for touchdowns, and Zan Stokes caught a pass for a fifth, in the Vikings’ 402-yard total effort to open the season on the road. 

Wheeler Co. 40, Portal 7

A couple of new running backs, John Miller rushing for 178 and Malik Madison for 157, scored twice each behind the same offensive line that led the Bulldogs to last year’s state quarterfinal. Jah Dinkins added 70 yards on the ground and threw for a touchdown, to contribute to a 490-yard total Saturday night at the Erk Russell Classic in Statesboro. 

Baldwin 47, Washington Co. 20

The Braves’ Kamden Patterson completed 17 of 23 passes for 333 yards, and five touchdowns to equal a personal single-game best dating back to last year’s high-scoring duel with Ty Cummings at West Laurens, on top of 145 rushing. Baldwin’s three-score advantage endured dents on WACO touchdowns by Kade Swint, Greg Gundy and Daveion Holmes. 

ACE Charter 45, Wilkinson Co. 6

The Gryphons’ Ace Hatcher rushed for three touchdowns on 10 carries for 145 yards, and threw for 47, combining with Jedd Kenley (who scored once on 69 yards rushing) for the bulk of the offense going either way. Defense and special teams accounted for a significant chunk of the action as ACE intercepted a pass and scored on Jackson Justice’s return of a blocked Wilco punt. The Warriors’ only touchdown came on a 44-yard fumble return by Tyler Hogan in the third quarter.  

Bulloch 36, Brentwood 33

The Eagles couldn’t keep their foot on the gas after going up 33-14 on Baylor Cobb’s touchdown pass to Brayden Tyson (a fourth of the night for the senior, who hit Jaelen Johnson, Chase Daniel and Quez Collins for the others, on 296 yards, added 79 and a fifth TD rushing and intercepted a pass on defense), as Bulloch finished the game with three unanswered touchdowns to hand them their second-straight loss. Nick Eason picked off a pass to deny another scoring threat, and rushed for the Gators’ next-to-last score in the comeback. A fumble sealed the game after B.J. Smart’s go-ahead run to put them back on top. Brentwood’s Tyson had seven receptions for 112 yards. 

Peach Co. 63, Perry 24

The Panthers scored on a few possessions out of halftime to keep up the fast pace of offense, but their brand-new defense couldn’t contain Peach County’s bushel of big-play weapons, who combined to roll up 640 total yards. Ashton Barton rushed for 172 and three touchdowns; Zion Ellison ran for 148 and three more; Caiden Ivory completed 10 passes for 231 and a couple of TDs to Tristen Brown.  

Cook 36, Swainsboro 35 (OT)

The Tigers erased a two-touchdown deficit, answered a fourth by Cook in the fourth quarter to force overtime and dialed up a double pass to get it from Shannon Benjamin to Ja’Bios Smith for the go-ahead score to open overtime. The Hornets, after a game-winning field goal missed at the regulation buzzer, matched the TD and went for two and the win, with Nole Register completing a pass to Carter Morrison for both sets of points. Swainsboro’s Joshua Gray threw for 123 yards and two touchdowns, on a night that also included non-offensive touchdowns on fumble return by the Tigers’ Christian Tarver and a kickoff return score by Cook’s Jaquez Sharpe. 

Central Macon 30, Greenville 0

Justin Hodges rushed and returned a punt for Charger touchdowns, in a string of 30 points scored before time  was called, on what will go down as a first Central win since 2023, due to lightning late in the second quarter. 

Toombs Co. 58, Benedictine 21

The Bulldogs took it to the defending AAAA runners-up, with 500 yards of total offense split almost right down the middle between the rushing phase, where Donterrius Mincey carried 19 times for 166 yards and four touchdowns, and passing, in which Joseph Owens was a close-to-perfect 14 of 16 for 258 with a touchdown to Brandon Stevens on one of his five catches for 122. The Toombs defense also recorded two takeaways, eight tackles for loss and one sack. 

Howard 27, Southwest Macon 6

Zavion Deshazier completed nine passes for 140 and three touchdowns. Florida State commit Ta’Shawn Poole caught one, and rushed for another, in the Huskies’ opening win. 

Last Friday’s local coverage…

Three interceptions, big second quarter deliver Dublin win in debut at Jasper County

Harris’ second-half TDs, four turnovers help Trinity topple Robert Toombs for first win

Scott’s four touchdowns/pick lead Johnson County past East Laurens in 49th Border War

Well-rounded debut gives Bleckley upper hand on West Laurens

Other week 1 results… 

Claxton 20, Twiggs Co. 7

Jeff Davis 37, Vidalia 0

Northside 42, Eagle’s Landing 6

Windsor 7, Thomas Jefferson 6

Valdosta 52, Jones Co. 14

Stratford 46, Pacelli 14

Warner Robins 34, Veterans 23

John Milledge 38, Tiftarea 0

ECI 26, Metter 7

Hawkinsville 25, Marion Co. 6

Houston Co. 38, West Forsyth 14

Irwin Co. 35, Wilcox Co. 11

Macon Co. 36, Dooly Co. 0

Rutland 54, Crawford Co. 6

Northeast Macon 39, Westside 0

FPD 13, Deerfield-Windsor 0

Mount de Sales 28, Creekside Christian 0

Sherwood 47, Central Fellowship 7

Stratford 46, Pacelli 14

Tattnall Square 35, Piedmont 2

Westfield 17, Strong Rock Christian 9

Windsor Academy 7, Thomas Jefferson 6