Northside beats Peach County in final scrimmage

The Northside High School Eagles came out of their locker room at The Mac to massive applause and rain clouds. After a 20-minute rain delay due to safety precautions brought on by thunder, the Eagles won their final scrimmage of the season 21-20 over the visiting Peach County High School Trojans. Despite being a 3-A school, Peach County played what will be one of two games at The Mac this season like an official test of their football team’s ability to play for a regional and state championship. The Trojans and head coach Chad Campbell will play Warner Robins on Fri., Sep. 2. With the score tied at 20 and 7:30 remaining in the game, the scrimmage rules disallowed an overtime period, so Campbell called for a two-point conversion. Prior to what would become a failed attempt at taking a one-point lead, Peach County senior quarterback Antonio Gilbert connected with senior receiver Devontae Howard for a touchdown. Northside senior free safety Tae Daley and junior defensive back Marcelle Griffin broke up a pass attempt from Gilbert to senior receiver Kearis Jackson to hold on to the win. Both teams agreed to substitute third string offensive and defensive units for the remainder of the game.

Peach County took an early lead following the first of two touchdown connections between Gilbert and Jackson. On their initial possession of the game, Gilbert’s seven yard pass was caught by Jackson who after breaking a tackle, ran up the sideline for 65 yards and a score. Following the kickoff (scrimmage rules do not allow teams to advance the ball after reception of both punts and kicks) the Eagles scored on their first play from the line of scrimmage from 70 yards out. Senior quarterback Tobias Oliver, who would go on to throw for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, found senior slot back Trayvon Willis, who would not be caught from behind en route to the end zone. On Peach County’s following possession Northside senior defensive back Isaiah Nelson intercepted a Trojan pass, leading to what would become the Eagles’ second touchdown of the game. Following a 45-yard run by sophomore running back Daniel Neal, Oliver received the snap and ran left, then right before beating Peach County defenders to the pylon for a touchdown. The Eagles were without senior starting running back Desean Dinkins who missed the scrimmage with a shoulder injury. All reports have him returning to action on Friday against Warner Robins in the season opener. As a team the Eagles rushed for 125 yards during the first half.

The teams would once again be tied at 14 after the Trojans put together a four-minute drive highlighted by long passes by Gilbert to Howard and Jackson who other than Houston County’s trio of senior receivers Amari Colbert, Kimar Robinson and Eli Watson, may be the best receiving corp in middle-Georgia. A 30-yard dart from Gilbert to Jackson in the back of the end zone at the 7:38 mark would tie the game. Northside would drive the length of the field, on one play Oliver ran for 37 yards, but would fail to score following a fumble by Neal on the one-yard line. Three dropped passes by Peach County players -two by Howard and one by Jackson- in or near the end zone could have changed the game for the visiting team. A 50-yard pass from Oliver to Willis with 2:10 remaining in the first half would put the Eagles up 21-14 at halftime.

Both defenses pitched scoreless third quarters with Griffin intercepting a Peach County pass at the 2:28 mark of the period. Both teams demonstrated strong kicking games with Northside’s senior kicker Alex Gelter and Peach County senior punter Omar Cervantes. Cervantes is ranked tenth overall nationally and first in the state by Kornbluekicking.com, a nationally recognized kicking, punting and long snapping website based in Florida. (Editor’s note: Yes, such a thing exists.)

Peach County will open their regular season on Fri., Aug. 26 at home against Houston County High School. Following its intra-city rivalry game with the Demons on Friday, Northside will host 4-A, Region 4 opponent Henry County High School (McDonough, Ga.). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

HHJ News