MIDSTATE PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Brentwood makes quick work of Windsor; Area's high seeds handle business in GIAA quarters

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Brentwood 49, Windsor 21

Deciding factor: The Knights spruced up the final margin with a late first-half touchdown, and two in the running-clock fourth, but stood little shot of staying in this one as long as Brentwood’s foot was on the gas. For the defending AA champs, that was every bit of the game’s first 19 minutes, which contained all seven of their touchdowns. The Eagles forced two turnovers and made a couple of fourth-down stops to help quicken the K-O. Heath Woodard threw for 114 and a touchdown to Nick Visage, and Blayne Bennett rushed for two touchdowns on 48 yards, to help Windsor close some ground once Brentwood had put it on cruise.

Pivotal moment: The Eagles, as they often do, pounced in a hurry after forcing a punt early in the ballgame. They scored in a matter of plays on a Baylor Cobb play-action shot over the top to Tristan Robinson. The Knights lost a high snap on their next offensive play, and Austin Albright recovered to set up another short scoring drive, ending on a 13-yard Robinson carry. Cobb had to deal with a bad snap of his own on Brentwood’s third possession, but took it to the house from close to 70 yards anyway to stake the Eagles to a 21-0 lead. They’d add two more touchdowns in the last four minutes of the first quarter, as Cobb found Quez Collins on a fade pass and Robinson jogged in from a few yards out. Jackson Bragg bulled his way in from roughly 12, and Cobb slung one to J.W. Hitchcock for a third TD pass to put the night’s final bundle of hay in the barn with still five minutes left to half.

Game ball: Cobb accounted for a total of four touchdowns, three passing and one rushing, in another several-hundred yard performance at QB.

GIAA semifinals: Eagles vs. Briarwood, Friday

Best of the rest…

Westfield 42, Tiftarea 6: The Hornets, after losing by a point to Tiftarea with a shorthanded squad back in September, jumped all over the Panthers right from the start to make this rematch a completely different story. Westfield’s defense set the tone quickly with a stop, then a Liam Sexton interception that set up back-to-back touchdowns, a first via 71-yard connection between Brock Johnson and Stone St. Clair. The 16-of-26 Johnson threw for 241, and rushed for two additional scores, while St. Clair and Cort Pearson added single TD passes of their own, to help the Hornets double their lead before halftime, and add a score per quarter of the second half to pull away. Win Hoots had eight receptions for 167 yards, and St. Clair the same number for 112. Tiftarea’s offense was held to just over 100 yards in each phase. Westfield will visit Deerfield-Windsor in the state semifinals.

Click here for a full recap of the game by the Houston Home Journal’s Clay Brown.

SET IN STONE: Westfield wide receiver Stone St. Clair takes a pass 71 yards to paydirt on the Hornets’ first drive of the game. St. Clair caught this pass and also threw for a score as they solidified the early lead on the way to Friday’s 42-6 victory over Tiftarea/CLAY BROWN, Houston Home Journal

John Milledge 56, Piedmont 0: Even with their top running back inactive, the Trojans rocked and rolled in a first playoff win since 2023, gaining 451 total yards and forcing three turnovers in a second-straight shutout. Aside from a Piedmont interception by Camden Moss to spoil a red zone chance right out of the gate, JMA faced little resistance. And the Trojans, who were hardly bothered by the setback, ended up getting the ball right back on a Jabari Welch fumble recovery that set up Asa Wall’s short rushing touchdown. Things snowballed from there as Lewis Cheney completed eight passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns (with Wall, Bryce McDonel and Bradyn Harrison on the receiving end), Javaris Hurt rushed 12 times for 156 and two scores, Lane Rhodes picked off two passes and Amarion Shivers came up with three sacks. JMA will host Frederica in its state semifinal.

FPD 42, Strong Rock 7: The Major Simmons-less Vikings, whose quarterback was one on a long list of starters out with injuries, matched their two season scoring bests with over 300 total yards. Brady McHugh scored three times on 20 carries for 93, and caught one of two touchdown passes from the 17-for-19 Cash Walker, who threw for 161. The FPD defense, with the help of three takeaways, held the Strong Rock option attack to just 162 yards rushing, Jake Johnson with 22 carries for 133 yards and the only touchdown in quarter 4. The Vikings match up with Brookstone in semifinal action Friday.

See Michael A. Lough’s full-write up, for the Macon Melody, here.

BRADY BUNCH: FPD running back Brady McHugh (15) had a decent chunk of the Vikings’ offense in their GIAA quarterfinal win over Strong Rock Christian, with 27 touches for well over a hundred yards from scrimmage, and a hand in three touchdowns/JESSICA GRATIGNY, for the Macon Melody

Edmund Burke 28, Flint River 6: Noah Hickman threw for a touchdown (the Spartans’ first of the game to Cohen Felix) and rushed for two, with twin brother Sam delivering a great deal of rushing yardage and a second-half interception, to lead Edmund Burke to its third-straight state title game. The twice-defending champs will go for a three-peat Nov. 21 at Mercer.

Southland 20, Central Fellowship 12: The Raiders ate up about half the third-quarter clock on a long drive to complete the coveted two-for-one with touchdowns on either side of the break, as Jamarcus Walker rushed for their third to open a commanding two-score lead. Central Fellowship knocked it down to eight points as Judson Walls powered in for his second touchdown (on 25 carries for a team-high 114 yards) early in the fourth, but the Lancers’ last-chance march was halted by the game-clinching interception of Mac McMichael with three minutes to go. CFCA cashed in an early-game fumble to score first, but Southland took back control with a pair of touchdowns (on a love by Garrett Love and pass from McMichael to Cade Futch) in the second. Love rushed 17 times for 111 yards and Allen Styck seven times for 65 to account for most of the 231 rushing yards that carried the Raiders in the defensive battle. They will visit Southwest Georgia in Friday’s state semifinal.

SECOND-QUARTER SURGE: Stratford quarterback Tucker Johnston (6) avoids a tackle during Friday night’s playoff win over Calvary Christian. The sophomore had a role in all three touchdowns the Eagles scored in the second quarter to significantly widen their lead of 9-0 after one/JASON VORHEES, Macon Melody

Stratford 37, Calvary Christian 21: The Eagles put 30 on the board in a first-half shutout that all but slammed the door on their first playoff win since a last semifinal trip in 2022. Quarterback Tucker Johnston threw for two touchdowns, and scrambled for his third, to anchor the 21-point third quarter that opened their huge halftime gap. Though top back Tyler Stephens is still on the mend from a late-season injury, Stratford still gashed its way to 230 rushing yards, with Johnston (nine attempts for 56 and two touchdowns) and reserves Aaron Jefferson (14 carries for 86 yards) and Ja’Lon Smith (with an additional score) pacing the team. Jett Johnston caught five passes for 43 and one touchdown. Josh Butts pulled in the other TD on two for 15. The Eagles, on 313 total yards, were ultimately outgained by Calvary, whose offense posted 336 and three touchdowns late in the second half as they struggled to kill the clock. The Knights’ Braxton Wilkinson completed 23 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns. Luke Scoggins had two receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. Jamar Williams had seven for 107 and a score and Sawyer Talbott six for 87. Stratford faces George Walton at home Friday for a spot in the state title game.

Here’s the Macon Melody’s full game recap, by sports editor Micah Johnston.