A Peach of a win for the No. 1 Trojans

It’s one thing for No. 1 Peach County to beat a neighboring rival like Perry and it’s another to thump a solid visiting team like Baldwin. But when you start beating some of the state’s big bullies, you know the team is a legitimate contender again.

Peach County knocked off Warner Robins 29-24 on Friday night to improve its record to 3-0. The Trojans won the first half with its offense and preserved the win by allowing the Demons only three second-half points, none in the final quarter. The game wasn’t decided until Emanuel Pitts intercepted a pass with 45 seconds left to play.

Peach (3-0) was led by the combination of quarterback Greg Williams and receiver Demarcus Robinson. Williams completed 10 of 14 for 218 yards and Robinson caught six passes for 153 yards. The two hooked up for a 67-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Peach running back Keyshawn Lowe rushed 16 times for 80 yards and scored twice. A bonus was Tyler Gibson’s 98-yard kickoff return that answered a 67-yard touchdown run by Warner Robins’ DeAnthony Mack and swung the momentum back toward Peach.

Peach appears to have a clear run to its Nov. 2 showdown against Carver Columbus on Oct. 14. It’s five opponents between now and then have a combined record of 1-13.

Thomson wins showdown

No. 5-ranked Thomson pleased a packed home crowd at the Brickyard by outslugging No. 2 St. Pius 21-14. Chris Jordan scored on a 55-yard run on Thomson’s first possession and the Bulldogs somehow managed to overcome three turnovers. Thomson came up with a crucial fourth-and-short stop in the fourth quarter to end the Golden Lions’ hopes.

Buford back in win column

Buford had a nice bounce-back from last week’s loss to Gainesville. The No. 3-ranked Wolves blasted Hancock Central 43-0. Buford (2-1) was led by Dontravious Wilson, who rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Taylor Mitchell threw for 99 yards, with Tre Neal catching four balls for 71 yards. Buford was playing in honor of basketball player Adam Smith, who fell ill at school during a preseason basketball exercise and taken to the hospital.

Elbert County gets first win

Elbert County, probably the best 0-2 team in the state, got its first victory on Friday by pounding Evans 38-7. The Blue Devils rushed for 427 yards, with 129 of those coming from Clemson commitment Tyshon Dye. He also caught a 44-yard touchdown pass. K’taro Cade added 146 yards rushing for Elbert, which also got a 72-yard interception return by R.J. Jones.

Appling pulls away from Screven

The Pirates (2-0-1) were led by Vernon Dasher, who threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Reyner, and scored on runs of 1, 20 and 14 yards. Justin Moore added scores on runs of 1 and 53 yards for Appling, which had 488 yards in total offense. Appling forced four fumbles and recovered two and intercepted a pair of passes.

Washington County remains unbeaten

The No. 6-ranked Hawks came back from a 14-8 halftime deficit to beat Baldwin 22-14. Melvin Hill led the Golden Hawks (4-0) with 89 yards rushing and two touchdowns. William Walker completed 10 of 16 passes for 123 yards. Josh Burden caught four balls for 41 yards. The Washington County defense smothered the Baldwin run, allowing the Braves to gain only 36 yards on 30 attempts.