WARNER ROBINS —
Northside-Warner Robins landed the first punch Friday night in a Class AAAAA second-round playoff game.
Thomas County Central countered.
The Eagles followed with one huget blow after another, highlighted by a 66-yard fumble return in the third quarter that stymied any momentum the Yellow Jackets had.
Central's only turnover was the game-changing play the Eagles needed to turn a close game into a 45-17 rout at McConnell-Talbert Stadium.
Northside will host Tucker in a quarterfinal matchup next week. Central's season ended in the second round for the second straight season.
“We've got a fourth-and-one and a half. We get the first down and the one thing we said we couldn't do, we turned it over right there,” Central coach Bill Shaver said.
Trailing 24-10 at halftime, the Yellow Jackets (9-3) responded in the third quarter with a long drive starting from their 32. Churning out runs of seven and six yards, Central moved the ball into Northside (12-0) territory at the 33. But on fourth down, the Yellow Jackets lost a fumble and Trey Payne recovered it for the Eagles and rumbled 66 yards for a back-breaking touchdown. Instead of a possible 24-17 score, the deficit ballooned to 31-10 and the Yellow Jackets never recovered.
See Saturday's edition for more details.
Local Sports
Related Photos
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Thomas County Central’s Adam Choice breaks into the secondary during the first half of Friday’s game against Northside-Warner Robins. Ron Seibel/Macon Telegraph
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