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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 Commercial Grade Bobcat Mowers ONLY AT Lemley’s Garage Hwy. 41 • 2129 Macon Rd Perry, GA || 52257 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 V 5 9