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The True Citizen, Wednesday, November 18, 2020 — Page 9A
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Bears lose big against Morgan County
BEN ROBERTS
benroberts@bellsouth.net
The Burke County Bears saw
their season goals slip away as
time expired last week in their
first ever match-up against
Morgan County High School
(Madison).
The Bulldogs got out in front
and held their lead for four
quarters, beating the Bears 41-
21 in front of a stunned Bear
Den, packed for Senior Night.
Morgan County’s win had
Region 4-AAA implications
in that it flipped-flopped the
Bears and Bulldogs’ standings
and ended Burke County’s
hopes of knocking off the
Academy of Richmond County
(ARC) this week and still being
in contention for first place in
the region.
Instead, the now-fourth
ranked Bears will travel to
the southeast corner of the
state for the first round of
the Georgia High School As
sociation (GHSA) playoffs.
Burke County will face either
Appling County (Baxley) or
Pierce County (Blackshear)
depending on the outcome of
their contest Friday as well.
Those two teams are currently
3-0 in Region 1-AAA play and
ranked in the top ten of state
wide rankings.
Burke County (3-2 Region
4,3-4 overall) could still play
spoiler to ARC (5-0 Region 4,
8-1 overall) by handing them
their first region loss, although
the Musketeers will still take
their first region championship
since 1976 whether they win or
lose Friday.
Bears’ head coach Eric Park
er said such a win would be
nice but he’s more concerned
with the state of his team’s play
heading into the state playoffs
in two weeks.
“My thing is I just want to
get back to playing well,” he
said. “I just feel like a play
or two here or there and we
could be going to ARC with
a possible spot at playing for
Region. We just didn’t get it
done.”
Burke and Morgan (3-2 Re
gion, 5-4 overall) both failed to
score on their first possessions
of the night, driving into each
other’s territory but failing
to convert on fourth downs.
Senior nose-guard Donterius
Jones ended Morgan’s next
drive by recovering a fumble
deep on the Bears’side of the
held. That drive would go no
where, however, and a Burke
punt from their own 21 would
be blocked and recovered by
the Bulldogs in the end zone
for a touchdown.
Morgan County would score
again on a third-and-four from
the Burke 25 yard line with just
under a minute to go before the
half to put them up 14-0.
Morgan then ran back the
second half kickoff for a 60-
yard touchdown to go up by
three scores 21-0. This was the
second week in a row that the
Bears’ kickoff team allowed a
return for a touchdown.
Burke County did score on
their next drive on a 3 8-yard
pass from Marshall Flowers to
James Mable. The point-after
attempt by senior kicker, Jacob
Hickman, cut the Bulldogs’
lead to two scores with plenty
of time on the clock in the third
quarter.
Morgan would score on
the first play of their next dri-
veon a 68-yard run, to again
stretch their lead to three touch
downs. Sophomore running
back Charlie Dorsey would
have his own answer two plays
into the Bears’ next drive with
a 61-yard touchdown, making
it 28-14 late in the third.
The Bears appeared to be
making their come back with
a 37-yard touchdown pass
from Flowers to Jed Osborn
to cut the Morgan lead to 28-
21 with 6:25 left to play. That
comeback was halted when the
Bulldogs scored on their next
two possessions for the final
score of 41-21.
“We had some points in the
ballgame where we needed
to play better than we did,”
Parker said. “This time of year
when people are playing for
playoffs, you’re just going to
get their best effort and we got
it. That was probably the best
game Morgan played all year.
Of course, we made way too
many mistakes in those crucial
moments to talk about winning
at that level.”
Parker said ARC will present
another tough challenge and he
expects them to come ready to
defend their undefeated Region
4 record.
“[ARC has] flirted with be
ing pretty dog-gone good for a
while now, the last couple of
years,” he said. “They’ve got
some really good skill kids.
They’ll be the best pair of run
ning backs we’ve faced this
year. They’ll be playing with
a lot of enthusiasm. Hopefully
we can put a good forty-eight
minutes together.”
Burke County will face ARC
in Augusta. Kickoff is set for
7:30 p.m.
EBA to host Backyard
Battle on Friday night
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
If the Spartans ever needed
a win this season, a victory in
the Backyard Battle on Friday
would certainly shake things
up.
Edmund Burke (4-6, 1-1)
comes off a 20-7 win over
Augusta Prep on Nov. 13, a
first in region play, to take on
long time rival the Briarwood
Buccaneers, who boast a 5-3-
1 record and are currently
undefeated and ranked first in
Region 4AA. The Bucs just
took down Thomas Jefferson
last week, 7-6, and defeated
Augusta Prep on Nov. 6, with a
score of 42-0. The Spartans fell
to TJ’s Jags on Homecoming,
20-14. Currenlty, TJ and EBA
are ranked second and third in
the region, respectively, ac
cording to MaxPreps.
“They are a very good foot
ball team, and it’ll be a tough
challenge,” said EBA head
football coach Aaron Phillips.
“We have to execute very well
and hope they don’t wear us
down. They have more depth
than we do, but they have also
been affected by the injury bug
like we have been.”
Last year, the Spartans won
the Backyard Battle 24-21 in
Thomson. They’ll host the
Bucs this Friday, Nov. 20, in
Waynesboro. Kickoff is at
7:30 p.m.
Phillips was happy with the
Spartans’ performance against
Augusta Prep.
“We were pleased to get a
region win,” he said. “We did
some good things, but we still
have a lot of work to do.”
The Spartans were the first
to score in Friday’s matchup,
earning 2 touchdowns in the
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second quarter and heading
to the half on top 12-0. Both
EBA and AP would score in the
third, the Spartans a touchdown
and 2-point conversion and the
Cavaliers a single touchdown.
Neither team put up points in
the fourth quarter.
Eason Waters was the lead
ing rusher for EBA, gaining
235 yards on 15 carries along
with 2 touchdowns. Carosson
Woods ran 12 times for 72
yards. Evan Hirschauer also
scored a TD for the Spartans.
Defensively, Brantley Jones
led the effort with 20 tackles;
followed by Waters, who had
18, and Hirschauer, 11.
POWER PLAYERS
MOf the Gamel^H
1 Cfuirfit
Dorsey
SOPHOMORE
The running back
had 155 yards m 21
writes ana 1
touchdown
m
Waters
SENIOR
Waters had 235
yards rushing on
15 carries and 2
touchdowns.
EDMUND BURKE ACADEMY FOOTBALL-2020
Sponsored by:
m Planters Electric
Membership Corporation
A Touchstone Energy* Cooperative
Meet Burke County’s
FiMResponders
Capt. Kenneth Gilliam
Cap! Kenneth Gilliam began h-is Career with
Burk* County Emergency Management Agent,
in September 2K3 Ha received his initial E MS
training in Ins hoTelown of Orlande-Orange
Courtly, Fla., his inihal firelighter training while
in tha U.5. Air Force at San Angela. Tanas,
where ha served eight year; on active duty and
in reserves. Ha was deployed to Germany and
England while serving.
in 2M5. Capt. Gilliam became i state (edified
paramedic He is a G5AR Rescue Technician
and a Ne instructor.
Capa. Giltam and his wife. Julian, >eside in
Henh Augusta. S.C. When net wc-king. he
eujd,a spending lima w4h his lamily. He has
three children: Connor. Kaylea and Charlotte.
We appreciate yeur earvice to Burke County
and hur country Capt. Gilliantl
Burke County EM& Office
Deputy Maic Gaines
Deputy Marc Gaines has been employed at
the Burke County Sheriffs Office for several
years and is currently assigned as a school
resource officer.
The Burke County native completed training
at the Augusta Tech Police Acaoemy in
2015. He and his wile. Victoria live in
Waynesboro, and Ite is the son ul Vera and
Marc Gaines.
He is a great asset to the sheriff's office and
sals a wonderful example for our area's
young future leaders.
Thank you Deputy Gaines Par yeur
dedicated service to Burke County.
Burke County Sheriff's Office
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