(LINCOLNTON, GA) Lincoln County whipped Randolph-Clay 43-6 here last Friday night as the Class A Division II playoffs opened. The local Red Devils will host Hawkinsville this Friday in the second round.
Hawkinsville's Red Devils came from behind to edge Trion 24-21 in the first round. LCHS and Hawkinsville are 1-1 all-time, winning home games. LCHS whipped Hawkinsville 31-7 in the 2006 quarterfinals. That game is best remembered for the "confusion in the pressbox" free kick when Larry Campbell proved who the rulebook expert was. The other meeting was the controversial 2003 state final game when Hawkinsville called four timeouts in a half in an 18-8 win. After that game, the GHSA eliminated the ability to protest a football game.
Hawkinsville is 9-2, falling to region opponents Wheeler County 36-18 and Wilcox County 28-23. Wheeler is undefeated. Hawkinsville has won five straight games. Those Red Devils favor the run, with nearly 2,000 rushing yards compared to less than a thousand passing yards. Rushing TDs outnumber passing TDs 28-13. Martin McDonald (#9) leads rushing with 824 yards and nine TDs. Sebastian Clark (#6) is their senior quarterback. Nieem Blair (#2) and Samir Whitehead (#16) are the leading receivers.
The winner of this week's game will play the winner of the Brooks County at Johnson County game. Those teams are currently ranked fourth and fifth. Lincoln County remains ranked first followed by Clinch County and Bowdon.
The LCHS Red Devil Defense was smothering in the first half against Randolph-Clay. The visitors managed only ten yards rushing and minus-five passing on 21 offensive plays. Their only first down in the half came on a penalty. The 43-0 halftime score would have been worse had it not been for Randolph-Clay's punter that averaged 35 yards on six first half kicks. The second half was played under the GHSA clock-running mercy rule.
As the game opened, three plays netted zero yards for the "Devils in white", as public address announcer Guil Mattison described the visiting Red Devils. Randolph-Clay punted 31 yards to the LC 48. Christian Elam made a cut to the left and was tackled 36 yards later at the RC 16. Aiden Jones ran toward the right, stopped, and then sprinted 16 yards to the end zone with 9:23 left in the first quarter. The PAT kick went wide right, leaving the home team up 6-0.
After another R-C punt, LCHS drove 44 yards on eight plays with QB Mekhi Wade weaving his way into the end zone on a six-yard run. Elam ran for two and a 14-0 Lincoln County lead with 4:26 left in the opening period.
The southwest Georgia squad went backwards on its next possession before punting to midfield. Travis Franklin rushed for eleven before Elam bulled his way for 22 yards. Jonathan Norman rushed for four and then ten. Jones scored from the three with half-a-minute left in the quarter. Fortson Partridge booted the PAT for a 21-0 Big Red lead as the quarter ended.
Norman returned the next R-C punt 28 yards to the R-C 34. Jacobe Moss headed left, broke two tackles where he looked to be stopped, and then sprinted up the sideline to score with just over ten minutes left in the half. Partridge put the local Red Devils up 28-0.
R-C gained a first down on a penalty and reached its 40 on its next drive. That would be its furthermost advance of the half. The drive ended with a punt, which Wade returned 30 yards to near the line of scrimmage. Norman rushed for six before Jones ran for 19. Backup QB Thomas McWhorter rushed for ten. Elam scored from the six. The kick failed, leaving Big Red ahead 34-0 midway the second quarter.
Partridge's kickoffs usually bounce in the end zone, and the return men expected that. This time, the ball bounced at the two and stopped. The returner covered the ball, starting R-C at the 2. The Devils in white then fumbled the pigskin out of the end zone for a safety and two points for the home team. LCHS led 36-0.
Norman returned the safety kick 17 yards to the RC 33, then ran for eleven and five to setup a four-yard TD run by Moss. Partridge booted the PAT for a 43-0 lead with 1:42 left before the break.
Randolph-Clay scored on an 18-yard run against Lincoln County's third team in the clock-shortened second half.
Elam led Lincoln County rushers with 77 yards on five carries. Norman ran eight times for 58 yards with four returns totaling 125 yards. As a team, LCHS totaled 293 yards compared to 80 for the visitors.
Washington-Wilkes made the long trip to Seminole County successful with a 32-23 victory. The Tigers' reward is a trip to Bowdon to play the powerful Western Red Devils. Warren County outlasted Mitchell County 42-30 and will travel to Alamo to play undefeated Wheeler County.