Scoreboard: Warner Robins tops Northside in OT thriller, Perry rolls past Jones County
The football seemed to move in slow motion for portions of Friday night’s rivalry game between Warner Robins and Northside, but the Demons came out on top 17-10 in a thrilling overtime game that reignited the feud between the two high schools.
“It was a great win man, this is how this game is supposed to be, two quality opponents playing against each other,” said Warner Robins head coach Marquis Westbrook. “It came down to an overtime victory, but hats off to the way they played… Northside has a great football team over there.”
Demons quarterback Chase Reese, a transfer from Hawkinsville, was the star of the show for Warner Robins in his first time playing in the rivalry. He went 8 of 21 passing for 108 yards despite two interceptions while exploding on the ground for 147 yards rushing on 23 attempts.
“It’s definitely a confidence booster not only for him, but for our program,” Westbrook said. “We’re looking to find our next guy, and we know that we found him. We put the ball on his shoulders, we just let him go, and he stepped up big for us tonight.”
The win for Warner Robins is their sixth consecutive win over the rival Eagles, but the game was much closer than recent installments. After last year’s 49-7 romp for the Demons, it only seemed fitting that the two squads would provide fireworks galore and an overtime finish in this year’s game.
Both teams played staunch first half defense, especially Warner Robins. Eagles quarterback Damien Dee completed no passes in the first half, but Northside did have 96 yards rushing despite not scoring on offense.
The Eagles’ only score of the half came when the Demons snapped a ball over their punter’s head, giving Northside a safety for their first points of the contest. Warner Robins struck back before long, driving down the field and striking for a touchdown after quarterback Chase Reese threw a huge pass to Isiah Canion for 44 yards to set them up at the 1 yardline.
The Demons led 10-2 going into half, and looked well on their way to their fifth consecutive win over Northside. Reese finished the half with 60 yards through the air on 4 of 14 passing and two interceptions in addition to 57 yards on the ground.
The third quarter saw Warner Robins look even more in control, taking care of the Eagles offense with ease for the first part of the second half. The momentum seemed locked in the Demons’ favor when they had Warner Robins pinned back at their own 6 yardline midway through the quarter and brought them to third down.
It was on 3rd and 7 from their own 8 yardline that things changed for Northside. A huge pass from Dee to wideout D’shawn Hooten for 32 yards was Dee’s first completion of the game and dug them out of the hole. Then Dee rushed for 12 yards, then 32. The Eagles’ offense built momentum for the first time all game, peaking when Dee threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Wilson. Dee rushed for the two point conversion as well, tying the game at 10-10 and turning the tables on Warner Robins.
From there the game became the back-and-forth frenzy most fans expect from a bitter rivalry. Each team traded multiple unsuccessful drives as the defenses stepped up. Warner Robins eventually positioned themselves for a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter, but a bad snap resulted in a turnover on downs.
Northside looked to finally have the upper hand when they blocked a Demon punt and recovered at the Warner Robins 7 yardline with less than a minute to play. But the Warner Robins defense stepped up, forcing a fumble near the goal line and pushing the game to overtime.
Reese struck again on the first play in the extra period, scoring a 15-yard touchdown that would prove to be the difference. The Eagles and their fans could only watch as their final pass on fourth down was tipped in the air and fell just out of reach of their receiver, ending the game at 17-10 and concluding a classic edition of the rivalry.
Other scores
Perry 42, Jones County 14
Westside 40, Morrow 14
Fitzgerald 28, Northeast 27
ACE 63, Pataula Charter 22
Trinity Christian 31, Mary Persons, 20
Stratford 42, Riverside 20
Tattnall 64, Athens Christian 34
Dodge 44, Washington 21
Pike County 49, Southwest 20
Wilkinson 53, Crawford 13
Brentwood 27, Georgia Military College 15
