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FFN Roundup | Dublin offense rolls, while Houston County struggles against Milton

Here's a breakdown of the top games and performances during a special playoff edition of Football Friday Night

MACON, Ga. — There are two weeks left in the GHSA football season, and three Central Georgia teams vying for a state title.

In the third round of the GHSA playoffs, multiple Central Georgia teams kept their seasons alive - but a couple ended the season on a sour note.

For some, it's back to the drawing board as the offseason approaches - but for three teams, the GHSA semifinals await, and a shot at the state championship round is one game away.

Dublin earned a shot at the semifinal with a dominant win over Thomasville, Northeast won from behind against Fannin County and Fitzgerald went back-and-forth against Worth County.

Here's a full breakdown on all the action.

Game of the Week: Northeast vs Fannin County

Northeast fell behind 14-0 to Fannin County before the end of the first quarter.

It was looking bleak for the Raiders, and with their season on the line, they turned to the player who'd gotten it done for them all year: Nick Woodford.

Woodford had two first half rushing touchdowns to narrow the deficit to 24-15 at halftime, and his energy helped keep Northeast in the game when they couldn't get anything going on offense.

Coming out of halftime, Northeast scored 14 unanswered points to take a 28-24 lead, before Fannin County struck back to take a 3-point advantage.

Northeast closed out the game with one of their best quarters of the season. In the playoffs, when the lights were brightest, the Raiders outscored Fannin County 20-8 over the final 15 minutes of play.

Their rushing attack simply couldn't be stopped. The Raiders scored five rushing touchdowns in the second half - including another two from Woodford - and kept their season alive with a comeback victory over Fannin County.

Three Stars

Willie Batts, Dublin running back: Nick Woodford wasn't the only running back who came up huge on Friday. Dublin's Willie Batts ran all over the field against Thomasville, and was a major reason that the Irish are moving on.

Batts scored his first rushing touchdown in the second quarter, to break Dublin out of a 3-0 slump to start the game. He scored his next touchdown three minutes later - a 69-yard rush when he outran literally every member of the opposing defense.

By the time Batts' second-quarter outburst was over, the Irish were up 14-6, and had momentum firmly on their side. Batts broke open the dam, and Dublin didn't look back afterward, as the Irish took a 35-13 win over their playoff opponents.

DJ Hudson, Peach County quarterback: DJ Hudson has been great for Peach County all season, and he was still great for Peach County on Friday.

Hudson scored three of the Trojans' four touchdowns against Calhoun, and he kept Peach County in the matchup for the whole game.

The offense slowed down when the fourth quarter hit, but Hudson helped power the Trojans into a comfortable position when winning time finally arrived.

Marvin James, 13WMAZ superstar: Marvin James has been with 13WMAZ for over 25 years. This edition of Football Friday Night was Marvin's last night under the lights as a member of the 13WMAZ team. 

Marvin's contributions to the team have been immeasurable - from his excellent work on air, to his positive attitude behind the scenes, Marvin has been an MVP on 13WMAZ's squad for his entire career. He's moving on to a new position with the GHSA, but no matter where Marvin goes, he'll always have a special place in the hearts here at 13WMAZ. 

High school football scoreboard

Thomasville 13 - Dublin 35

Northeast 48 - Fannin County 37

Calhoun 38 - Peach County 28

Houston County 14 - Milton 56

Fitzgerald 42 - Worth County 38

Irwin County 40 - Trion 30

Jenkins County 7 - Brooks County 28

Sprayberry 0 - Lee County 64

Manchester 20 - Lincoln County 17

LaGrange 49 - North Hall 17

Clinch County 13 - Bowdon 31

Cherokee Bluff 28 - Jefferson 42

Southeast Bulloch 3 - Stephenson 36

Elbert County 17 - Toombs County 56

Thomas County Central 12 -  Langston Hughes 28

Coffee 72 - Sequoyah 48

What's next?

There's one game left between Central Georgia teams get a shot at the state championship.

Dublin, Northeast and Fitzgerald all have a week to prepare for the GHSA playoff semifinals, while the other Central Georgia teams are heading into the offseason to regroup. 

Seniors are leaving, and new faces are arriving, and every team has a few things to clean up before the new year arrives.

But for three Central Georgia teams, they can leave those concerns for later. Now, they only have one concern: winning the big dance.

RELATED: Football Friday Night Scoreboard | Round 3 of GHSA playoff action

RELATED: GIAA Championship Saturday | Find out which Central Georgia GIAA team's hoisted a championship trophy on Saturday

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