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HOUSTON COUNTY FOOTBALL 2007
The year in review
By MATTHEW BROWN
Journal Staff Writer
Week 1
Sept. 1 -2
Perry High’s season gets off to a shaky start
as turnovers plague the Panthers at Hawkinsville
High. Only a punt return for a touchdown by An
tonio Hubbard helps Perry avoid a shutout at the
hands of the Red Devils, which win the game 17-
6.
, Westfield not only lets one get away at John
Milledge, but starting fullback/linebacker Austin
Madruga is lost for the season to a knee injury.
The Hornets fall to the Trojans in Milledgeville SI
-28.
Marques Ivory throws two touchdown passes to
Jacobi Rodrigues as Northside begins the march
to 15-0 with a 26-14 win against Houston County
High at McConnell-Talbert. Rodrigues had 143 re
ceiving yards on seven catches.
On a Saturday afternoon in Atlanta’s Georgia
Dome, Warner Robins High pulls off a stunner
30-3 against Parkview High. Laron Scott gets it
started with the first Demon possession by scor
ing 60-yard touchdown on a reverse.
Week 2
Sept. 8-9
The most anticipated game all year was much
earlier than usual as both Warner Robins High and
Northside were now playing in separate classifi
cations. But the rivalry still meant everything, in
cluding an overflow crowd. Northside won the city
championship for the second year in a row 28-7.
Perry High quarterback Casey Hayward hit Trey
Smith with a 30-yard touchdown pass to break a
12-12 tie and send the Panthers to a 26-12 win
against Daugherty High, which was coming off a
GO IRfilnl
Jm x* Good Luck
This Season!
let's Bo It
<m^nGMN!
Thanks for Proudly
Representing
Northside High School!
From the Coaching Staff ofNHS
Class AAA state runner-up season in 2005.
In the first game without Madruga, Westfield got
138 rushing yards and a touchdown from hobbling
senior Zach Young in a 23-7 home win against Mt.
de Sales.
Playing on Saturday at McConnell-Talbert,
Houston County High did all of its scoring in the
first half and made the second half go by quick
against visiting Windsor Forest. The Bears won
35-6 with 200 rushing yards in that first half.
Week 3
Sept. 16
Tattnall Square’s multi-talented quarterback
Brett Layson pulled off a beautiful fake and scored
on a 71-yard touchdown run on the first play of
the second half against Westfield. The Hornets
were only down 12 at halftime against the even
tual state champions, but the Trojans cruised to
a 46-14 win.
Eric O’Neal, on his way to winning the Region
1-AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year honor, had
four rushing touchdowns for Houston County High
in a non-region affair with Berkmar at McConnell-
Talbert Stadium. O’Neal had 165 yards on the
ground as the Bears won 27-7.
Northside had all it could handle on a tough
road trip to College Park to play North Clayton,
the alma mater of former Georgia quarterback
D.J. Shockley. Cornerback Charles McKenzie’s
interception with 59 seconds left helped preserve
the win for Northside 28-21.
Warner Robins also went to the Atlanta area
and came home with a sub-. 500 record after a 17-
0 loss to Central Gwinnett.
Week 4
Sept. 23
Warner Robins rediscovered its offensive touch
by blitzing Beach High of Savannah 56-18 at
McConnell-Talbert.
Kenny Davis of Perry had two second-half
touchdowns, including one with 45 seconds re
maining in regulation as the Panthers took on
Jackson High at Herb St. John Stadium. But that
touchdown only brought Perry within'one point,
and head coach Andy Scott elected for the two
point conversion. Unfortunately, a procedure call
on the offensive line turned it into an eight-yard
attempt, and Jackson batted away a pass to win
28-27.
Houston County went from trailing 10-0 to win
ning 20-10 at the Big Orange Jungle, also known
as Parkview High. The Bears matched the earlier
feat of Warner Robins High in knocking off the pe
rennial Gwinnett County power.
Northside slammed Jones County 45-0.
Westfield had to settle for a 7-7 tie at Brentwood,
Week 5
Sepl. 28-29
Yet another local football contest comes down
to the final play. Warner Robins High defeated
Houston County High 10-9 despite giving up a
touchdown on the last play of the game, which
was a pass by Jeff Thompson tipped around in
the end zone and caught by tight end Ben Collins.
But Houston missed the PAT with no time left on
the clock.
Earlier in the game, Taylor Jones of the Bears
set a school record with a 45-yard field goal, War
ner Robins kicker David Clark set a personal best
with a 41-yard field goal and Demon Ivory Pettis
had a 10-yard interception return for a touchdown
after Jordan Sanders tipped the pass.
In other action, Northside humbled another
sub-region foe, Dutchdown, 54-0 on Thursday.
Perry held off a late charge by Henry County to
win 20-17.
Week 6
Oct. 6
For Houston County High, it was a year of un
precedented success in places visiting teams just
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don’t win. First in was Parkview, and this weekend
it was Lowndes. The Bears converted a big fourth
down in the third quarter with just a three-point
lead, and then went on to dominate the remain
der of the contest and win 31-14. Quarterback Jeff
Thompson had two touchdowns on quarterback
sneaks.
Even with a sluggish second half, Perry and
quarterback Casey Hayward dominated Central
35-14.
Northside's dominating linebacker Deonta Jor
dan had a rushing touchdown, a fumble recov
ery touchdown and a safety in a 43-6 pasting of
Stockbridge.
Westfield, only down 7-0 at halftime, faltered
in the second half as Stratford wound up rolling
35-7.
We«k 7
Oct. 13
Kenny Davis had three touchdowns, and Perry
drove 96 yards for one score in the third quarter
at West Laurens. The Panthers won 42-6. First
Presbyterian did much of the same to Westfield
in Macon as the Vikings controlled the ball in the
second half after two interceptions on the first half.
The Vikings beat the Hornets 31-14.
Eric O’Neal had another 165-yard, three-touch
down game for Houston County High in a 25-14
win against Colquitt County High. Northside took
care of its main 4-AAAA south sub-region compe
tition, Baldwin, 28-6, in Milledgeville
Valdosta High, meanwhile, was going through a
very un-Valdosta-like season, but Warner Robins
High couldn’t tell when it went down to the city of
champions. Jeremy Grant and Dewayne Jackson
each rushed for more than 100 yards as the De
mons rallied from 10 points down and won 21-17.
Jackson scored the game-winner from 70 yards
out with 11 minutes to play.
W««k 8
Oct. 19-21
Several games in the 2007 football
See YEAR, page 16
GOOD LUCK
to all
Houston County
Football Teams!
478*987-3722
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