Oconee County pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of the season in Class AAA when the Warriors stunned No. 3 Jefferson 36-35 in double overtime.
Credit: Stan Awtrey
Credit: Stan Awtrey
The Warriors (7-2) won the game when quarterback Zeb Noland scored on a 2-yard run and tight end Cooper Saunders ran for the decisive two-point conversion.
Noland ran for two touchdowns and threw touchdown passes to Saunders and Ty Paschal. Gavin Adcock also scored on a fumble return.
Jefferson got five touchdowns from Colby Wood, including a 3-yard run with 3:14 remaining.
Oconee’s victory, combined with wins from Hart County and Elbert County, has created a four-way tie for first place in Region 8-AAA. Elbert County travels to Oconee County next week, while Hart County visits Jefferson.
Other highlights from Friday night:
Dawson County clinched the school’s first region championship with a 41-0 victory over Lumpkin County, which secured the Region 7-AAA title for the Tigers. Hunter Mitchell ran for four touchdowns to lead Dawson County (6-3), which also got touchdowns from Logan Hurst and Tucker Maxwell, who caught a pass from Coey Watson.
East Hall clinches second: East Hall (5-4) nailed down second place in Region 7-AAA with a 50-36 win over Fannin County. Quarterback Austin Parker threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns, with Markese Jackson catching six passes for 165 yards and two scores. Jiel Vargas ran for 126 yards and one touchdown for the Vikings.
Dodge County wins subregion: The No. 7 Indians rushed for 467 yards and outslugged Pierce County 59-36 to clinch the Region 1-AAA Division A championship. Dodge County was led by Kyle Glover (172 yards, one TD), Camron Young (129 yards, two TDs), Larry Johnson (81 yards, one TD) and Clint Thompson (78 yards, two TDs). A.J. Lampkin also returned an interception for a touchdown. Pierce County was led by quarterback Stetson Bennett, who threw for 262 yards and one touchdown. Lafallen Taylor ran for three touchdowns and Brandon Sapp scored another for the Bears.
Peach nails down second place: Peach County came back from a 17-7 halftime deficit to beat Westside Macon 22-17 and claim second place in Region 2-AAA. Tyrique McGhee scored on a 1-yard run and caught a 51-yard pass for the Trojans, who also scored on a 70-yard pass from Antonio Gilbert to Kearis Jackson. Gilbert threw for 280 yards. Jackson had six catches for 133 yards but may have been injured on the touchdown catch.`
Westside was playing without quarterback Savion Knowlton (concussion), but transplanted wide receiver Gerimie Mitchell threw for 243 yards and a touchdown as his replacement. Steve Dolphus caught five passes for 124 yards.
No. 5 Elbert County rolls: Elbert County rushed for 325 yards and blanked East Jackson 41-0. Tra Barnett ran 16 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns and added a punt return for a score. Quarterback Mecole Hardman carried eight times for 138 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first shutout of the year for the Blue Devils.
No. 1 Calhoun routed Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 70-0 and secured its 15th consecutive region championship. The Yellow Jackets went deep on the roster and used a lot of players. Bryson Bushong ran for 80 yards and three touchdowns and Olico Dennis scored twice in limited action.
Top seeds win in Region 4: Division A champion Cedar Grove and Division B champion Blessed Trinity warmed up for next week's title showdown win easy wins on Friday. No. 4 Cedar Grove ripped South Atlanta 33-20, as quarterback Jelani Woods threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score. No. 2 Blessed Trinity got 122 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Milton Shelton and 139 yards passing and two touchdowns from quarterback Conor Davis.
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