MACON, Ga. — It was a rough week for many of the Central Georgia football teams.
In the second round of the GHSA playoffs, all but four of the teams fell to their opponents.
Of those four teams, nearly all of them won decisively to continue their seasons. For the rest, it's back to the grind to get ready for the next season, as several seniors say goodbye to their respective teams.
However, for Dublin, Northeast, Peach County and Houston County, the season isn’t over just yet.
Game of the Week: Northeast vs Lamar County
This was a classic battle between two Central Georgia programs to see whose season would continue.
Neither team let up an inch until Northeast made a late fourth-quarter run to claim a 21-10 victory.
Nick Woodford got the Raiders on the board first with a touchdown with just a minute left in the first quarter. The Trojans answered back in the second with a rushing touchdown of their own, before adding another field goal just a minute later to take a 10-7 lead.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but with Northeast’s season on the line, quarterback Reginald Glover stepped up. He completed a pass to Zahkie Denson to take a 14-10 lead. Then Woodford ran for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Raiders a little insurance.
While Lamar County had an impressive end to the first half, the team couldn’t find any points in the second half, and the Raiders' defense shut them out.
Northeast will travel on the road to take on No. 1 seeded Fannin County in the next round. While it may be a tough matchup, an upset would set them up in perfect position to earn a spot in the state championship game.
Three Stars
Micah O’Neal, Dublin quarterback: O’Neal continued his fantastic senior season for the Fighting Irish.
He made several key plays en route to Dublin’s 42-7 win over Jasper County. His biggest accomplishment, however, was reaching 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2024. He joins teammates and fellow seniors Xavier Bostic and Willie Batts, who have already netted 1,000 all-purpose yards.
As Dublin’s season continues, O’Neal, Bostic and Batts will all likely be counted on to help the Fighting Irish contend for a state championship.
Houston County defense: It’s easy to point towards four-star quarterback Antwann Hill Jr., who threw six touchdowns, as Houston County's star player, but the teams' defense deserves the biggest shout-out.
The Bears’ defense has struggled at points this season, especially in region play. They’ve allowed a lot of points in recent games, and considering Lakeside-Evans has put up over 40 points four times this season, it seemed like the game would be an offensive shootout.
Instead, Houston County defense, led by talented juniors, like leading tackler Westen Ard and four-star junior safety Jordan Smith, held the Panthers to only 12 points and kept their offense off the field. This allowed Hill and the offense to put up 63 points in a stellar performance on both sides of the ball.
If the Bears can continue this defensive success against Milton, they may have a shot to make the state championship.
DJ Hudson, Peach County quarterback: Hudson and the Trojans have been on a roll all season and this was the case again this week.
He had five total touchdowns in the 37-3 win over Baldwin. He ran two in and threw three touchdown passes to his younger brother Zion Hudson. The Hudson brothers have been in total sync all year, and that narrative rang true once again on Friday.
Peach County is in prime position to make the championship game, and if DJ Hudson, his brother Zion and the rest of the Trojans continue their dominant performance, a championship may be coming home for the first time since 2009.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
- Peach County 37 - Baldwin 3
- Fitzgerald 28 - Bleckley County 24
- Manchester 26 - Wilcox County 14
- Lincoln County 49 - Mitchell 7
- Dublin 42 - Jasper County 7
- Marist 22 - Jones County 14
- Northeast 21 - Lamar County 10
- Fannin County 28 - Jeff Davis 21
- Calhoun 38 - Douglass-Atlanta 14
- Houston County 63 - Lakeside-Evans 12
- Bowdon 42 - Metter 14
- Thomasville 42 - Temple 10
- Trion 17 - Telfair County 6
- Rockmart 37 - Westside 30
- Worth County 63 - Dodge County 23
- Eastside 21 - Perry 10
- Brooks County 12 - Miller County 10
- Cambridge 41 - Central-Carrollton 22
- LaGrange 38 - Sandy Creek 22
- Irwin County 28 - Early County 20
- Clinch County 28 - Johnson County 6
- North Hall 27 - Upson-Lee 20
- Milton 41 - Dutchtown 3
- Morgan County 36 - Sumter County 30
- Jenkins County 35 - Macon County 21
- Creekside 42 - Kell 35
- Sherwood 36 - Westminster 26
- Edmund Burke 20 - Robert Toombs 17
- Valwood 41 - Deerfield-Windsor 26
What’s next
While the GHSA playoffs have completed its second round of the postseason, the GIAA playoffs will be coming to a close.
FPD will face off against Bulloch and Brentwood will play Southwest Georgia for a chance at a state title in each of their respective championship games. With no more games left after these matchups, both teams will likely leave everything on the field for a chance at a state title.
Brentwood will take the field around 5 p.m. and FPD will play around 8 p.m.