About The Baldwin bulletin. (Milledgeville, GA) ????-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2017)
Sports » BALDWIN HIGH FOOTBALL I Baldwin Bulletin Thursday, November 23,2017 | B1 CHRISTIAN MCKEARNEY chris@bbnews.today F orsyth — Losing in the playoffs is never easy. Players sob. Cheerleaders sob. Parents sob. People hug it out. Such was the case last Friday night, as Baldwin was bounced from the second round of the GHSA Class AAAA state playoffs by Mary Persons 39-14 in Forsyth. Baldwin finishes the 2017 season at 7-5. It was the first year of Head Coach Jesse Hicks’ second go-around at the school. Hicks previously coached at Baldwin between 2001-2009 before returning earlier this year to Milledgeville. “It never gets easier. You want to tell the kids they have a lot to be proud, and you want to tell them to keep their heads held high. But, at the same time, there are tears coming out of their eyes, and it’s emotional,” Hicks said. “Its just one part of the job that you never completely get used to I was emotional, too. I’m not gonna he I love these kids, and this was a very special group.” Simply put, the football gods were not on Baldwin’s side Friday night. The Braves recovered a fumbled punt in Mary Person’s territory midway through the first quarter. A Baldwin gunner was called for a “halo” violation, however, and the Bulldogs retained possession. Mary Persons then ripped off two long runs and flew into the end zone, taking a 7-0 lead. Following a bad snap and a safety against Baldwin, the Braves’ defense bowed up and got the ball back for the offense, which marched down the field for an impressive touchdown drive, capped by a Noah Hill 4-yard run. Kicker Lucas Webb’s extra point was good, and Baldwin trailed just 9-7, which remained the score heading into halftime. The Braves actually held the momentum for most of the second quarter and the first half of the third quarter. Speaking of the third quarter, the Braves wasted little time getting going, as quarterback Torez Hicks found wide receiver J.T. Tucker all alone on a 68-yard scoring bomb. The extra point again was good, and the Braves took a 14-9 lead. An anxious murmur JANET CALLAWAY/Contributed Noah Hill is taken down by a tough Mary Persons defense during its playoff loss. Mary Persons would win 39-14. What now for Baldwin? For the first time in several years, Baldwin actually will have some momentum going into next season. Although the floodgates sort of opened in the second half, the Braves’ performance against Mary Persons, coupled with their first-round state playoff victory over Eastside- Covington, is reason for optimism On paper, at least, Baldwin should be better. Quarterback Torez Hicks, who showed improvement at the end of the season, will return, and he’ll be a senior. Region 3-AAAA Defensive Player of the Year Milton Adams also will return and also will be a senior. Adams had 20-something tackles against Mary Persons and was the best player on the field. The hybrid defensive back/linebacker is one of the surest tacklers and fastest line backers in program history. The only thing holding him back from being a 4- or 5-star recruit is his height. On his best day, wearing cleats, Adams might be 5-foot-10. Sheer numbers also will be on Baldwin’s side. The Braves’ began this season with roughly 90 players on its roster after finishing the 2016 season with roughly 45 players on its roster. Of the roughly 90 players on this year’s squad, around 25 of them didn’t even play football for the school until this season. More experience for these players, along with more experience for the Braves’ promising group of underclassmen, could lead to better days ahead in 2018 and beyond. came over the Mary Persons crowd, as the heavily favored home team suddenly was losing in the playoffs, its season on the line. Once again, however, the football gods were not with Baldwin. On the following possession, Mary Persons went for it on 4th-and-3 from the Braves’ 39. Junior Milton Adams made one of his 20-plus tackles, and the Braves’ bench celebrated an apparent stop. The chain gang came out on the field, however, and gave the Bulldogs a first down by the length of a football. Two plays later, Mary Persons scored a touchdown. Instead of getting the ball back with a 14-9 lead and all of the momentum, Baldwin suddenly trailed 17-9, all of the momentum returning to the Mary Persons side of the stadium. Momentum was never returned, and the Bulldogs capitalized on several more big plays to run away with the game. “We’ll be back. We are already looking to next season. After Thanksgiving, we’ll come back in and start weight lifting again,” Hicks said. “Football never stops.” JANET CALLAWAY/Contributed Baldwin's J.T. 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