Demons backup RB aids in comeback at PC

No need for Bryan Way to turn in that letter of resignation, not even when down 21 points in a place like Peach County High. Though the longtime tenured coach of Warner Robins High may have been looking for a mailbox when his starting tailback went down with an injury just before halftime Friday.

But, junior Javian Bradford-Jackson made this a coming-out party for his high school gridiron career. He ran the football 23 times in the second half after starting senior Terry Harris suffered a knee injury on a big gain less than four minutes from intermission. Overall, it was a 29-carry night for Bradford-Jackson for 153 yards as Warner Robins stormed back to win the opener for 2015 44-34 over the Trojans at Anderson Field in Ft. Valley.

Bradford-Jackson carried the football just five times in varsity games in 2014. But after Friday’s game he said, when he saw one of his “brothers” go down, he wanted to be the “backbone” for the team.

“Great,” was all the 185-pound Bradford-Jackson could say on how it felt taking all those poundings – sometimes for no gains – in his first look at serious varsity action.

“He did a great job,” said Way. “You’ve always got to be ready to step it up.”

Harris himself rushed the football 16 times for 102 yards in the first half. He was slow to get up after a rush of 16 yards to start a series when his team was trailing Peach 21-20. He watched the remainder on crutches with ice wrapped around one knee.

Anything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Demons in falling down by three scores, but just two plays after the injury, quarterback Ivan Corbin connected with Marquez Callaway on a go route for 46 yards and the go-ahead touchdown.

But not only was Warner Robins giving up big plays in the first quarter, like a 51-yard touchdown run and a 58-yard swing pass into the end zone, there were a bevy of fumbles. Peach County picked up one of the turnovers and had a short jaunt over the goal line for six more points.

“I was composing my resignation letter at the end of the first quarter,” said Way, most likely metaphorically. “To their credit, they showed a lot of character.”

“Coach always tells us to take it one play at a time,” said Bradford-Jackson. “Keep our heads in the game.”

Peach County opened the game using jet sweeps from James Jackson and keepers by quarterback Tyrique McGhee. It was McGhee who, from his own 49-yard-line, broke tackles, reversed his field and outran everyone to score just two minutes into play.

Warner Robins’ offensive response, generated by Corbin and Harris, led Peach coach Chad Campbell to burn his second timeout. Harris, however, had to fall on a bad snap that lost 22 yards, and the Demons faced 3rd-and-30-plus from inside their own 20.

Corbin lost another snap (plus his helmet), but Trojan lineman Fletcher Hooks had the football and at 7:03 helped put Warner Robins down 14-0.

The Demons went three-and-out on the next series, but the punter fumbled his snap. He was able to get off a kick, but it went just 11 yards to the Demon 43.

Thanks to big Jacquez King rushing McGhee’s pass, Warner Robins forced a punt out of the Trojans. The Demon offense hurt itself with a penalty, and Harris was tripped up at the line to bring out Way’s punting unit again. This boot spotted the Trojans at midfield.

McGhree avoided the rush of Tyrome Tharpe, but it took a holding call. It didn’t fluster Peach, for McGhree threw the swing ball to Jackson, and with solid blocking he sped the distance, 58 yards, for the touchdown at 2:03.

Even at 21-0, the game’s momentum swung to Warner Robins to stay, and it started when Callaway drew a facemask call on the kickoff return. Fifty-five yards away from scoring, Way kept the football on the ground, Corbin and Harris going eight plays for a touchdown by Harris 24 seconds into the second period.

McGhee returned Peach’s kickoffs, and he did a whole lot of running and spinning sideline to sideline, but the Demons bottled him up on the PC 15. On the initial snap, Peach suffered its first fumble, King recovering on the 18.

Three plays later, from 13 yards away, Harris used a wall by Brandon Lee up front for his second straight TD. Conner Shaw kicked the Demons to within seven at 21-14.

The Trojan offense had more trouble with King on a three-and-out, and Callaway returned the punt 25 yards to the PC 40. Bradford-Jackson saw his first action to spell Harris carrying the ball three times in the seven-play scoring drive. It was again Lee with the big block opening room for the backup to score from 19 out at 6:11 until halftime.

Though Warner Robins failed to tie the game, the defense of King and Oneya Butler denied Peach a first down for the third series in a row. McGhree did take the kickoff 60 yards to the WR 38, but Butler in fact came up with the 4th-and-1 stop at the line for Demon ball on the 29.

Corbin and Callaway connected at 3:12 until the half, and Shaw made the PAT in lifting Warner Robins to its first lead, 27-21. The score stayed that way until the break, even though the Demons couldn’t avoid one more mishap. Thanks to Tharpe, Peach went the last five drives of the half without first downs. So from the Peach 42, Corbin hit tall target Matt Trotter open.

Trotter was on his way to six, but got stripped of the ball on the 3 with 1:16 on the clock.

Bradford-Jackson seemed to get stronger as the game moved on through the second half. He said the hard work of the offensive line paid off, and that’s an area Way felt his club had an advantage (size) going in. He certainly didn’t think the Demons would out-run Peach, but liked his chances of wearing things down up front.

So the third quarter began with a 15-play drive of 80 yards, eight carries by Bradford-Jackson and 4-for-4 passing by Corbin. Javon Havens had two catches, including at six-yard touchdown at 5:12 (Shaw’s PAT for 34-21).

Peach only needed a minute to get its offense cranking. McGhee, from his 26, play-faked and hit Kearis Jackson open on the fly. That touchdown closed the gap to 34-28.

But the Demons grinded and grinded and grinded some more, 11 more plays and covering 53 yards thanks to Michael Bradley’s kickoff return. Add five carries to Bradford-Jackson’s total, but also give Trotter a chance to redeem himself. He stood open in the end zone, and Corbin hit him off play-action in the numbers from 11 out. That only left 56 seconds for the third, but Shaw upped the score to 41-28.

Corbin finished the game with nine completions for 163 yards.

Getting the football back early in the fourth quarter, Shaw capped off another 11 play drive with Bradford-Jackson using more crushing blocks in seven rushes. Shaw made a 31-yard field goal (44-28).

Keldrin Davis’ sack against McGhee ended the QB’s night and brought on Antonio Gilbert, who threw 12 passes. The final one was a touchdown of 18 yards, but there were only 14 seconds to play.

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