Demons ground Warhawks with big-play strikes

The big play. David Bruce lamented about this time and again in four years as head football coach of the Veterans High Warhawks.

Just when the Warhawks had momentum going in their favor Friday against Warner Robins High … boom, the big play. The Demons, immediately after giving up a tying touchdown to Veterans late in the second quarter, returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards. Warner Robins proceeded to score the go-ahead touchdown and held off upset-minded Veterans throughout the second half for a 21-10 opening victory to the 2013 season.

For Warner Robins High School football, it was the first regular season game played by the Demons in the city of Perry since 1964. Records found on robinsfootball.com show that Warner Robins played as the visiting team against Perry High that year and won 12-7. There are four other recorded Demon visits to Perry from 1955 to 1962.

Each team had their share of mistakes and turnovers to overcome. Warner Robins in fact fumbled the football away twice early in the third quarter, but the Warhawks only cashed in three points on a field goal. D.J. Rozier of the Veterans secondary picked off a pass at midfield in the fourth quarter only to see Michael Callaway of Warner Robins intercept the football three plays later.

Demon quarterback Caden Johnston did enjoy one of those rare occurrences, catching his own pass. That can only happen if the ball is deflected, and that’s what happened on the opening series. The result was a 14-yard gain and first down on the Warner Robins 35-yard-line.

The night was a huge one for a huge end on the Warhawk line. Cortez Broughton made the stop on this first series setting up fourth down on the WR 42. The Demons then gave up a generous spot, the 30, when the punter reached down for a low snap and had his knee ruled down by the officials.

It didn’t cost Warner Robins any points, though, as the defense held for three downs and Veterans missed a 46-yard field goal.

Taking over at the 20, Johnston – from the shotgun – completed passes to tight end Landon Hopf (12 yards) and fullback Tyler Cranford (20 yards) for first downs to the Warhawk 48. Rozier stopped Johnston on third down one yard short, but Danny Hite Jr. sped through a hole 29 yards to the 10.

Jacquan Burns, part of coach Bryan Way’s backfield depth, earned the next two totes and scored a 10-yard touchdown at 4:37. Matt Monday kicked the PAT for 7-0 Demons.

Veterans sophomore quarterback Logan Byrd – also operating out of the gun – looked to get his offense going with a mix of run and pass plays. Another sophomore, back Desjuan Harris, earned the first Warhawk first down with an 11-yard run. Byrd, though, was hit by Jabias Williams and Cameron McKinney for eight lost yards.

The opening period ended with a sack by the Warhawk defense, Sam Dumas doing the honors on Johnston for a 10-yard loss.

Starting the second quarter, the Demons had possession and a first down from pass interference on their 35. On third down Warhawk linebacker Matthew Hurst grabbed Burns for a stop forcing a punt.

It was 3rd-and-4 at the VHS 30 when Nick Anderson caught a short out pattern on the 35. Faced with the same down and distance, this time at the 41, Andrew Holiday did an out route and Byrd found him for 11 yards on the WR 48.

Looking to go deep for the first time (and it was 3rd-and-9), Veterans got an interference call to keep the drive going at the 31. Big tackle Keon Seabrooks of Warner Robins stopped Harris on the 27, and it was the fourth third-down call from the home sideline. Byrd tucked the ball in for a keeper, stayed upright and plowed his way to the 10.

From the 15 (following a penalty), Byrd scored the first Warhawk touchdown of the season at 2:52 until halftime. Tim Yaclin tied the game with his PAT.

Yaclin also sent a deep kickoff taken by speedster Reggie Gordon on the 5. He was near his bench when he hit open space and wasn’t stopped until he got to the VHS 23. Hite Jr. nearly made it a one-play scoring drive, but was instead ruled down on the 1.

Broughton and senior linebacker Will Nobles pushed Hite Jr. back a pair of yards, but coming out of a timeout, Johnston rolled left on play-action and hit sophomore brother Conner Johnston for the eventual game-winning touchdown at 1:50. With Monday’s PAT, it was 14-7, the score for the half.

Veterans had the first drive of the second half, but began it on its own 15. Byrd, on a right-side roll out, hit Chris Watts for 16 yards. Finley Woods, Jacob Jamerson and Stephone Raybon got to the quarterback, setting the tone for a defensive-dominated half of football.

On Warner Robins’ first play from scrimmage, Warhawk Rashaad Bolton recovered a fumble on the Demon 37. Senior Collins Jones sacked Byrd, bringing out the home punt unit, but the visitors fumbled the return putting the Warhawks back on offense at the 10.

Terry Harris and Quathon Lawson made sure the Veterans running game went nowhere. So on 4th-and-goal at the 8, Yalcin converted a 25-yard field goal making it 14-10 Demons at 6:52 of the third.

After the Warner Robins offense moved up to its 46, Broughton asserted himself in a major way against the run, and with help from Nobles and Marquise Franklin the Warhawks took a punt on their 19.

Veterans kept the football for the rest of the quarter, D. Harris going left tackle for 16 yards and Byrd passing to an open Watts on 3rd-and-5 for 14 yards on the WR 46.

To start the final 12 minutes, it was 3rd-and-5 again when Jamerson sacked Byrd for 10 yards.

Though Burns was able to break containment for 18 yards to the WR 40, Rozier made his interception on the 50 at the 9:41 mark. Veterans was agonizingly close to a big gain, but it was a last-minute drop over the middle. On third down, Callaway picked off the throw on the Demon 21 at 8:46.

Way kept the football on the ground in a six-play drive that covered all 79 yards in just over two minutes. The big play was Burns’ 57-yard burst to the Warhawk 7. Hite Jr. made the next three carries and took a big hit from the T-formation, but it was a three-yard touchdown and 21-10 game for Warner Robins at 6:33.

Broughton got in one more stick on Johnston when the Demons had backfield miscommunication. Danny Hite III ended any late comeback hopes, however, with an interception in the final three minutes.

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