“We led the entire game until the last 1:34,” said Warner Robins Middle School football Head Coach Mike Martin, whose eighth grade squad lost to the Panthers 10-8. “(We) took a safety with three minutes left and they scored late to win.
“(It was) one of those games where we beat them in every aspect of the game but lost in the scoring column. Our boys played great - just got a couple of bad breaks late.”
Perry football Head Coach Randy Moss echoed that sentiment to a certain extent – especially in the early parts of the game. Describing it as a “nail biter”, he said WRMS took the opening kickoff and “drove it down our throats” to take an 8-0 lead – following the extra point conversion.
“WRMS absolutely stuffed our offense for the first half,” Moss said, “And we could not get anything going.”
The score at the half was still 8-0. Moss said they kicked off to the Warriors to start the second half and they returned it for a touchdown. Only it was called back for an illegal block in the back.
“From that point on our defense settled in and played a wonderful second half,” Moss said, offering proof in the fact they didn’t allow another first down. Late in the fourth WRMS had a fourth and 15 with the ball on their own own-yard line. That’s where they opted for the safety.
They kicked off to Perry, which Moss said was able to get to around the 50-yard line with three minutes left to play. They mounted their only drive of the day from there and scored. Mark Riley took it in from 11 yards out with, Moss said, “an incredible second-effort run.” Daniel Ward came on and kicked the extra point. The game ended around midfield with a Michael Leger interception to secure the win.
“I told the guys all week that WRMS is a well-coached team and the game will be close,” Moss said. “Coach Martin and Coach Rape did a great job preparing their kids for this game and we were very fortunate to come away with a win.
“I was very proud of our kids for the way they fought back at the end of the game. They never gave up and were able to pull out a win late in the game. That says something about the character of our kids.”
As far as seventh grade, Warner Robins Middle School didn’t have the same problems. The Warriors beat Mossy Creek Middle School 28-12.
WRMS Head Coach Ricky Hill described it as a passing team, MCMS, versus a running team, the Warriors.
The score was only 14-12 at the half with Warner Robins up but, Hill said, “The Warriors turned things around in the second half by intercepting three passes. Two of those went for touchdowns.
Scoring for WRMS were: Jacquan Burns, Cameron Bothe, Devonte Danielly, Danny Hite III and Josh Profit.
Also, “The offensive line did a great job blocking,” Hill added, singling out the efforts of: Leon Perry, Stephone Raybon, Artie Gardner, Devin Jackson, Travis Perkins and Preston Brown.
For the eighth grade, MCMS lost to Thomson Middle School 50-22. Highlights singled out by Head Coach Mark Sams included the three touchdown passes of Taylor Boyett. He hit Bryce Dawson with a 15 yard and Cody Carter twice. The first was for 45 yards, the second for 15.
Other scores for the seventh grade were: Huntington Middle School 6, Bonaire Middle 0; Northside Middle 30, Perry Middle 14 and Thomson Middle 22, Feagin Mill Middle 16.
For the eighth grade they were: Huntington Middle 24, Bonaire Middle 16 and Northside Middle 49, Feagin Mill Middle 0.
The semifinal matchups are all Thursday and are as follows for the seventh grade: Huntington Middle at Northside Middle, 3:30 p.m. and Warner Robins Middle versus Thomson Middle, 4 p.m. at Bonaire Middle. The eighth grade games are: Perry Middle versus Thomson Middle, 3:30 p.m. at Perry High School and Huntington Middle at Northside Middle, 5 p.m.
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