MACON, Ga. — The first round of GHSA's playoffs did not disappoint.
There were plenty of blowouts, but there were also plenty of great games across the GHSA and GIAA.
Jasper County and ACE fought in what ended as a 10-point loss, Crisp County fought hard but fell in a five-point loss to Appling County and Westside outscored Spencer en route to a 14-point win.
Overall, it was a great football night, so here's a full recap of all the action from Football Friday Night.
Game of the Week: Baldwin vs West Laurens
It was a classic battle between two Central Georgia teams.
Region rivals Baldwin and West Laurens faced off for the second time this season. West Laurens won the matchup 28-14 just two weeks ago, but Baldwin wasn’t going to let that happen again.
The Braves took down the Raiders 26-24 in a back-and-forth battle that came down to the wire.
West Laurens struck first thanks to running back Ty Cummings running for an 84-yard rushing touchdown. While Baldwin’s Lamar Pounds and Jaylen King connected for a 25-yard touchdown to cut the lead to one, Cummings grabbed a 63-yard touchdown to widen the lead for the Raiders.
They held a 17-6 lead at halftime, but the Braves surged ahead off the back of running back Sadur Salahuddin. With two rushing touchdowns from Salahuddin, Baldwin took a 20-17 lead. That is until Cummings netted a 23-yard touchdown to retake the lead for the second time. West Laurens led 24-20 through the fourth quarter, but the Baldwin defense stepped up.
The Braves held West Laurens scoreless and shut down Cummings through the rest of the game. This gave Salahuddin another chance to retake the lead once again for the Braves.
A goal-line touchdown put Baldwin up 26-24, and the team’s defense held firm to give the Braves a key first-round victory and revenge for their final loss of the regular season.
Now, the Braves face a difficult test against Peach County, who are favorites to win a state championship. However, if Baldwin’s team can step up like they did against West Laurens, maybe the team will have a shot.
Three Stars
DJ Hudson, Peach County quarterback: Peach County had an easy win on Friday, and a big part was thanks to Hudson. The senior quarterback put on a clinic against Chestatee.
In the first half, he had four passing touchdowns, with three of those going to his younger brother Zion Hudson.
Ultimately, DJ Hudson’s performance at quarterback gave the Trojans a massive 56-33 win and helped the No. 1 seed advance another week.
Micah O’Neal and Xavier Bostic, Dublin quarterback and running back: The dynamic duo in the Fighting Irish’s backfield has been tremendous all season, and this game was no exception.
The pair teamed up to score nearly every touchdown in the game. O’Neal was dangerous in the air and on the group and Bostic picked up two 40-yard rushing touchdowns.
The Fighting Irish will need O’Neal and Bostic to continue performing at a high level to have a chance at a state championship this season.
Ahmad Gordon and De’Corrion Daniels, Perry running backs: Another dynamic duo in the backfield, Gordon and Daniels have been dominant all season for the Panthers.
Together, they teamed up for four touchdowns just on the ground and dominated St. Pius X in the rushing attack. Together they helped Perry win 38-13.
If Perry wants to repeat for a second straight championship, they’ll need Gordon and Daniels to keep putting up big numbers.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
- Southwest Georgia 40 - Gatewood 13
- Brentwood 40 - Southland 20
- Northeast 46 - Swainsboro 7
- Perry 38 - St. Pius X 13
- Upson-Lee 35 - Long County 23
- Jasper County 41 - ACE 31
- Toombs County 62 - Southwest 8
- Dublin 63 - Gordon Central 6
- Sumter County 37 - Union County 6
- Appling County 17 - Crisp County 12
- Fitzgerald 42 - Rabun County 21
- Deerfield-Windsor 27 - Westfield 24
- FPD 34 - Bethlehem Christian 0
- Bleckley County 41 - Social Circle 16
- Peach County 56 - Chestatee 33
- Dodge County 40 - Chattooga 14
- Pierce County 56 - Jackson 0
- Jeff Davis 33 - Washington County 17
- Lamar County 51 - Dade County 10
- Temple 40 - Putnam County 27
- Marist 47 - Warner Robins 25
- Jones County 51 - East Forsyth 21
- Baldwin 26 - West Laurens 24
- Fannin County 41 - Vidalia 7
- Westside 49 - Spencer 35
- Houston County 69 - Clarke Central 48
- Johnson County 16- Pelham 8
- Macon County 44 - Greenville 14
- Miller County 50 - Wilkinson County 30
- Metter 37 - Hawkinsville 7
- Bowdon 49 - Taylor County 7
- Mitchell County 47 - Hancock-Central 12
- Telfair County 22 - ECI 19
- Wilcox County 9 - McIntosh County Academy 0
- Jenkins County 39 - Wheeler County 14
- Trion 45 - Schley County 40
What’s next
After a full week of playoffs, all GIAA teams' season is coming to a close.
FPD will take on Bulloch Academy, and Brentwood will take on Southwest Georgia Academy, as both teams aim for a state championship. Both games will take place in Statesboro at Allen E. Paulson Stadium, Georgia Southern's home field.
Meanwhile, the playoffs continue for the several Central Georgia teams who survived round one.
For a full look, check out GHSA's website here.